Wrath (Part II): A Mafia Romance (Esposito Series Book 2) Read online

  “Rafael is going to be fine.” he assured me, but even he looked slightly ashamed, “And we’re not bad people for having sex. Let’s just go downstairs and discuss what we gotta do from this point forward.”

  “Alright.” I sighed in relief, watching him pull out two phones from his pocket, “What happened to your phone?”

  “It’s not mine.” he held up the phone, which looked like someone had taken a hammer to its screen, “Its Rafael’s. A nurse found it in his pocket. I was gonna go through it, see if we can find something useful.”

  “Okay.” I nodded, gesturing him to go ahead.

  I watched him switch on the phone, pressing a few keys on the heavily cracked screen. I was surprised that it was still working.

  “You know his password?” I asked, looking up at Stefan.

  “Of course, he’s my underboss.”

  “Well, what if there’s something personal or private in there?”

  “Even better.” he smirked, “At least I’ll have something to hold over his head when he comes back.” Suffice to say, I was very glad that he said ‘when’ and not ‘if’.

  As he filtered through his messages, he tapped on one with the contact name ‘B’ with a yellow heart emoji. The last message sent to this person was ‘see you at the party.’

  “It was sent yesterday evening, a couple hours before the ball.” Stefan muttered, scrolling through the chat.

  “Are you sure we should be reading this?” I asked, watching all the heart and other love-struck emojis they’d sent each other.

  “I know her.” he said thoughtfully, moving to the gallery, “This is Brooke. Brooke Fields. She was hired to our Manhattan office a about a couple of weeks ago.”

  “Doesn’t your office have like, a million employees? How do you even know her?”

  “She was hired as Rafael’s secretary. I remember, because she called me or came by my office numerous times, either for meetings or dropping files.”

  “Do think she knows about your, well, other businesses?”

  “I’m not sure anymore. She was at the party last night. How come I didn’t see her?”

  I observed the picture, a selfie of Rafael and Brooke, taken in, what looked like, a bedroom. She was beautiful, with her long blonde hair spread out on the pillow, laughing at the camera. They looked happy.

  “Vincent did say he saw Rafael leaving the ball with a blonde woman. And the doorman said he saw her leave with him this morning.”

  Stefan impatiently called her, putting it on speaker.

  “It’s been turned off.” he muttered angrily, “Which can either mean that she’s missing, or she was involved in whatever happened to Rafael.”

  “How do we find out?”

  “Well, first I’m gonna call Frederick from tech and have him trace the last known location of Brooke. It’s possible that she may be alive, needs our help.”

  “Okay,” I nodded, “right now, let’s head downstairs and get some dinner. I also wanna check on Mama Bella, see if she’s okay.”

  As we reached the living room, we saw Mama Bella and Ria were huddled over an iPad, facetiming someone.

  “So, when will you guys be home?” Mama asked.

  Ria looked up and saw us, waving us over to where they were seated, “Its Vincent.”

  “Hey, how is Rafael?” Stefan asked, sitting down beside Mama.

  “He’s fine.” Vincent informed happily, “His reports came in- his vitals are steady and aside from the broken bones and blood loss, he’s going to be absolutely okay.”

  “Just like in Russia last year.” Stefan commented, looking both relieved and slightly amused.

  “Exactly,” Vincent nodded, but then his smile dimmed a little, “except for the whiplashes. The wounds on his back are barbaric. I was there when the nurses were cleaning it. God, he was writhing and crying. Even while unconscious, tears were pouring out of his eyes.”

  “Can we come and see him?” Mama asked desperately, wiping away at her eyes.

  “Doctors want to monitor him overnight.” he answered, “But maybe you guys can come tomorrow morning. Hopefully, he’ll be awake by then.”

  “Okay, so you’re staying there tonight?”

  “Yeah, Enzo did some smart-thinking and brought an overnight bag. I would’ve died sleeping in these pants.”

