Page 27 of Blood and Penance (The Puglisi Crime Family #1)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Phoenix

Matteo looks at me and laughs as we pull up to the home I shared with my husband, I guess because of the look of defeat on my face. I can’t believe I’m back where I started. I might not survive but at least my son will be with his father.

“You know he’s going to kill you, right?” I ask, trying to put a little bit of fear into Matteo. More than likely it won’t work but I want him to keep the thought in the back of his head as he leads me to my death. “He’s going to kill all of you.”

“Who?” Matteo asks with a huge grin across his face that I wish I could slap off. “Your priest?”

“He wasn’t always a priest. He’s coming for me, but I can help you, Matteo. I can get you anything you want. The Puglisi’s will make a deal with you if you protect me from Lio.”

Giovanni won’t, but Matteo doesn’t need to know that. I’ll do anything to get away from him.

His dark chuckle fills the car. “How do you think we found you at that makeshift hospital?” he asks as he puts the car into park.

“Let me guess. Giovanni?”

Matteo gives me a smile as his answer.

“That son of a bitch,” I mumble. “If I make it out of this, I’ll fucking kill him myself.”

“Sad thing is you’re not going to make it out of this, Phoenix.

” I stick my finger up at him, causing him to laugh.

“Anyway, he was more than willing to give up your location as long as we didn’t come after Giancarlo.

Giovanni said he didn’t care what happened to you.

It worked out in the end because the boss has no use for the kid.

Just you. So here you are. Now, get the fuck out of the car.

We’ve kept Mr. D’Amico waiting long enough. ”

“I guess you’re always going to be Lio’s lap dog, huh?” He glares at me. The veins in his forehead bulging in anger. “Suck his dick whenever he wants you to? You’re not fit to take his place because you’re not man enough to take it from him. That's why you had me do the dirty work.”

“Fuck you, bitch!” he sneers.

“You’ve tried that once or twice, remember?

” I wink at him as his face flushes. “Wonder what Lio would think about that little bit of information? Hmm. Maybe we should find out. What do you think, Matteo? You think Lio would want to know the man he looks at like a brother also tried to fuck his wife?”

Matteo isn’t the only one of Lio’s men who has tried to get me to spread my legs for them.

But unlike Lio, I’ve never broken my vows.

At least, not until, Gianni. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve thought about it.

Many times. However, I knew doing that would bring more problems that would have lasted me a lot longer than the pleasure of fucking any of his men. Or any other man for that matter.

“Anyway, I’ll just make sure Lio knows I’m not the only person he has to worry about. And Matteo, I can be very persuasive.”

I don’t give him time to respond as I step out of the car and slam the car door behind me. There’s no point in going back and forth with Matteo. By the time Lio’s done with me, I’ll make sure he’s done with Matteo too, if it’s the last thing I do.

“Home, sweet home,” I mumble as I walk up the marble steps to the large double doors, Matteo’s footsteps echoing behind me.

I push open the thick, oak large door, and step inside my home.

My prison.

My tomb.

“Honey!” I shout. “I’m home!”

“You’re a crazy bitch,” Matteo says from behind me as he closes the door.

I look over my shoulder. “What did you expect me to do Matteo? Beg for my life. Cry, and ask for forgiveness?” I laugh at the stupid look on his face. “Well, you should know by now I’m not that type of girl. Now where is my loving husband? We have a bunch of shit to discuss.”

I don’t have anything else to lose. There’s no doubt Gianni is coming for me, but I don’t think he’ll get here in time to save me.

It will take him a little over seven hours to get here.

So, what’s the point in groveling to that bastard?

My child is with his father, and now I don’t have to worry if he’d be safe.

Lio D’Amico can do whatever the hell he wants to me.

I’m resigned to the fact that my death is near.

As long as my son is safe, I don’t care.

“In his office,” Matteo says. “Right this way.”

I roll my eyes. “I know where it is.”

“And I’m taking you to him,” he says, walking toward Lio’s office.

“Is he scared I might try to finish him off?” I laugh like a crazy person, but Matteo doesn’t say anything. “Not Lio D’Amico scared of little ole me?” I mock.

I continue to laugh as we reach Lio’s office door. When Matteo starts to knock, I just open it. He dragged me here. Fuck, Lio D’Amico.

Of course, when I walk in, it’s like I’m having déjà vu.

I huff then plop my ass down on the same couch where I tried to take his life, crossing my leg over the other as I wait for him to finish fucking whoever this person is.

“Hello, husband. Let’s get a move on, will you? You’re wasting my time.”

The woman is screaming like she’s a part of some porn as she puts on a show for him.

And Lio looks like he’s going to have a heart attack as he plows into her from behind while she’s bent over his desk, grunting and sweating like the pig he is.

Now, I have no problem watching people enjoy themselves, but this is nauseating to witness.

Lio lets out a loud roar like he’s had the greatest climax of his life as the girl whimpers and trembles beneath him, like she also came. Maybe she did, who knows. It’s not out of the ordinary for women to put on a show for their men. I’d done it many times with Lio.

