Page 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Ellie

“Jorge?”

“Hi, Elodie. I came by to see if you could look at something, please.”

I’m in the kitchen grabbing a snack as the young man walks in. He called out to me and nearly scared the crap out of me. I didn’t expect anyone to come over. Thankfully, I’m not naked—which I was ten minutes ago while Enrique licked whipped cream off my nipples.

“There’s something going on here, and I’m not sure what to make of it.”

He sets his laptop up on the kitchen table and pulls up an accounting software I used for years. I slip into the seat next to him, and he turns the computer toward me. My forehead creases, and I feel my “angry elevens”—the deep grooves between my eyebrows—setting in. I got rid of them when I gave up accounting, along with the headaches they caused from squinting.

“These aren’t your family’s accounts.”

“No. They’re the Kutsenkos’.”

I skim the data in front of me and scroll down before making my way back up. I recognize routing numbers and account numbers because I set up the latter.

“The bratva’s paying the Vizzinis.”

“And I don’t know why, but that’s not what’s odd, though. I followed the money to where it wound up. I can’t figure out whose accounts these are. Do you recognize them?”

My gut screams he’s testing you, but my heart’s telling me Enrique’s nephew trusts me enough to ask my help. I’m far more conflicted than I expected. I don’t feel loyal to Tommaso, but my loyalty to my family and the organization I served demands I refuse to help Jorge. My instinct even hints I should sabotage this. But my stronger loyalty tells me to help him, and that’s disconcerting as fuck, considering all the things I’ve done to support the Vizzinis. This is rattling me, and I don’t know what to do.

“Jorge, do your uncles know you’re asking me? I don’t think they want me this involved in your family’s business.”

“ Tío Luis will probably bitch about it, but Tío Enrique would agree you’re the only person I can trust to help me. I usually have no trouble tracing accounts, but this one money trail is odd.”

“Do you mind?”

“Go ahead.”

I move the computer in front of me, and I click on a few things. I feel more conflicted by the moment. It doesn’t feel right helping at the Vizzinis’ expense, but what I see makes me want to say fuck ’em.

“Jorge, I really need to speak to Enrique before I go any further.”

“What do you need to speak to me about?”

Fucking hell. These men are like fucking panthers. Stealthy as fuck. I didn’t hear the garage doors because the kitchen’s on the opposite end of the downstairs. I didn’t hear either of their footsteps either. I might be losing my edge.

“Jorge asked for my help tracking down some transactions. It involves the Vizzinis.”

“Jorge, give Ellie and me a moment, please.”

“Do you mind if I take Constantine out back? I’ll play fetch with him.”

“You’ll make a new best friend if you do.”

Jorge calls out to my dog who gladly forgets I exist when Jorge picks up one of the tennis balls from the toy basket near the sofa. I watch them head outside before I turn to Enrique.

My toes wiggle in my shoes, and I haven’t felt this uncomfortable in a long time.

“ Chiquita , what’s wrong?”

I glance out of the kitchen again and can see Jorge on the patio. The French doors are closed, so he won’t hear us.

“Daddy, I don’t know what to do. I want to help Jorge because it helps you, but I still have family in the Cosa Nostra . Fucking over Tommaso fucks them over too.”

“If it doesn’t feel right, then Jorge will understand.”

“It feels disloyal either way.”

“You aren’t disloyal to me if honor tells you not to share certain things with us.”

“But I’ve sworn up and down I’ve sworn off the Vizzinis. That I’m not one of them anymore.”

“Do you fear Tommaso will punish Will?”

“That’s definitely part of it. But my father still works for Tommaso. My cousins do, too. I’m friends with Tori and Stella, even if I don’t get along with Tommaso anymore. If I tell you or Jorge what I already figured out, then it’ll be ammunition for you to use against them. It feels like I’m waiting to give myself a self-inflicted wound. But if I don’t, then you’re the one who might get hurt.”

“I’ll support whatever you decide.”

“I know. That’s not the problem. It’s the decision that is.”

“If you help Jorge, will it be obvious you’re the one who did?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Could Tommaso find out it’s you?”

“He might suspect, but unless your family confirmed it, he wouldn’t be certain.”