  “Alright, take care, and stay alert.” Stefan informed, “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Later that night, I rolled over in bed, only to find the space beside me empty. My fingers sleepily patted the area, and judging by the lack of warmth, Stefan had been out of bed for a while.

  I slipped out of bed, glancing at the nightstand. It was 03:27 in the morning. I peeped into the bathroom, and out the balcony. Only when I was sure that Stefan wasn’t in the room, did I step out, pulling on one of his sweatshirts I’d stolen from his closet.

  Something told me that there was only one place he would go to right now.

  I padded down the dimly lit hallway and turned at the end, peaking through the open door of his art room. As I’d expected, Stefan was there, sat on the single couch, a drink in his hand, gazing out at the dark sky. I stood at the threshold, folding my arms across my chest.

  “Aren’t you going to come in?” he asked, swirling his drink.

  “Considering the last when you pretty much bit my head off about this room, I’d like to respectfully decline.”

  He turned his head toward me, a small smile on his face.

  “In all seriousness,” I went on, “I do understand. That day when I walked in here, I could sense this room meant something different for you, and I am sorry if I invaded your privacy.”

  His smile widened a little and he held out his hand, a gesture I could never say no to. So, I moved forward from my place and into the room, reaching for his fingers. I couldn’t help my sudden laugh when he grabbed my hand and pulled, making me land right in his lap. I comfortably snuggled against his body, circling my arms around his waist. He wrapped his around me, caging me against him.

  We stayed like that for a while, silent and content.

  “This room isn’t as much private as it is therapeutic for me.” he whispered, “I only come here when my mind is the most stressed and my heart the most ravaged. And I’m here tonight becau-”

  “Because of Rafael.” I finished for him, sitting up to look him the eyes.

  “He’s my brother.” he whispered silently, “He’s been by my side through every up and down, every fight, every war. And I wasn’t there for him today, when he needed me the most.”

  It was a time when Stefan granted himself the rare moment of vulnerability. He leaned forward and rested his head against my shoulder. He didn’t cry, but he just stayed like that. I was quick to wrap my arms around his neck and hug him tightly to me, stroking my fingers through his hair.

  “Why didn’t you wake me?” I asked softly.

  “I couldn’t. After that whole speech about self-pity, I couldn’t dare to look you in the eye and tell you I’d been feeling the same.”

  “Stefan,” I lightly kissed his forehead, “you don’t always have to be strong. You’re carrying the weight of the entire Family on your shoulders. I can’t even imagine how that feels.”

  He looked up, staring deep into my eyes. And I could see the storm in his. Those beautiful grey eyes of his.

  “I don’t know how you did it all these years- looking after your family, the business, and dealing with your past- all at the same time.” I went on, cupping his face in my hands, my hands grazing against his light stubble, “But I’m here for you. You’re not alone, Stefan. We’re in this together now.”

  His nod was faint, but it was there.

  “So, I am going to kiss you hard now, and pull you out of this miserable well of self-pity so you can become the king I know you are.”

  And there was that heart-stopping smile that I always yearned for. I would die for that smile, I thought. I tilted my head to the side and captured his lips with
mine, relishing the remnants of the whiskey on his tongue.

  That night in bed, Stefan slept with his head nestled on my chest and his arm securely flung over my stomach. And even after he was deep in slumber, the muscles on his back were tense and his breathing uneven. It pained me that even in sleep, he was at unease.

  But as I gently stroked my fingers through his hair, his nape and his shoulder, I felt his body relax. With every soft kiss that I pressed to his forehead or his temple, I felt his breathing become steady. I couldn’t help my smile when he held me a little tighter and nuzzled his nose in the hollow of my neck.

  I was falling hard for him. I’d known that for a while.

  Now all I wanted to do was tell him.

  The pristine white tiles of the St. Marks Hospital echoed the sound of our footsteps in the deserted wing that had been secured by the Epositos. Stefan’s soldiers stood almost everywhere, weapons strapped to their chests. And as we passed by them, they nodded their heads and mumbled a greeting in respect.

