Page 34 of Twisted Trust (Mafia Lords of Sin #10)

MAEVE

E lio Gallo’s funeral is a spectacle.

It’s as if the entire city of New York turned up to say goodbye to a legend.

While the funeral itself was an intimate affair with just Levi, Marcella, me, and a few close friends and guards, the entire perimeter was filled with well-wishers and people eager to offer sympathy.

I’d never seen such a huge volume of people outside of a concert and it was eye-opening to the sheer influence families like the Gallos have over the world.

Career criminals, the Mafia is more loved and more feared than any other organization in the world and being on the inside is somehow more alarming. I stay by Levi’s side throughout the whole thing.

Rain falls gently at first while the priest talks about Elio’s long life in gentle code because everyone expects the cops to try something sneaky even in a situation like this.

I learn that Elio founded several charities that are the cornerstones for helping the homeless in New York and he met Marcella when she was twenty-one.

As he talks, Marcella crumples in on herself and Levi leaves me to go and support her with his arm around her.

Keeping her on her feet becomes a battle because her grief doesn’t care about appearances or showing strength.

She lost the man she devoted her life to and guilt still sits heavily in my gut as I listen to her tears.

When the rain gets heavier, guards cover us with wide, black umbrellas and Levi gives a short, shaky speech about how he looked up to Elio, how he loved him and how he will do everything he can to make him proud.

Marcella becomes utterly distraught when the casket is lowered into the ground and despite the jacket warming my shoulders, I feel cold.

It’s bone deep. I know this isn’t their first funeral and in this world, death is as common as sunrise, but there’s something utterly heartbreaking about the death of the Don.

When Marcella regains her footing, the procession leaving the graveyard becomes a strange stage for countless men and women from hundreds of different crime families to pay their respects.

There are even people I recognize, from news anchors to celebrities usually on the cover of glossy magazines and viral dance trends.

Everyone acts like they knew Elio on some kind of personal level.

I stand by Levi’s side as he shakes countless hands, thanks people for showing face, accepts offers of sympathy and hard promises to help him find out who did this.

Nazario’s appearance is a welcome touch of familiarity and he’s the only one who takes my hands and offers me support should I need it. I feel selfish for even considering it.

Levi’s hand in mine is a constant and as New York darkens and the terrible day draws to a close, I’m struck by how quiet the city feels as we head toward the event hall hosting the wake.

It’s like the entire city is in mourning for a man who probably deserved to be behind bars.

Ironic that a criminal can draw such respect out of a city like this.

I watch Levi closely as we enter the wake where the atmosphere is a far cry from one of deep mourning.

There’s lively music, dancing, and drinking, cheers from people as they share stories of Elio that include either getting beaten up by him or doing the beating.

People who were enemies in the past are friends now and he clearly touched a lot of lives.

The loyalty is unwavering and with the celebration comes a different kind of attention.

People start congratulating Levi on being the next Don.

There’s heavy praise for carrying on Elio’s legacy, curiosity about his next steps, and offers of continued alliance and prosperity between families.

Levi seems to wilt more and more into himself with every word of praise that comes his way until he’s hunched over, staring deep into a glass of Bourbon while the celebration of life rages on around us.

“Levi?” I slide my hand over his cold knuckles resting against the bar. “Do you want to get out of here?”

Levi’s hand swivels around until we’re palm to palm, then he slides his fingers between mine and grips. “I can’t.”

“You can. You’re Levi Gallo. You can do anything you want to.”

Slowly, he lifts his head and shakes it to free the loose hair that’s fallen across his eyes.

“I can’t, though, can I?” His voice is low and strained.

“I wanted this position. I dragged you into this position to secure my own and instead it gets handed to me because my father is—” He cuts himself off and his grip tightens on my hand.

“I can’t bring him back. I can’t do anything. ”

Guilt eats away at me as Levi’s haunted eyes lock onto mine. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper softly, caressing his cheek. “What can I do?”

“Stay with me,” he asks. “Please.”

“Of course.” There’s no doubt in my mind that this is where I want to be.

