Made Man Dante Read online

  “So good to see you, Dante,” Betsy said to me before turning and saying hello to my mother and Toni.

  “Good to see you too, Betsy,” I said. “I’d like to introduce you to Gianna Carlisi, my fiancée. She’s never been to La Terrazza before and wanted to look around.”

  “Of course,” she said as she put her hand out to Gia. “It’s lovely to meet you. I’m sure you’ll love it here. We’ll make sure to cater to your every whim as a bride.”

  Gia smiled and laughed as she shook Betsy’s hand. I could tell she felt uncomfortable and I wondered if she was having second thoughts about having a big wedding. I knew she didn’t care to be the center of attention.

  “Come this way,” Betsy said. “I don’t know what your plans are so far, but I’d love to show you the chapel. A lot of our brides prefer this option over getting married in a church.”

  Betsy led us to a set of open stained glass doors. Inside were rows of wooden pews with an aisle in between them, leading towards a small altar. The ivory marble floor matched the altar so perfectly they were almost seamless.

  “We can make it more romantic by adding flowers,” Betsy said.

  “Yes, you should have seen Betsy’s wedding, Gia,” my mother said. “She had beautiful orchids draped everywhere.”

  “Maybe we could have roses,” Gia said softly then looked down at the ground.

  Gia’s face softened and looked as vulnerable as the day I first saw her. I knew she was wishing her mother was there with her. She cleared her throat quietly and then looked at me with tear-filled eyes before looking at Betsy.

  “I’m sorry,” Gia said. “I need a minute. Where’s the ladies’ room?”

  “Take however long you need. I know how overwhelming this can be. Follow the hall past the bend and you’ll see it on the right,” Betsy said.

  I wanted to comfort her and tell her how much I loved her. I wanted to take her home and lock out anything in the world that caused her sadness. But I couldn’t. Reaching out to her, I caressed her cheek and pulled her close to me, but she gently pushed me away.

  “I just need a minute,” she whispered. “I don’t want to cry in front of all these people.”

  “Take Toni with you.”

  “No. I can go by myself. You know it’s safe.”

  I wanted to fight with her and force her to take my sister, but I knew better. This was one of those times where my being overprotective wasn’t appreciated. She wasn’t going far and everything and everyone had been checked. What could happen to her?

  Convincing myself to let her go, I nodded. Gia’s hands had disappeared into the sleeves of her sweater, something I knew she did when she was upset.

  I watched her leave the chapel and noted the time. 3:15. If she wasn’t back in a few minutes, I would send Toni to check on her.

  I couldn’t shake the bad feeling I had, but I reminded myself the place had been thoroughly checked and I had plenty of men on the premises. Someone would have to be crazy to try to do something here. Or desperate, which was worse.

  I checked my watch again, but time was dragging. Pacing the room didn’t help the time go any faster. I rubbed my cheek, feeling the roughness of my beard coming through the skin. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted my mother looking at me.

  She knew me better than anyone, except Gia. Her blue eyes were filled with concern and made her look more her age, something she tried to hide with her light brown hair. She had been with my father through every step of his move up and I knew she was watching me closely because of that. She was a strong woman, but her face always gave away everything.

  “Please don’t worry, Mom,” I whispered to her as I pulled her in for a hug.

  Glancing at my watch, I saw three minutes had passed. 3:18. I stepped into the hall and was surprised to find it empty. Where did they go? The bad feeling tugged harder at my gut. I was overreacting, but I didn’t care.

  “Toni, check on Gia.”

  “But she just left a couple of minutes ago,” she said.

  “Go,” I said, narrowing my eyes at her.

  Toni quickly went down the hall towards the ladies’ room. I heard her shoes echo down the hall as she went around the bend.