  My eyes watered the moment we entered Rafael’s room, just at the mere sight of him.

  This morning, we woke up to a phone call from a very excited Vincent, who practically screamed through the phone that Rafael had gained consciousness. It took Stefan, Mama, Ria and I precisely twenty minutes to get dressed and be on our way.

  Our mode of transportation was jet black SUVs with tinted windows, four of them. Stefan and I sat in one, Mama and Ria in another, while the remaining two were occupied by the security.

  Now, at the hospital, I watched Mama run to Rafael’s side and grab his hand in hers, her tears falling freely down her face.

  “I was so worried.” she sobbed. I watched Rafael give her the most genuine smile, one that was indulging and enjoying as she touched his face his neck in a quest to feel for any pain. He held up his bandaged hand, the one I recall had the broken wrist, and gently wiped the tears off her face.

  “I’m fine, my drama queen.” he sassed, chuckling painfully, “A couple broken bones and some gashes on my back that’ll definitely leave scars, but I’ll be fine.”

  “You boys will be the death of me, I swear.” Mama shook her head, her relief evident at Rafael’s little joke, “All four of you.”

  “Hey, what did we do?” Vincent’s voice was indignant in a high pitch.

  As Ria and I began to laugh at the guys’ guilty expressions, Mama turned to us.

  “What are you laughing at? You two are no less.”

  And even as she began listing tiny facts about all of us, calling us troublemakers, the six of us glanced at each other and smiled. There was something affectionate in her scolding, something so endearing that none of us took it to heart. We stood with the most serious expressions we could muster and listened to the woman who was, quite literally, an angel for us.

  I noticed the cast around Rafael’s leg, the bruises fresh on his face and the cut on his eyebrow that made him look dangerous, if not more handsome. I also noticed the painful grimace on his face every time he adjusted himself against the pillows. He caught me looking once or twice, and each time sent me an assuring smile.

  After a whole animated hour of talking and laughing, Stefan announced that he needed to speak with Rafael alone. We didn’t question him, as one by one, we started shuffling out of the room. As I was about to leave, Stefan grabbed my hand and pulled me back beside him, “Stay.”

  So, I stayed.

  I pulled up another chair and sat down beside him, turning my face towards Rafael as Stefan began talking.

  “What the hell is going on between you and Brooke?”

  Thirteen:

  Crash

  Zara

  Even through the haze of the pain meds, I saw Rafael’s eyes brighten at Brooke’s name.

  “We are- well,” he stammered, trying to find the right word to define his relationship, “I would like to say she’s my girlfriend, but we haven’t really had that talk yet.”

  “Her contact is saved with a heart emoji.” Stefan regarded him with a scoff, “In my phone, that would be only Zara.”

  Before I could chime in with my overly cringe-worthy ‘aw’, he turned to me and shot me a warning glance that pretty much translated to ‘Don’t even think about it’. So, I controlled my urges and we turned back to Rafael, who had this amused look on his face.

  “Wait a second,” he held up his broken wrist, as if realizing something, “you went through my phone?”

  Stefan shrugged his shoulders, “I had to. I was trying to find a lead as to where you were attacked, was someone with you, you know, the usual.”

  As embarrassed as he seemed, he nodded in understanding, “Still man, what if there were my nudes or something?”

  “Nothing I haven’t seen before.” Stefan muttered casually.

  “I’m sorry, what?” I couldn’t help but cut in.

  The two men turned to me, with equally expectant expressions, until they realized what Stefan had said. And then they were silent, then horrified and then finally coming up with explanations.

  “No, no, no, no!”

  “I just walked in on him having sex with some woman.” Stefan hurriedly explained, raising his hands in surrender, “It was a mistake, an accident.”

  “That’s it, that’s all.” Rafael stated, slapping his uninjured palm on his forehead, “God, this is so not the right time.”