“Would revealing this information have far-reaching effects?”

“Probably.”

“Would it have long-term effects?”

“It could.”

“Would it endanger your sons?”

“No. If it would, I’d have said no without a second thought. But it would make life significantly harder if Tommaso found out.”

“Would they feel betrayed?”

“They wouldn’t like it, but they would probably understand. Daddy, I truly don’t know what to do. I knew a situation like this was inevitable, and I knew it wouldn’t easy. But this is harder than I expected.”

“Is it something you can take time to think about?”

“Probably, but not a lot.”

I sigh and wrap my arms around my waist. I wish I could melt away.

“Enrique! Put me down.”

I’m unprepared for him to scoop me into his arms and march to his office. He uses the biometric pad, then locks the door behind us. He carries me to a loveseat and puts me down.

“Take your dress off.”

“Could Jorge walk in on us?”

“He’d knock and wait to be told he can enter.”

Reassured, I slip off my dress. Enrique cups my bare ass and kisses my neck.

“It pleases me to find you without panties, chiquita . When I want your pussy, I will have it. You will not put anything between me and what’s mine.”

He runs his fingers between my pussy lips, and I know he finds me wet. I always am these days.

“Take your bra off.”

I follow his orders, and he guides me to put my hands behind my back. He binds my wrists with my bra straps tight enough I can’t slip them out. He unfastens his trousers and pulls his boxer briefs down before he sits.

“Come here, baby girl.”

I straddle him and ease down his cock.

“ Ay, papí .”

“That’s right, chiquita . Why do you call me Daddy?”

“Because you’ll always protect me. I can lean on you when I need help or to feel safe. You’ll take control when I need a break or when you need the reassurance I’m okay.”

“Do I believe you can make your own decisions?”

“Always.”

“Do I trust you to make good ones?”

“Yes.”

“Then come here.”

He opens his arms to me, and I lean against him. The moment my cheek touches his chest, my eyes drift closed. My entire body relaxes, and I feel my shoulders sink away from my ears. He kisses my forehead, and I feel calmer. His right hand cups my ass while his left caresses my back. He says nothing else, just letting me breathe.

I don’t think about the situation. Instead, I do my best to quiet my mind. I listen to his heartbeat, which is so strong I can hear the steady rhythm even though my ear isn’t over it. It doesn’t feel like the weight of the world is squashing me anymore.

“I created an account years ago for money that comes in that isn’t from business transactions. It’s a place to put money that came from transactions that weren’t for goods or services.”

“Hush money.”

“The account balance will go down if they have to pay for something other than goods or services.”

I neither confirm nor deny their regular illegal endeavors because I don’t need to. Enrique understands what I mean.

“Only one other person knows how to access this even if other people know it exists. This is usually a final destination, not a conduit to another account.”

Hopefully, Enrique picks up on the keyword usually because this is where my conflicted feelings stem from.

“I suspect other parties don’t know Tommaso is basically robbing Peter to pay Paul. Or in this case, Pyotr and Paolo.”

I switch to the Russian and Italian pronunciations, not that I doubt Enrique can follow along. This ensures my meaning isn’t lost.

“He’s figured out a way to force Pyotr to pay him, so he can pay Paolo. However, neither Pyotr nor Paolo know Pyotr’s essentially paying Paolo. Tommaso’s just the pass-through. It would seriously displease Pyotr to learn that, and Paolo would never let Pyotr forget that.”

I’m inching across thin ice right now, and I keep waiting to hear it crack. It’ll be an icy plunge if I fall through. Enrique says nothing, just holding me as I piece through how to share without specifics.

“Because Tommaso robbed Pyotr, it’ll force Pyotr to recoup his losses. It wouldn’t surprise me if Pyotr steals from Paolo, unaware he’s basically getting his own money back because he won’t know Paolo’s even involved. That Tommaso paid Paolo with the money he got from Pyotr.”

I squeeze my eyes shut tighter. I’d shake my head if it weren’t against Enrique’s chest. But I continue working out the situation aloud.

“It won’t end there. Instead, it’ll just escalate. Paolo has plenty of people who owe him favors right now, so he’ll call in one or two from someone specific—Chucho—to get what Pyotr took in what Paolo will claim is an unprovoked attack. Without Pyotr or Paolo knowing the role they play in this tragedy, it will be an unprovoked attack.”