  I knew everyone thought I had lost it, that I was obsessing over Gia. Maybe they thought this wasn’t how a Boss acted at all. I didn’t care. I wanted to make sure she was all right. I heard a faint squeak of an opening door and knew Toni was there. She should be back any minute now. I wanted to do more, but all I could do was wait.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Today

  Gia

  La Terrazza was fancy, but nice. I could see why it was so popular with people. Unfortunately, I was having a hard time taking in the place.

  My mind kept returning to my mother and how much I would have loved for her to be there with me. I was surrounded by Dante’s family, and it made me miss what I didn’t have with my own.

  I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but I couldn’t seem to pull myself out of it. I walked in a daze. Nothing seemed real anymore.

  As Betsy showed us the chapel, I felt the room close in on me. I needed a break. Some fresh air, something. I needed to clear my mind. I wasn’t even sure what I was saying anymore.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I need a minute. Where’s the ladies’ room?”

  Betsy gave me directions, but they didn’t register in my head. I didn’t want to look stupid and ask for them again, so I walked out of the chapel and down the hall. Through the windows, I could see the river and thought again about getting some fresh air.

  I had never been to La Terrazza before, but Dante’s mother told me about these beautiful terraces facing the river. I wondered if I could find one. I put my hand on a door labeled ‘Reception Room A’ when I thought I heard something behind me.

  A hand covered my mouth as I tried to scream. A man pressed his body behind me and dragged me into a small windowless room. He closed the door and left the lights off.

  “Don’t scream,” he whispered into my ear. “Don’t try to get away. Do not move.”

  My eyes widened, trying to see in the room, but it was useless. The only light was the small stream of light coming in from underneath the door. Dante’s voice echoed down the marble hall and made me even more scared. What lunatic would kidnap me with my fiancé just steps away?

  “If I take my hand away, are you going to scream?”

  I shook my head. I couldn’t breathe and his covering my mouth made that worse. Whoever he was, he frightened me more than anyone had ever scared me before. He didn’t try to lure me away or bring me to somewhere I was alone, he grabbed me with guards and a known assassin just feet away.

  He removed his hand from my mouth slowly. I knew he was waiting to see if I would scream. I was too afraid to. Once my mouth was clear, I brought my hands up to my face and sucked in deep breaths.

  My mind raced. How big was this man? Was there another exit? Why did he take me?

  Footsteps echoed outside the room. Dante had to find me. I knew he would search the building for me. Whoever this was was going to be dead soon. If he didn’t kill me first.

  The thought sent ice through my veins. Could this be it? After everything I went through, was this how I was going to die?

  As he angled his head towards the door more, I realized I had been too afraid to step away from him. He wasn’t holding onto me anymore, I simply hadn’t moved.

  I took a step away from him and turned towards the door. As my eyes adjusted, the little light that came through the door was enough for me to see him.

  He was in his late twenties with dark hair and pale skin. He was thin, but muscular and strong. With a strong jaw line covered by stubble, I would have thought he was attractive if I wasn’t scared of him.

  A woman’s high heels clicked past the door then continued down the hall. Once I couldn’t hear her heels anymore, he turned back towards me.

  I didn’t know him, but that didn’t mean anything.
I didn’t make it a habit of befriending crazy people.

  “What do you want?” I said, my voice sounding hoarse.

  “Shh!” He put a finger up to his lips as he pressed his ear to the door.

  “Where is she?” Dante bellowed with rage.

  His voice echoed through the marble hall to the small room I was being held captive in.

  The man grabbed my arm and yanked me further into the room. I blinked, trying to get my eyes to adjust, but it was too dark.

  “You’re coming with me,” he said.

  As I opened my mouth to scream, his large hand covered my mouth. His hand was covered with a cloth that wasn’t there before. I tried pushing him away, but he covered my nose and I breathed in a strange chemical smell. My head became heavy and I put everything I had into shoving his arm away from me, but my hands were too heavy to keep up. Then everything went black.

  ***

  I was lying down, my eyes closed, and my body was swaying gently. Where was I? I tried opening my eyes, but they were too heavy. I felt myself sway forward stronger than before, and then back. I knew that motion. I was in a car that just came to a stop.

