Chapter 3

 

Michael

 

About five years ago, my father had a full fitness center installed on the compound. The gym is complete with a lap pool, weights, a boxing ring, and all the cardio machines one could hope for. This place is my solitude. It is where I do my best thinking, sorting of problems, and unwinding.

Today, I’m thinking. I’ve not heard from Vince, but I expect to hear from him soon. My mind is consumed with how we’re going to pull this off. This could be a new era for our family, as well as the other three families of New York. Vince is right. We do have the muscle to pull this off, and I believe the actual deed of snuffing out Alberto and Victor should go without a hitch. But there is one thing in all of this continuing to gnaw at me. What happens to Zaira?

Vince said he was doing this mainly for Zaira, so she wouldn’t have to marry Victor, but he never said what would happen to her after this. He never indicated what he had planned for her future. Being the oldest son, technically he takes over after the deaths of Alberto and Victor. He may not be interested in being the Don, but he is still in control of his family members. Before I agree to anything, I must know what his plans are in that respect.

Just then, my cell rings. Looking at the caller ID, I see the display reads Unknown Caller. I’m assuming it’s Vince. I had Ricco give him this particular burner cell to get in touch with me. Nobody other than Vince has this number.

I answer the phone with a “hello.”

“Michael, Vince here,” he says. “Do you have an answer for me?”

“Before I give you an answer, I have a stipulation. Consider it payment for services rendered.”

“Anything,” he replies hesitantly.

“You mentioned about the two families merging into one that I would run. I want Zaira included in that merger.” I wasn’t planning on claiming her, just inquiring about her, but the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. Holy fuck, what did I just do? You’re taking what you want, Michael, as you should, my subconscious says, answering me.

“Zaira?” he asks.

 “Yes, Zaira. She will be mine, and our marriage will seal the merger between the two families.”

“Marriage, Michael? What the fuck! I can’t agree to that. If I do, then I am no different than my father by forcing her into a marriage she may or may not want,” he replies.

I don’t want to force Zaira to marry me, but I know, based on our history, I won’t have to. I will win Zaira’s heart back. I know without a doubt that if we were able to pick up where things left off, before the whole your-family-murdered-my-mother thing, she will want to marry me. At one time, she loved me. She told me and begged me to take her away from her father. She knew then what was gonna happen. She tried to tell me, but I wouldn’t listen. In retrospect, I wish I had.

So how the fuck do I make this work without forcing her hand? Time. That is what I need. Time. She could get to know me again, and I guarantee she will choose to be with me. This obsession with Zaira has been brewing for a long time, and my gut is telling me to pursue her. I need to find out if this consuming feeling to have her is real or if it is just some fucked-up confusion in my head. I know one thing; it’s something that has been deep-rooted in our minds by our families since we were young. “I won’t force her either.”

“Well then, what the fuck are you saying?” he asks.

“Put Zaira in my path. Give me time.”

“Time? What do you mean, time?”

“How the fuck do I know? Think of something to bring us together. Something you want her to deal with for the family. I don’t know. You figure it out,” I say in reply.

“And what makes you think anything will come of it?” he asks.

“Because she gets to know me again. We had something five years ago, and it will resurface. I have no doubts about that. Then she gets the option to choose, and I get Zaira. Because, Vince, I guarantee she will choose me, and if she doesn’t, well then fuck, I don’t deserve her. And when the day comes for our marriage—and that day will come—you give your blessing wholeheartedly.”

“Michael, if it happened that way, I couldn’t imagine a better brother-in-law. I’ve always admired you and your father. I know you would respect and love my sister if you married her.”

“Vince, this isn’t about love. Respect, yes. You know she will always have that. She’ll be treated like a fucking queen. But this is about getting something I want, plain and simple. I do you a favor; you do me one. That’s how it works.”

“So if she does not choose you, you will leave her alone?” he asks.

“That’s not gonna happen. But if it will put your mind at ease, then yes, I will leave her alone,” I reply.

 “Agreed then. We have a deal.”

I’m not sure why I was worried about his response, but I find I am quite relieved by it. “I’ll need you to get me all the info you can on when and where you want the hit to happen. I can’t reiterate enough that it has to be precise, Vince, no fuck-ups on the information train. Once we have the when and where, my boys and I will take care of the rest.”

“Already have that. Zaira’s engagement party is two weeks from today. It is being held at our home, in the solarium and outside gardens. I will make sure your men have access to the party without my father knowing. And I will ensure Zaira, Mia, and I are not in the line of fire.”

“Got it. I’ll keep you posted with the plan. If I have any questions, how can I reach you?”

He rattles off his number and then says, “And you will keep this phone so I can contact you?”

“Yes,” I reply.

“Michael, thank you. You won’t be sorry. We’re all about to live in a better world,” he says and then disconnects the line.

After we hang up, I think about what he is asking me to do. I can’t imagine hating my father so much that I would actually order his premature death. But then again, if Alberto was my father, I would probably do exactly what Vince is doing. The only difference is I would have done it a long time ago.

