KON (Trassato Crime Family Book 2) Read online

  “I know. I heard, and God, Kon, it kills me to think about you loving someone else.”

  “How the hell did you hear about it?”

  “I overheard your dad talking about it with my mom. That’s why I’m here. I wanted to get my life in order and have a year of sobriety under my belt before I approached you. When your dad inferred that you were serious about this woman, I knew I needed to do something before I lost you forever.”

  I rubbed my temples. Being around Laney was like being near a black hole. She sucked all of my energy. “You’ve already lost me. Nothing you say or do will change that. You need to leave.”

  Huge tears splashed down her face. “Wait. Please. Don’t do this to us. I need you in my life. I’ve spent the last month replaying everything that happened and losing you killed me. It still kills me to think that I threw us away chasing my next fix. That part of my life is over. I promise you. I won’t go back there again. I have too much to lose.”

  A tentative knock sounded at my door.

  Dammit.

  The last thing I needed was Carmela to show up right now and get the wrong idea about Laney being here. We had enough shit stacked against us without adding misunderstandings into the mix.

  “Don’t answer that. We’re not done talking,” Laney ground out when I didn’t make any move toward the door.

  Remorse and ruin were eating at my insides like a festering wound. “Jesus, Laney. I can’t rehash this bullshit with you again.”

  Bang. Bang. Bang. “Open the fucking door, Kon. I hear you in there. We need to talk. It’s important.”

  “It’s my sister. You need to go,” I muttered, crossing the room and opening the door.

  “Kon,” Evie said, her eyes ping-ponging between Laney and me. Her hair was disheveled, and mascara ringed her eyes. “Who’s she?”

  “No one. She was leaving.” I glared at Laney and pointed at the still open door.

  Laney rubbed her hands over her tear-stained face and headed to the door. “Can we continue this conversation later?”

  “Just go, Laney.”

  “I’ll go, Kon, but this isn’t over.” She paused with one hand on the door handle. “I’m not giving up on us. I made that mistake once. I won’t do it again.”

  I flexed my hands, checking my desire to throw her out the fucking door. Like always, Laney had piss poor timing. I didn’t want Evie hearing any of this shit. Inevitably, it would trickle back to Carmela, and that would only complicate our relationship further.

  Worst of all, Laney was a loose cannon. I used to blame some of her crazier behavior on her being artsy and feeling her emotions so deeply. Now I was older, and I knew better. She wasn’t right in her head.

  “Don’t meddle in my life, Laney. I mean it. I won’t be nice this time. Things will be ugly.”

  “We’ll see.”

  The second she stepped over the threshold, I slammed the door closed. The look on Evie’s face told me everything I needed to know. She was fucking pissed, which could only mean Gian had found out about Carmela and me. I paused near the door, buying time before diving into another confrontation. At least she came rather than Gian, because a confrontation between the two of us would end with guns drawn.

  “Who was she?”

  “Nobody important.”

  “Are you seeing that woman?”

  “Why the fuck do you care, Evie? Just get to the point of your visit. I’m tired and I’ve had a shit night.”

  “Don’t be an ass, Kon. I’m not here for your benefit or mine.”

  “Then why are you here?” I grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and popped it open. “Because I distinctly remember you telling me I was dead to you.”

  “Carmela was hurt today, and I thought you’d want to know.” She started pacing, rubbing her hands on the thighs of her dark blue jeans. “Maybe I was stupid to come here. Gian will flip if he finds out, and then you had that woman here, so maybe you don’t care and I wasted my time.”

  I grabbed her arm. “Stop rambling and tell me what the hell you’re talking about. What do you mean she was hurt?”

  “Holy fuck, Kon. I was so scared. She’s my best friend.” She covered her mouth with a shaking hand.

  “Evie. Tell. Me. What. Happened.”

  “She’s in the hospital. When Gian called me, I was freaking out. I thought she was going to die, and we got in that fight last week. I’m such an idiot…”

  Evie’s voice droned on and on, and I didn’t hear a single word. My blood turned to ice. My stomach clenched, my throat constricted, and my chest felt like I couldn’t take in enough air.