  It felt like it took forever, but I managed to drag my hands up to my face. I didn’t feel like my body was my own. Every inch of me felt heavy and weighted down.

  I rubbed and squeezed my face, trying to wake myself up more. Eventually I was able to open my eyes, but sunlight filled the car, blinding me and forcing me to close my eyes again.

  The car moved again and continued my body’s sway. I tried to breathe deep, but it was no use. Dizziness took over as the car drove. I tried opening my eyes again, but it was useless. Soon the darkness closed in on me.

  ***

  Gasping for air, I woke up and my eyes flew open. I coughed, and a sharp pain spread through my head. As I forced myself to sit up on the couch I was lying on, nausea overwhelmed me.

  “Lie down,” the man said.

  I wanted to fight him, to not listen to his command, but my limbs still felt too heavy. Slumping back onto the couch, I turned onto my side and coughed as I tried to breathe deep again. The pain shot through my skull again.

  “Breathe slowly,” the man said.

  I didn’t have much choice but to listen to him. My heart raced in my chest, making it hard to breathe slowly, but I didn’t want to feel that pain again. I closed my eyes and felt the room sway. Pursing my lips, I breathed in slowly.

  Rough fingers touched the inside of my wrist for a moment. Was this the same man who kidnapped me? I didn’t get a look at him when my eyes were open, and I couldn’t remember his voice. A damp cloth was placed on my forehead, and I jerked away, remembering the one over my mouth.

  “Where am I?” I asked, my voice weak and dry.

  “You’re in my home,” he said. “I’m sorry I had to do things this way, but I didn’t have any other choice. Your fiancé wants to kill me.”

  I forced my eyes open. My kidnapper was kneeling in front of me still in his black t-shirt and jeans. He reached for a glass of water and held it carefully to my lips. Whatever he used to drug me must have made me crazy because I thought I saw kindness in his brown eyes.

  “He’s really going to want you dead now,” I said after swallowing a sip of the cool water.

  “That’s why you’re here. I need your help.”

  “My help? Are you out of your mind?” I tried to sit up but my head spun again, forcing me back onto the couch. “Who are you? Why should I help you?”

  “I’m Vic Capuzzo, Phil Palumbo’s nephew.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Dante

  “Where is she?” I demanded.

  My voice boomed in the empty reception hall. I knew taking Gia out was a bad idea, but I couldn’t lock her away forever. She wanted to see La Terrazza and I let my guard down. Now she was gone.

  “I don’t know,” Toni said. “She’s not in the ladies’ room¸ and I asked a few of the guards and none of them saw her.”

  “That’s impossible!”

  I spun towards the door and entered the hall. How could this happen?

  I failed. I let myself get caught up with everything else and lost my reason for being, my angel. She was the only reason I was where I was today. When it came down to it, I didn’t protect the one life I swore to protect more than my own. Gia was gone. I failed her.

  I looked at everyone around me. Someone here was involved. They had to be. One of these people was the reason she was gone. But who?

  Ralphie Scandino stood near one of the stained glass chapel doors. He was a small man, but ferocious. As one of my early associates, Ralphie and I went back a long time. I knew he was trustworthy.

  “Ralphie, take some men and put this place under lockdown. It’s 3:22. If someone took her, they have to still be here. Close all the doors and make sure no one leaves. Check everywhere.”

  Ralphie nodded then looked at a few of my other soldiers. With a tilt of his head, he told them to go with him and they fanned out throughout the building.

  The rest of my associates watched my every move as they awaited instruction. Behind them all, standing in the chapel, was Betsy. She was feverishly writing on her notepad and had her cell phone up to her ear.

  With my eyes still on her, I hear a soft sniffle come from my mother. I had to protect those I could.

  “Jayden,” I said, “take my mother and sister back home.”

  “But–”

  “You’re going to question my command?”