I’ll stick with the metaphor as though I’m telling a fictitious story rather than telling Enrique what I suspect’s happening.

Tommaso probably extorted the Kutsenkos for fucking up the deal with Ignacio. If that’s why Tommaso received the money, the bratva must not know for sure that the Boston Cosa Nostra ordered the hit. Tommaso’s probably sending the money to Salvatore for something or other. Who knows what right now? He breathed in the same hemisphere as Salvatore for all I know.

Salvatore’s going to call in favors from Jesus Espinoza—Chucho’s a nickname for Jesus—to go after the bratva once he realizes it’s the bratva who stole what was originally theirs. I doubt Jesus told Salvatore he figured out who I am, and that a woman was his target when he asked for men to do the job.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Salvatore isn’t punishing Jesus for sucking him into Culiacán , Cartel, and Boston Cosa Nostra business. He’ll probably tell Jesus his restitution is dealing with the bratva about what Salvatore will consider stolen money. Salvatore will probably use Jesus to settle some old score with Enrique.

The Kutsenkos will invariably discover what Tommaso did with the money, and it’ll piss them off that even a penny went to the New York Mafia. Salvatore won’t let them live that down: Tommaso duped the bratva.

“When Chucho does those favors to hurt Pyotr, Chucho’ll think he and Paolo are even. But one favor will lead to another. The second favor will be to settle an older score of some sort with an enemy from south of the border. However, Chucho’s doomed to fail from the start. This enemy south of the border is also Chucho’s nemesis. This enemy’s learning about this as I speak. This enemy—Kiko—is likely to deal with Chucho because Kiko’s involvement is even more personal than anything Chucho did to Pyotr or Paolo.”

I’m certain Enrique knows I mean him. I couldn’t be clearer since Kiko is a nickname for Enrique.

“When Chucho disappears, Paolo honestly can say it wasn’t him. The tricky part is Chucho has connections to a fourth player who has ties to one of Chucho’s kids. Patrick’ll get sucked into this because Patrick and his family’ll be honor-bound to defend Chucho who just went poof and disappeared.”

All Four Families will wind up involved. When Jesus disappears because Enrique finally gets fed up with him and all the shit he’s caused, along with Jesus’s decades-old debt, it’ll draw in the O’Rourkes because of their ties to Jesus. If only Cormac O’Rourke weren’t tied up with the Espinozas, but love makes strange bedfellows.

Salvatore will cry foul since the Mancinellis have familial ties to Jesus, too. Pushing Jesus into Enrique’s hands allows Salvatore to be rid of a pain in his ass without betraying his nephew Luca who brought Jesus into the mix a few years ago.

“If all goes to Paolo’s plan, Paolo will have three enraged syndicates blaming each other for Chucho’s involvement. It’ll deflect everything from Paolo. He’s counting on Kiko being too busy to punish Paolo for his role in what happened to two women Kiko loves.”

Tommaso is so far in over his head he’ll look like the toddler trying to play with the big kids. He’d be smart to just fade into the background.

It’s all so fucking complicated though, and I have to run through all the players to be sure I’ve forgotten no one.

The Kutsenkos—Maksim, aka Pyotr—hate the Mancinellis—Salvatore, aka Paolo.

The Kutsenkos pissed off Enrique by causing problems with his deal with Ignacio. Tommaso’s pissed at the Kutsenkos because he got fucked over, too. Maksim’s now paying Tommaso, so he won’t tell anyone—Enrique primarily—that they fucked things up. But Enrique already knows the Kutsenkos are involved. My guess is primarily Pasha who’s married to Ignacio’s niece.

The Kutsenkos will go after the Mancinellis because they need that hush money back somehow, and Salvatore’s as good a target as anyone.

Salvatore will want revenge against Maksim for that, and since Jesus complicated things by going after me and not telling Salvatore the truth, Salvatore’ll send Jesus after Maksim.