A few minutes later, Ricco walks into the gym. “Ah, Michael, Jude just radioed me. Serena is here.”

Aw, fuck. The last thing I want to deal with today is Serena. “What does she want?” I ask. I made the mistake a while ago of going out with Serena more than a couple of times, and she became clingy and possessive. I don’t do either and ended things rather abruptly. She’s laid low for the most part, only texting me a time or two about how much she missed me, to which I never replied. I thought she had finally gotten the hint. So why the fuck is she here?

“To see you, of course,” he replies.

“I don’t want to see her, Ricco. I told her months ago that whatever she thought we had was over. Get rid of her.” I know it’s a total dick move, but I don’t have time for her bullshit.

“Will do.” He turns to leave, and I go back to my workout.

 

***

 

Zaira

 

It’s only been two weeks, and already the happy bride-to-be act is getting old. I’m drowning in an ocean of unhappiness and fear. I can run away? Foolish girl! That will never work! My father will hunt me down, and there is no doubt he’ll find me. It wouldn’t matter where I went or what I did, he has connections everywhere. I wouldn’t run very far before he found me, and the consequences of that make me shudder.

“I can’t believe you’re getting married!” Mia exclaims. “Aren’t you excited?” Mia is my younger sister; she’s seventeen and has no idea of the hell I am about to face with this marriage. And she will never know. Of all my siblings, Mia is the bubbly one. Perhaps it’s her age, but she can walk into a room and make it brighter just by her presence. Hopefully she will have the option to marry for love, unlike me. Being the oldest requires me to make sacrifices for the family, and marriage to Victor is one of them. You would think that in this day and age I would be able to choose my own husband, but Father does not follow the practices of the twenty-first century. He is completely old school. Hell, I’m lucky he finally agreed to allow me to go to college. I guess that is something.

This engagement party has gone on forever, and I just want it to end and go back to the solitude of my room, alone. I should be mingling, but it is taking all my willpower to smile and look happy.

Mia gives me a hug. “Oh, look, your handsome fiancé is coming.” She pauses and then says, “I’ll give you some privacy.” When she walks off, I silently scream, Wait, Mia, don’t go!

I look up and see Victor walking toward us. As I watch him approach, I agree he is handsome. Actually, he’s downright beautiful. It’s a shame his inner self doesn’t mirror his outer appearance. Victor is tall, roughly six feet. He has broad shoulders and scruffy blond hair. His eyes are green. Unfortunately, they have a glint to them that makes my skin crawl. And, he’s old. Well, not really, but he’s twelve years older than me.

He comes around and stands behind me and leans in to whisper in my ear, “I hope you know how happy I am that you’ll be my wife in five and a half months.”

I shudder, which he seems to take as arousal.

“And soon, you’ll be in my bed,” he says.

My stomach churns at his words, and I begin to struggle to breathe.

“You should mingle more, Zaira. At least pretend you are happy about marrying me,” he says and walks away.

Bastard! He’s on to me, and he knows I’m acting. My life is over. Him knowing I am not happy about marrying him will only make my married life with him even worse.

 Oh, God! I can’t marry him! I can’t. I pray Vince comes through for me and makes this nightmare go away.

I plead to nobody but the Almighty himself ’cause he is the only one who can help me. Being the good Catholic girl I am, I would be encouraged to pray to one of the saints, but that never worked for me. Hell, I can’t even remember what saint to pray to who will keep me from an awful marriage if there even is one. No, I’m the kind of girl to go straight to the top.

I’m lost in thought and silent prayer, for God to intervene and change the outcome of this horrid affair, when I’m awakened from my thoughts by a loud bang. Actually, several loud bangs, and while I am quickly getting my wits about me, I realize what I’m hearing is gunfire. Gunfire!

I look around me, and everyone is screaming and running in all directions. It’s chaos. I quickly scan the room and see my father and Victor leaving. I’m appalled. They are not doing anything to help anyone, and it’s obvious they only care about saving themselves. I don’t know why I would expect anything different. As I watch them head for cover, I realize the gunfire is meant for them. My father gets hit in the back of the head, and I watch his brains explode all over Victor. Oh my God! Victor turns, and a bullet gets him right between the eyes, then another one in the chest. If I’m lucky, it will hit his black heart. I know without a doubt they are dead.

I’m in shock by what is happening all around me. I hear someone calling my name, but I can’t find them or the source of the guns. I have no idea which direction to run without getting hit. It’s pandemonium.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Michael Vitali. Why are the Vitalis here? I think to myself.

As if jolted from my thoughts by a bullet, I realize I have not seen my brother or Mia. Suddenly, I begin to panic and run from the solarium toward another part of the house. I am too busy looking for them when I trip over something in my path. I fall hard and bang my head on something.

Lying on the ground disoriented, my last thought is to never underestimate the power of prayer. Watching my father and Victor get shot, I would say it is fair to assume my prayers have just been answered.

And then everything goes black and silent.