  I turned to look directly at him, tempting him to answer. My anger was taking over and I let the darkness consume me. Jayden lowered his head then moved towards Toni and my mother and led them back towards the staircase.

  With them taken care of, I entered the chapel as Betsy put her phone away.

  “I know this area,” I said. “Any business with the kind of clientele you have has hidden cameras. Where are they?”

  “Everything is maintained upstairs,” Betsy said. “I already pulled our security to block the exits from the garage and my brother Joey is going over the tapes now to see if anyone suspicious entered earlier.”

  I was glad she was doing what she could, but it wasn’t enough. I had to find Gia before she was taken from the building. If that hadn’t already happened.

  “Are there any exits or hidden passageways we don’t know about?” I asked.

  “Yes, there’s several, but no one knows about them except for my family,” Betsy said.

  “You’re a fool if you believe that,” I growled. “Anyone with the balls to kidnap my fiancée right out from under me would find them. Show me the nearest one.”

  I followed her down the hall in the direction she pointed Gia for the ladies’ room. Betsy stopped at a door and put her hand on the knob.

  “The closest one is through here. This is one of our bridal rooms. Each bridal room has access to the secret passageways.”

  “So not just your family knows, but every bride who has ever been here knew how to get away. Do you have any idea how many weddings you’ve had here over the years?”

  Betsy looked down, embarrassed. It wasn’t her fault she stupidly thought they were secret, but she had been around the block enough to know better. She opened the door and I pushed past her and entered.

  The room was small and windowless, like a prison. As my eyes adjusted, I spotted a couch on one end and a large mirror at the end of the room. Stepping further into the room, I inhaled and caught Gia’s scent–orange blossoms.

  “She was in here,” I said. “Where’s the other door?”

  Betsy stepped behind the mirror and I followed. In the darkness, light streamed out from under another door. Stepping into the corridor, I caught another whiff of orange blossoms.

  “Where does this lead to?”

  “The garage. This way.”

  My temper was getting the best of me, but I tried to control it. It wouldn’t get her back any quicker and I had to remember there were others looking fo
r her. If she was still in the building, my men would find her. But with the speed we reached the garage, I knew it was too late. Gia was gone.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Gia

  My head spun and I tried to control the dizziness, but it was useless. Every move I made made me woozy. My head felt like it wasn’t part of my body, and I briefly wondered what this man normally did with such a powerful drug. Deep down, I knew I didn’t want to know.

  I didn’t know the name Vic Capuzzo, but hearing who his uncle was was enough explanation. With all the bad blood between the families, there was no way Dante would meet with him. But why would Dante want him dead? I could only think of one thing.

  “Did you kill Don Gambino?” I asked, using the term Don for the first time.

  Vic’s face grew cold as his eyes met mine. I immediately regretted the question but there was no going back, it was out there. He snorted and shook his head with annoyance before pushing my legs further back on the couch to make room for him to sit.

  “No, but I’m sure they all think I did. The Palumbo family is expert at making it look like someone else did the deed. I would know, I’ve done that for them for years.”

  He stood up and disappeared through a doorway. My eyelids still felt heavy so I let them close and let the darkness hold me. I felt my legs shift a little and knew Vic had sat on the couch again. Forcing my eyes open, he held up an aqua-colored mug.

  “I made you some tea. Green tea. Your favorite,” he said.

  He knelt on the floor again and put the mug up to my lips. I sipped the warm fragrant liquid and slowly my head seemed to feel a little better. After another sip, I tried sitting up again. Vic put the mug on the floor and helped me into the corner of the couch for support. As he raised the tea to my lips again, his last words floated through my head again. Green tea. Your favorite.

  “How did you know?” I asked as my heart kicked into overdrive.

  I wanted to run, but I knew I couldn’t. Part of me thought he wouldn’t hurt me, but I had to remind myself he drugged and kidnapped me. This was not a good person. And if he knew about green tea, then what else did he know about me?