  “Evie,” I said, my voice hoarse, “you’re not making any sense. Why is she in the hospital?”

  “Oh my God. It was so terrible. She was leaving a restaurant and someone drove by and sprayed a few shots. She was hit, and—”

  I yanked on my hair, not caring if I ripped it out of my fucking head. She had inched her way deep under my skin, and I was a fucking goner where Carmela was concerned.

  Evie hauled me into a one armed hug. “I’m sorry I’m rambling. You look sick. She’s okay. I promise. The bullet grazed her arm. She fainted and hit her head, so she has to stay the night in the hospital. She’ll be fine.”

  I backed into the stool sitting at the edge of the counter. Too many questions banged around in my head, and I didn’t know where to start. “Do they know who did it or was it random?”

  “They don’t know, but Gian has put everyone on this. He’ll figure it out.” She picked at a loose thread on her jacket. “I need to ask you something and I don’t want you to freak out, okay?”

  “I already know what you’re thinking, so don’t bother trying to sugarcoat it. I didn’t have anything to do with this and I’m ninety percent sure Dad didn’t either.”

  “Can you ask him?”

  “Fuck, Evie. He’s a prick, but he doesn’t do anything unless it’s in his financial interest, and hurting Carmela would guarantee he never did business with the Trassatos.”

  I disregarded the conversation I had with him when he found out about her pending engagement to Nico. While he might lash out if he didn’t get what he wanted, it hadn’t come to that yet, and I had no intention of letting her marry Nico. Ever. Thinking about Nico touching her made me want to put a bullet in his head.

  “I believe you.”

  I snorted. “Yeah, right.”

  “Kon, I know things have been strained between us, and I hate it. Maybe it can change at some point.”

  I wasn’t in the mood for this right now. I needed to see Carmela with my own eyes and make sure she was okay.

  “Can I see her or will your husband try to kill me?”

  “I was wondering when you’d ask.” A gentle smile broke across her face, and she pulled a piece of paper from the pocket of her jacket. “Gian has a guard outside her room, but there’s a shift change between midnight and one. Carlo will be on duty and he’s lazy. There’s a fifty percent chance he’ll abandon his post for coffee or the bathroom.”

  “Great. Now I have to make sure Gian’s guys do their job.”

  She smacked me on the arm. “Be nice. I’m helping you.”

  “Why exactly are you helping me? I thought you hated me. I thought you didn’t trust me around your friend. I’m toxic, remember?”

  She shrugged and a rose-colored blush dusted her cheeks. “I guess you probably heard that.”

  “I’m not admitting to anything.”

  “Yeah, well the jury is still out on you.”

  “Fine.” I took the folded piece of paper from her hand. “Is hospital and room number on here?”

  “Not so fast.” She grabbed it back from me. “First, you have to tell me what was going on with that woman because if you’re screwing around with Carmela’s emotions or playing games, I’m not letting you anywhere near her. Ever.”

  “It’s none of your business.”

  “Then you’re not getting anything out of me.”


  “Look, Evie. Carmela’s important to me.”

  “Important enough to stop playing games and tell the truth for once? Because I’ll tip Gian off if I think you’re dicking her around.”

  “Jesus Christ.” I struck the countertop with the palm of my hand, the stinging sensation vibrating up my arm. “I don’t want to talk about Laney. We have a long, sad story, but here’s a short and sweet summary. We dated years ago. It ended when I found out she fucked around behind my back and got pregnant. She showed up out of the blue tonight, and I only answered the door because I was hoping it was Carmela. Is that enough information for you? Or do you want me to spill some blood and tears too?”

  She blinked. “I’m not trying to be judgmental, Kon.”

  “Then stop,” I snapped.

  She slid the paper across the countertop. “I don’t believe you’re fully invested in your relationship with Carmela. Not entirely anyway, but she begged me to tell you what’s going on, and I respect her right to do what she wants with her life even if I think it’s a mistake.”