“Get your shit and get out,” Lio says as he pulls his wet dick out of her.

This is why I stopped fucking the nasty motherfucker without protection although he fucking hated it.

He never cared about me. As long as he had a willing cunt, he didn’t need me and did not care if he caught a disease or knocked them up by having sex with them without a condom.

There’s no telling how many little Lio D’Amico’s are running around or how many diseases he’s been treated for without my knowledge.

The girl huffs, pulling her skirt over her ass when she stands up.

He pushes himself back inside his slacks as he glares at me like he can't wait to kill me. She rushes out of the room, then the door closes behind her. Matteo stands in front of it with his arms crossed in front of him, like he’s scared I’m going to try to escape. Or maybe attack Lio.

“You need to leave too, Matteo,” Lio says when he sits back in his chair behind his desk. “I need to talk to my dear wife, alone.”

“Mr. D’Amico, I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Matteo says.

Lio sighs. “I can handle my wife. Get the fuck out.”

I smirk at Matteo, causing him to glare at me. “He’s just afraid you’re going to find out, Lio," I say, smiling. "That’s why he doesn’t want to leave.”

“Shut up, bitch!” Matteo shouts.

“Find out what?” Lio asks as I watch Matteo start to shift from foot to foot. “What is she talking about, Matteo?”

“I don’t know, Lio,” he says, lying through his teeth. “She’s a lying bitch. You can’t trust shit out of her mouth. She tried to kill you.”

I can’t help but laugh. This should be interesting.

“What are you talking about, Phoenix?” Lio grabs his gun from the top of his desk. "And don't fucking lie to me."

Matteo rushes toward me before I can answer and Lio raises his gun, letting off a shot causing Matteo to stop in his tracks. Lio looks at me, motioning for me to continue.

“Well, dear husband, your second in command is the one who gave me the drugs to spike your drink and helped me escape that night. He didn’t tell you?”

Lio’s eyes zero in on Matteo and I know it won’t be long before Matteo is no longer with us. He should have helped me out when I asked.

“She’s lying, Lio. You can’t believe a word she says. I’ve been by your side for years. Who are you going to believe? The bitch who tried to kill you, or me?”

"How do you think I was able to get through the gate without any resistance?"

“Matteo, you said it had to be Georgio,” Lio says to Matteo his voice hardening. “You said, Georgio was the only one who could have given her the drugs and helped her escape.”

“No. It wasn’t Georgio.” My smile widens and Lio’s face flushes red.

“All he’s guilty of is trying to fuck me, like most of your men, husband.

Including Matteo. Do you know how many times I had to tell him no?

He always tried to convince me you would never find out.

That he would be a much better fuck than you.

Even whipped out his dick so I could compare his with yours.

It's much bigger by the way. Anyway, it’s a shame you trust him so much. ”

That’s all it took. Lio repeatedly squeezes the trigger until the magazine is empty, each shot hitting Matteo.

Poor Matteo.

He falls to the floor, and I turn my attention back to my husband. “Lio…”

He throws his hand up in the air. “I don’t want you to say another fucking word, Phoenix. You tried to kill me! You’ve made me kill a man who was like a brother to me!”

“And you don’t think you’ve been killing me for years!”

“Killing you?” he asks with disbelief in his voice. “I gave you every fucking thing. Money! Cars! Trips! Anything you fucking wanted, I gave it to you! Any other woman would have been worshipping me. But what did you give me in return?”

“Did I ever ask you for any of that shit, Lio? All I ever wanted was your fucking love and loyalty. And what did I get in return dear husband? A motherfucker who couldn’t keep his dick in his pants for five damn minutes to make a life with me.

We couldn’t even sleep in the same goddamn bed because you fucked other women in it! ”

“So, you tried to kill me because of jealousy!”

This motherfucker is delusional.

“You wouldn’t let me leave!” I shout. “How many times did I try, Lio! How many times did I ask for a divorce?”

“You’re my wife!” He stood up so quickly, his large black leather chair hit the wall behind him before tipping over. “No, you don’t get to leave me! I’m fucking Lio D’Amico. Nobody leaves me!”

He stalks toward me and when he reaches me, he wrenches my head back by my hair so I can look into his eyes. “For better or worse, you are my wife, Phoenix. And only in death will I ever let you go.”

“Well get it over with then you bastard because I’m tired of fighting for something you were never willing to give me, Lio. This between us is over.”

“You don’t mean that,” he says with disbelief in his voice. "You love me!"

His eyes are wild and all I want is for him to end this bullshit. We are done. My son is with his family. I would rather die than live a life chained to this bastard.

“I mean every fucking word, Lio. I’d rather die than spend one more night in this world and be miserable with you. Do it!” I scream. “Fucking kill me!”

He releases my hair, then takes a step away from me.

His deep dark laugh fills the room. “I hope you didn’t think I would let you off that easy.

No dear wife, this will not end quickly for you.

Death would be too easy. You will pay for your betrayal, Phoenix.

Then and only then will I end your pathetic life. ”