Sold to Mr. Giordano

By the second day of being back in Chicago with no phone call from Rocco I lose hope. There must have been some accident, there shouldn’t be a reason why he isn’t calling. No one can be that distracted.

The only conclusion I can come to is that something went terribly wrong. Maybe Antonio died and Rocco was so out of his mind angry that he went on an impulsive suicide mission and attempted to kill all the Bratva soldiers working for my father.

I want to stay in bed all day, I don’t want to move or eat. I just want to lay here where I can still smell Antonio’s scent on his side of the bed.

Arabella and Carmelo have been keeping me company and staying in my bedroom while I sleep. Carmelo left to bring us food while Arabella takes a quick shower. I enjoy the alone time but soon realize the silence is deafening and the thought of never sharing this bedroom with Antonio again is like a stake to my heart.

I must’ve drifted off to sleep because I wake up to the sounds of Arabella and Carmelo’s voice in my room.

“I called my cousin and told him Rocco and Antonio are either being held hostage in New York or are dead. He’s going to temporarily take over as Capo.”

“Good, the men were getting worried. A moment like this ant greedy bastard would take advantage and swoop in to take Antonio’s spot,” Carmelo replies.

“Stefano is a humble, honorable man. He’ll do a good job keeping everyone in check until they get back.”

“If they get back,” Carmelo sighs. “I bet New York is in chaos too.”

My voice cracks when I begin to talk, “We need to talk to Angelo.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Carmelo says warily. “I know he’s next in line but he’s now basically deaf and still weakened from the attack. We don’t even know how permanent his injuries will be. They’re not going to accept a broken Capo.”

I shake my head. “Angelo is strong, he can do the job and he can do the job better than my father ever did, or Luca ever could, even without the use of his ears!” I noticeably get upset.

“Okay,” Arabella says softly. “We can still talk to Angelo. Even if he does decide he wants to take over as the New York Capo, he’s still on bedrest and won’t be able to leave. They aren’t going to take orders from an injured Capo who isn’t present in their city.”

 They were right.

The only reason the Made Men in New York obeyed my father was because he made them. He was a ruthless leader who wouldn’t hesitate to kill his best friend if they double crossed him. He didn’t even hesitate when attempting to kill me.

“We can go today,” Carmelo looks carefully at me. “Are you up for leaving the penthouse?”

“I don’t know,” I fidget with my fingers. “But maybe seeing my brother will do me good. Has anyone notified him about my father and Luca?”

Carmelo and Arabella both look at each other and slowly shake their head no.

“Then I will be the one to tell him.” I realized then I would also have to tell him that mother was dead. “Carmelo, I need you to do something.”

 “Anything.”

“My father told me he got a new wife and that she was pregnant with a son. I need you to find out who she is and if Stefano is the new Capo now… well then I need you to tell him about this news and make a decision because in eighteen years that boy is reliable to want to take his spot as Capo.”

“I’ll let him know,” Carmelo nods.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Good,” I stand from the bed and feel a dizzy spell happening. I close my eyes and steady myself with a hand on the nightstand. “I’m going to get ready and then we can go.”

“Do you need help?” Arabella walks toward me with her arms somewhat out as if to catch me in case I fall.

“No, I’m fine.” Just dehydrated and starving.

Looking through my wardrobe I pick an outfit that conceals my bump. There are still enemies of Antonio roaming around and I don’t want to fall victims to our enemies again.

I feel safe with Carmelo and Arabella at my side and being reunited with them reminds me of old times. Reminds me of how the past few months were spent favoring their company over my husband’s until recently. Now I want more than anything to Antonio with me.

 Angelo has been healing well, his eyes are no longer swollen and the bruises are starting to turn yellow. He’s still in his casts and still suffering from a concussion, but you could never tell if he’s in pain—that is if he’s in pain—because he always has a small on his face.

“How is my niece or nephew doing? How was New York?” He Asia and I break down.

I can’t stop the tears leaking down my cheek or the choked sob coming out of my throat. How am I going to tell him everything?

“What’s wrong? What happened?” He looks over at the doorway to see Carmelo and Arabella lingering by. “Where is Antonio?”

“In New York,” I shake my head. “Or dead. Father, he-he betrayed us. He was going to kill me and Antonio, Antonio saved me though. He killed Dad and Luca.”

Angelo blinks, his eyes still staring at my lips. “I don’t think I read your mouth correctly. Slow down.”

“Dad and Luca are dead. They betrayed the Famiglia. Dad planned to killed Lorenzo and he turned everything to me, I had killed Lorenzo the day before my birthday. Dad told me not to tell anyone, moreover I didn’t know he was Lorenzo Giordano. I thought they were the Bratva. Dad tried to kill me and Antonio. He also killed Mom. Mom is dead.”

Angelo closes his eyes and shakes his head rapidly. “No. No. Fuck! Fuck, Arielle. Are you alright?”

“No. Antonio is missing and I don’t know if he’s alive and it’s killing me,” I wallow in my own depression.

Angelo rips out the IV on his arm and starts to stand. He wobbled nearly falling over but Carmelo and Arabella rush to help him stand as do I. We all hold him up as he fights against us. “I got it!” He shouts. “I have to go to New York. I’m next to be Capo, I have to claim my power!”

“You can’t go anywhere!” I try to grab his attention but he isn’t reading my lips. He’s shrugging us all off of him and walking toward the drawer where his clothes are.

“I’ll heal in New York. If I stay here in the hospital, they will think of me as weak and never again will I be called weak,” a fire ignites in my brother. “I’m leaving. I’ll send a text you I get back.”

 I frown standing still while a tear slips out of my duct. Angelo is the only family I have left and now he’s leaving me to run a place that I used to call home but now want nothing to do with due to bad memories.

Angelo catches my sad gaze and sighs. Slowly he strides over to me and wraps his arms around me, I hear him wince in my ear. “Arielle, everything will be okay. You said Antonio is New York?” He pulls back to read my response.

 “They have him, the Bratva or Dad’s men I don’t know, but he’s either being tortured or he’s dead.”

 “I’ll find him,” he says with certainty. “I will claim my right as Capo and my first order of business will be to bring Antonio home.”

 I sniffle, “Thank you.” I hold him tight.

 Angelo never struck me as Capo material. Luca always did and maybe that was because I always knew that one day Luca would be Capo. The only way Angelo would’ve been is if Luca died without children. I never thought that would happen. If I did imagine one of my brothers dying it would be Angelo because his heart ruled over his mind. Angelo is strong, but he cares. Luca never cared, he only cared enough about himself to keep himself alive.

I was getting used to having Angelo in Chicago and maybe I would be okay if it weren’t for the fact that Antonio won’t be here either. At least I got Arabella back from that horrible city.

 The doctors enter and try to persuade Angelo to stay but Angelo does what he wants and being a Made Man he always gets what he wants. So, everything goes his way. He packs back in his apartment and gets the private plane to take him back to New York.

Once again, an empty feeling emerges in the pit of my stomach. I feel tired and weak from my loss of energy, I know I should eat but the thought of food makes me sick.