  “Thanks. That’s a backhanded compliment if I’ve ever heard one.”

  “Don’t hate me for being skeptical. You did a lot of crappy things, and in spite of them, I still came to your house tonight.” She glanced at the floor. “Look, I haven’t forgotten the person you were before you got sucked into Dad’s world. Maybe he’s still in there somewhere. Carmela seems to think so.” She tapped her finger on top of the paper. “Everything you need to know is on there.”

  My muscles unwound and I blew out a choppy breath. “Thanks, Evie. I owe you.”

  “Don’t make me regret this.”

  I pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. “I won’t. I promise.”

  She stepped out of my hold. “If you get caught—”

  “I know, I know. You didn’t tell me a thing. I haven’t talked to you in over a year. You hate my guts. You’d kill me if you had the chance. I think that about covers it, don’t you?”

  “Thanks for understanding.” She rubbed her hands together. “I want to be clear that my coming here tonight doesn’t mean I forgive you or that I approve of whatever you have going on with Carmela.”

  “Don’t worry. You’ve made all of that crystal clear more than once.”

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-TWO

  I sat around the corner from Carmela’s room in a small waiting room with a Yankees baseball cap pulled low over my eyes and a magazine in my lap. A man in the corner slept with his head propped against the wall. The steady purr of his snore had started an hour ago.

  Midnight had come and gone, and the man guarding Carmela’s door hadn’t left his post. I suspected he was far more attentive than Evie gave him credit for. The constant chimes of the nurse call button and smell of burnt coffee were the only things keeping me awake.

  I’d lost all hope I would be able to sneak into Carmela’s room. I should give up on this nonsense and go home. Nothing good would happen if someone from the Trassato family spotted me.

  “Hey, man,” someone said in a hushed voice right outside the door to the waiting room. “What are you doing here?”

  “We have some stuff to discuss.”

  I leaned forward and caught the profile of Carlo’s face.

  “I can’t talk here. Let’s take a walk when my shift ends,” Carlo replied. “You know how Gian is about his sister. He’s probably paying the hospital staff to call him if I leave my post. He’s such a Mustache Pete these days.”

  “Yeah. He has more to prove now after marrying a Madigan.”

  “Stupid fucking move.” Carlo shook his head. “But it doesn’t change the fact that he’ll beat my ass if I disappear.”

  “Ten minutes. That’s all I need. If Gian calls, tell him you ate some bad food in the cafeteria and had to take a shit.”

  Sighing, Carlo said, “Let’s talk in the bathroom to make it look legit.”

  “You’re such a pussy.”

  “Va fa napole.”

  When the shuffle of their leather shoes faded, I tossed the magazine on the end table and took off toward Carmela’s room. There was no way I could get in and out of her room in ten minutes, but fuck it. I needed to see her. I’d deal with the fallout later.

  I closed the door softly behind me. For a few beats, I stood at the entrance of the room, watching Carmela in her bed. She was on her side, facing away from the door.

  Nervous to move further into the room, I rubbed my hands down my thighs. I didn’t know what to say to her. Someone shot her. She was probably scared shitless, and I wasn’t there to protect her. In all likelihood, I’d never be there. Her family wouldn’t accept me, which was a big fucking deal in Carmela’s world. She acted tough, she went behind their backs on occasion, but she loved them fiercely. I could see that, and she wouldn’t consider marrying Nico if that weren’t true.

  She rolled onto her back. “Kon, is that you?” Her voice was weak and gravelly.

  “Yeah.” I walked over and balanced my hip against the plastic railing on the side of her bed, studying her face. A purplish bruise covered the right side of her forehead along with a few scratches, and dark circles stained the fragile skin underneath her eyes.

  “I don’t get it.” Her head moved haltingly from side to side. “Why are you here?”

  “I was worried about you.”

  “How’d you find out I was here?”

  “Evie told me what happened and where I could find you. I’ve been sitting down the hall for over three hours, waiting for an opportunity to slip into your room.”