Except Enrique has the oldest grudge against Jesus. He’ll want first dibs because of the past and what Jesus just did to Catalina and me. If Enrique goes after Jesus, Salvatore will have to protect Jesus because Jesus is now related by marriage to Salvatore’s nephew Luca.

The O’Rourkes will come to Jesus’s defense because of Cormac’s connections to one of Jesus’s kids.

Salvatore will try to fade into the background and let the Diazes, Kutsenkos, and O’Rourkes war with each other.

“You deduced all of that from looking at a couple bank accounts?”

“And nearly five decades of life among syndicates. If I were in Paolo’s place, that’s what I would do.”

“And if you were in Kiko’s?”

“I’d make sure Chucho understands he needs to pay off his old debt to Kiko before he worries about anything else. If he does that, then they’re even. Chucho might live if he’s still useful to Kiko. Kiko might also remind Pyotr that if he hadn’t tried to fuck with Kiko first by going through Tommaso, he wouldn’t have to deal with Paolo or Chucho at all. If Chucho does this—makes restitution to Kiko and stays out of things with Pyotr and Paolo—then Patrick never gets involved because Chucho’s no longer in danger of dying.”

If Enrique gets Jesus to man up finally on their old bargain, then Jesus can slink back to Chihuahua and be out of everyone’s way. Enrique can remind the Kutsenkos they’re the real reason all of this happened, and Ignacio would still be alive if they hadn’t tried to fuck Enrique over.

If the Kutsenkos leave Tommaso alone, then they have one less thing to deal with Salvatore over. Salvatore gets iced out since Jesus won’t be his bitch. The O’Rourkes have no reason to interfere, and Enrique’s settled things with no one blaming him.

“Little one, I think you’re brilliant. I think Kiko would be wise to follow that advice. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, papí . Thank you for listening to my convoluted story rather than pressing me to pick.”

“I’ll never ask you to, Ellie. I understand how stuck in the middle you are. I’ll shield you as much as I can. I’ll make sure my guys ask me before approaching you about anything like this. I’m certain Jorge meant no harm by it.”

“I never thought he did. And I’m happy he wanted my help and doesn’t think I’ll try to usurp his position. I won’t stand in your way, but I also can’t always make it easier.”

“I get that.”

“I know you do. That’s why I’m so comfortable right now. I’m not scared. I’m not even nervous or anxious. I don’t feel guilty either.”

“I think I should say thank you a little more thoroughly.”

I grin and nod. He pulls my bra off my wrists and flips me on my back. The submissive position with my hands behind me let me feel like Enrique had control of everything as I divulged complicated information that put me in a position where I had no control. I hate feeling out of control unless Enrique is there to reassure me he can handle it.

I reach my arms over my head, holding onto the end of the loveseat. He thrusts into me as I push my feet into the cushions, rolling my hips to match his movement. It’s short, hot, and fucking intense.

“Daddy, I’m ready to come. May I?”

“Yes, chiquita . I’m there too.”

“I want to feel your cum in me.”

I strain, my body tensing and squeezing around his cock as it pulses inside me. I gasp as I come back down off my burst of sexual euphoria. I’m pulled back to reality when Enrique withdraws. I want to wrap myself around him and keep us joined, but I know he has things he must do now.

“If you’re going to need to make calls or meet with your family, I can take Constantine for a walk.”

Enrique hesitates, and I realize that was a thoughtless suggestion. Being outside the gates will spike his blood pressure.

“Actually, you know what. I have some writing I should get done before I fall behind on a deadline. I’ve had a lot of time away from my computer, and I need to get back on schedule. I’m going up to our room.”

I grab my clothes and hurry to put them back on while he straightens his pants and dictates a text to have everyone meet at his house.

“Ellie, if it comes down to eliminating Jesus, do you want to know?”

“To satisfy curiosity or because you want me to do something?”

He stares at me in disbelief. “I am not asking you to do a job for me. I meant do you want to know what’s going on? Or would you rather wash your hands of all of this?”

“Whatever you think’s best.”

He wraps his arms around me and gives me a kiss that leaves me wanting rounds two through a hundred of what we just did on the loveseat. A bigger part of me than I want to admit wishes I could be involved in this conversation, but it’s none of my business. I don’t want to get sucked back in any further. I’ll let Enrique handle it.