“I mean it. Please . This deal we have? For you it hinges on Scott and I’ve dealt with CPS, okay? They won’t harass you anymore and this means you can leave, but please don’t. Please.”

Child Protective Services… are they really off my case?

That was the hook that drew me into this arrangement with Levi, this fake marriage so I can keep Scott with me, but in true Levi fashion, he’s taken care of it.

But he knows the truth now and I don’t plan on walking out into an unsafe world with a Mafia Don’s son now that the whole world has seen us together.

“I don’t care about that anymore,” I say softly.

“Well I do, but I just mean… that’s not the reason I want to stay.

Levi, you said you still loved me and I’m still working through some complicated feelings, but I’m here, okay?

” I draw our joined hands up to my lips and kiss his knuckles. “I’m here for you. Right here.”

Levi’s eyes lazily wander across my face and then he nods slowly. “Thank you.”

I stay with him until dinner is served and then excuse myself to the bathroom, although I suspect Levi would have come with me if he hadn’t been sucked into a conversation about his plans for the casinos.

I hurry away down a corridor where the air is cooler and the party is nothing more than a distant hum, seeking out the bathroom.

After doing my business, I wash my hands and glance at myself in the mirror.

The black dress I chose sits nicely around my body and color radiates from my cheeks.

My hair is pinned up into a bun to keep it out of the way and I kept my makeup minimal.

The outfit drags me back to a dress I wore when I thought Levi was dead.

Drunk, I dressed in black and scoured the internet trying to find his death notice so I could show up at his funeral.

Now I’m by his side as his fiancée with our son safe with Chip while we say goodbye to his father.

My life is insane.

After touching up my lipstick, I head outside.

I’ve only made it two steps when a fist flies into my face from the side.

Knuckles slam into my mouth and my head snaps back with a gasp as alarm jolts through me like a clap of lightning.

I stumble in my heels but the rising scream in my throat is cut off by a fist around my throat.

I’m thrown back against the wall and that same fist slams into my gut, painfully winding me.

My vision swims, my face and body throbs, I can’t breathe and I can’t scream. I’m choking as a cramp twists through my abdomen and the blurred face of my assailant swims close.

“Scream for me, bitch ,” he snarls as his grip tightens around my throat.

I blink and tears roll down my cheeks while my freshly manicured nails tear at the soft flesh of his wrist. Only a wheeze makes it past my parted lips as he cuts off all my air supply and shoves me an inch up the wall.

My heart pounds louder and louder, drowning out the distant sounds of the party.

Dark spots blot my vision and despite the blood I draw from his wrist, his iron grip is unwavering.

This can’t be happening! I’m so close to people! An entire Mafia is through the double doors at the end of the corridor and I can’t make a single sound to reach them. Levi is right there and I’m—I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe!

Suddenly, there’s a solid thump and the hand vanishes from my throat as two shadows collide in my limited vision. I collapse down the wall and hit the floor with a ragged gasp that quickly turns into frantic coughing.

Sweet air floods my lungs so sharply that my eyes water, causing fat tears to roll down my cheeks as I hack and cough on all fours.

Breathe! Holy shit!

The thumps continue for a few seconds and then a hand grabs my upper arm. Reflex and panic make me shriek hoarsely and I throw myself back against the wall, only for Nazario’s blurred face to appear before me.

“Maeve! It’s me! It’s me, you’re okay. You’re safe.”

Naz saved my life. After ensuring I’m breathing regularly, he escorts me up to the next floor and ushers me into a room while carrying the dead body of my attacker. The body is dumped on the bed and Naz orders me to stay put, then he vanishes.

My throat is hot and raw, my head and jaw throb, and I’m suddenly alone in a hotel room with a dead body. This doesn’t feel real. I’m frozen to the spot staring at the door Naz left through, unable to look anywhere else.

What is happening?

My mind loops on the attack over and over with no other thoughts breaking through until the door flies open and Levi charges toward me.

“Maeve!”

“Levi!” I sag into his arms as his hands clutch at my shoulders, then my face.