  “Sorry about that. Gian’s freaking out and acting like his usual overbearing self. He wanted to put two guards outside my room and one by the elevator. Evie had to drag him out of the room earlier, and I didn’t really believe she’d get in touch with you.”

  “I can’t blame him.” I swallowed, my throat clogging with emotion. If I were in charge, I would have people crawling all over this place protecting Carmela. One fucking person wasn’t enough to keep her safe, especially when the jackass didn’t need much persuasion to abandon her. A lot could happen in ten minutes. “Does he have any leads on the shooting?”

  “No. Not that I heard, and he wouldn’t tell me anyway. He treats Evie and I like we’re made of glass.”

  “Did you see the person who shot you?”

  “No.” She closed her eyes. A shudder rippled through her body and her breathing quickened. “The window rolled down and a gun slid out the window. My shoe got stuck in a metal grate and I-I couldn’t move. I was scared out of my mind. Then there was the pain and I was falling. I woke up at the hospital. That’s it.”

  I sat in a chair next to her bed and smoothed her tangled hair away from her face repeatedly, being careful not to put too much pressure on her. “I’m sorry, Carmela.”

  “It’s not your fault. More than likely, it was completely random. I could’ve been anyone, and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  Tears beaded in the corners of her eyes, and I felt like I was coming out of my skin. If I found the person who did this to her, I’d rip him apart piece-by-piece and flush the remains down the toilet like the disgusting piece of shit he was.

  “You’re probably right. Get some rest. I’ll sit here for a while longer.”

  My gut screamed at the lie. I’d bet my life she was the target. I couldn’t speculate about the motivation, though. There were so many possibilities, I didn’t know where to start.

  I had enemies. Nico had enemies. Her entire family had enemies. As a rule, the Italian mafia didn’t touch wives or sisters. With a few exceptions, the women stayed above the fray, living a more traditional, sheltered life. Gian knew this, which meant he’d be gunning for me. He’d try to lay the blame for this in my lap, and I couldn’t prove him wrong.

  Renzo DiTonno likely wanted to kill me. His family had demoted him to a lowly soldier. Renzo wasn’t my only enemy floating around either. I’d pissed off plenty of people by refusing
to do business with them. I could probably fill an entire notebook with names of people who didn’t like me.

  I lowered the safety railing and rested my head on the mattress. This was fucked up. I’d never forgive myself if my involvement in her life caused this. It was one of the reasons I hadn’t jumped into anything vaguely resembling a relationship since Laney. Being part of my life wasn’t easy.

  I disappeared without explanation from time to time, I traveled a shit ton, and I had more than my fair share of blood on my hands, but that wasn’t the worst part. My world opened doors to destructive shit like drugs. Laney was a testament to the hazards of being in my life.

  “How long are you staying?” she whispered about twenty minutes later.

  I glanced at the rectangular window in the door. Carlo hadn’t returned. Anger pulsed through my veins. There was no way I’d leave her unprotected. I’d stay here until Gian or someone else in her family returned, and I’d tell him exactly what I thought of his half-assed attempt at protecting his sister.

  “Until morning.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “I’m well aware of what’s gonna happen in the morning, and I don’t care. I’m not leaving you here alone.”

  “Do you think I’m in danger?” she inquired, her voice unsteady.

  “I don’t want you to be alone. Let’s leave it at that.”

  “All right.” She scooted away from me and patted the open sliver of bed. “If you’re going to stay, share the bed with me.”

  “You’re hurt.”

  “Please. I need you. I don’t want to be alone either.”

  Unable to resist her pleading tone and the fear in her eyes, I climbed into the bed and wrapped my arm around her. I breathed in her lemon scent now mixed with the smell of antiseptic and my muscles unfurled for the first time since Evie banged on my door and told me someone had shot Carmela.

  “Now sleep or I’m leaving.”

  Within minutes, she was back asleep, her ribcage rising and falling steadily against my body.

  “I love you, Kon,” she mumbled so softly against my chest I almost missed it.