  “Exactly,” Stefan exclaimed, “which is why I wanna know- what the hell happened after you left the ball the other night?”

  Rafael took a deep breath, massaging his temple, trying to recall the events.

  “I’d invited Brooke to the ball, and we left together for my apartment.” he spoke, monotonously, “We had a great, really great night and then the next morning I’d planned to stay in. But then I remembered I had that meeting with you, so I left my apartment around 9, I think, dropped Brooke off at hers, and then-”

  “Then what?”

  “I was on my way home when I got the feeling that I was being tailed, and sure enough a black SUV was right behind me.”

  “Why didn’t you call me? And where exactly did this happen?”

  “You know the road that starts for the estate? A good two miles?”

  Stefan nodded.

  “I was at that crossing, about to call you when another SUV came out of nowhere, rammed my car near the rear tire and sent me spinning. I was dragged out, my head was covered and I was thrown in their car.”

  “Do you have any idea where they took you?”

  “While I was there, I memorized the place they’d kept me in. Some sort of warehouse, like the one where Carl took Ria and Zara.”

  “What happened then?

  “They chained me to one of the crane hooks, and whipped the hell out of me.”

  The look on his face was painful.

  “At one point, I think I passed out crying for my mother.”

  We were silent for a moment or two. I could never imagine being in his shoes. There was something so brutal, barbaric in the act of whipping that it pained me to even think about it. God knows what Rafael must be going through right now.

  “There’s something I need to tell you.” Stefan said after a while, his voice tense.

  “What is it?”

  “We can’t get in touch with Brooke.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean we called her numerous times and she hasn’t shown up for work.”

  “How is that possible? I dropped her home myself.”

  “That was yesterday.” I reminded him, entering the conversation for the first time, “She’s been gone a whole day now. Did she have any family she could’ve gone to?”

  “No,” Rafael shook his head, “her mother died a long time back and she never knew her father. Her sibling side, on the other hand, is complicated.”

  “Complicated how?”

  “She has a twin brother, but they aren’t on talking terms. She also said that she came to New York looking for her half-brother bu
t hasn’t had any luck so far.” Rafael explained, “I still can’t believe she’s gone. Did you check her apartment?”

  “We did. I had a team sent down there. It’s clean. No signs of struggle, or anything that would indicate that she was abducted.”

  “Then where the hell is she?”

  Rafael’s question went unanswered as none of us had any clue as to where Brooke was. Her importance in his life was evident by the worried look on his face. He asked Stefan to call her emergency contacts and track her movements after he dropped her off.

  As Stefan left the room to make a few calls, I shifted in his seat, closer to Rafael and reached out to hold his hand.

  “That scar on your brow is really gonna make you a chick magnet.” I commented, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Oh sweetheart,” he boasted, “I already am a chick magnet.”

  I chuckled, holding his fingers a little tighter, “I got really scared yesterday. When I saw you, you were covered in blood, just lying still on the ground.”

  My confession was accompanied by a shaky voice and welled up eyes.

  “I’m going to be absolutely fine, Zara.” he said in a gentle voice, pulling my cheek lightly, “It’s going to take more than just whipping to pull me down.”

  “Don’t do that,” I shook my head at him, “don’t try to hide your pain with sarcasm and jokes. It’s evident on your face how brutal those assholes were to you.”

  He was silent for a moment, and I was sure for a couple of seconds that he was going to shut me out. But then he held on to my hand and started to speak, “You’re right, I shouldn’t. Because every time I close my eyes, I can feel that whip cracking against my back. I can feel my skin tearing open and the blood oozing from the gashes. I bawled like a little kid, and I am not ashamed of it. I may not have had the power to stop them, but I also didn’t let them have the power of gloating over their act of cowardice. They were eager for my reaction, waiting for me to beg them to stop, so that they could beat me some more. But I stayed quiet and eventually, they backed off.”

  I sat still, listening to him talk.