He turns my face in multiple directions then lifts my chin to look at my throat. The empty pain from before seems to fade from his eyes, replaced with white-hot fury. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” I croak. “I was just coming out of the bathroom and he attacked me and I just—Levi, no!”

The words are barely out of my mouth when Levi suddenly lunges at Naz. “Was this you?” he bellows, grabbing Naz by the lapels of his suit jacket and throwing him up against the wall. “Did you do this?”

“Levi!” I dart forward and grab his arm. “Calm down! He saved me!”

Through grief or anger, Levi’s clearly not thinking straight and he glares at Naz for a few long seconds. Naz keeps his arms up and defensive but he doesn’t fight back.

“Listen to her, my friend,” Naz gasps. “I saved her. It was him.” He nods to the corpse. “I saved her, Levi. I saved her.”

Levi very slowly backs away and lets Naz slide down the wall, then he turns back to me and repeats the frantic checking over me from before. My face, my neck and even my hands where one of my nails has torn free.

“Maeve, I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“It’s okay.” I give him a watery smile. “It was all so sudden and so fast that I just… I couldn’t do anything. He was choking me and then he punched me in the stomach so I couldn’t even gasp and then it was…” Tears well in my eyes as Levi pulls me against his chest. “Naz s–saved me.”

“You’re safe now, I promise,” Levi growls, wrapping both arms around me. He holds me for a long moment then breaks away and turns to Naz. They appear to share a silent apology and then focus on the body on the bed.

I can’t watch.

Turning away, I stare out the window at the glittering city of New York as it’s blanketed in another shower of rain until the sound of a fist hitting flesh jolts me back to what’s happening.

“The fuck is this?” Levi roars.

I turn to see him standing over Naz on the ground while the corpse on the bed, now stripped of clothing, shows a large wolf tattoo on his bicep.

“Levi!”

Naz is silenced by Levi punching him again and again. “That’s your ink! That’s yours! Fuck you, man! I trusted you and your people are here trying to kill my girl? This is the second time! Fuck you!”

There’s so much rage in Levi’s voice and the way he’s holding himself. It’s like every muscle has enlarged with his fury and he beats Naz over and over.

“Levi! He saved me, remember! He saved me!” Flying forward, I catch Levi’s elbow on the backswing and he very nearly hits me in the face, but he stops me just in time. “Please! You’re not thinking.”

“I don’t need to think,” Levi snarls.

“You do! Think, baby, please! He could have let that bastard kill me if that was his goal, but he didn’t! And why would he bring you here and let you strip him knowing you would find the tattoo?”

Levi’s muscle trembles under my hands but after a few long seconds filled with panting and Naz whimpering, Levi slowly lowers his fist. “What the fuck is going on?”

“It’s me,” Naz gasps, wiping his bloody nose and cautiously climbing to his feet. “I’m sorry, Levi. Truly. Today of all days is not when I wished to speak about this.”

“About what?” Levi positions himself between me and Naz.

“I…” Blood pours steadily from his nose and a large slice in his lip.

“My drugs are tainted. So many shipments are making people sick and the law is watching me like a hawk. I’m losing millions since you closed the casino, and I know this looks like I would send someone to force you to open our routes back up, but I would never.

I can’t locate where the tampering is happening because we’re spread out all over Vegas right now.

And after the attack at your hotel and now this, I’m being set up.

Levi. Please. This isn’t me. These aren’t my men. ”

“Then who the fuck are they working for?” Levi snarls. “And why the fuck should I believe you?”

“Because I saved her,” Naz says, glancing past him to me. “And if I were against you, would I have given her back?”

As Levi breathes heavily and clenches his fists, a buzzing near my feet draws my attention. The assassin’s phone is buzzing with a message. Crouching slowly, I rummage through his discarded shirt until I locate it and a single message pops up on the screen.

‘ Is it done? ’

My heart drops like a stone. “Levi.”

“What?” He turns to me slowly, keeping one eye on Naz while I hold up the phone.

“Look at this?”

He grunts and takes the phone from me, glaring down at the screen.

“The number, look at the number the text is from. It’s the same number George told me to call about the money!”