Last breath dameco mafia, p.1
Last Breath: Dameco Mafia, page 1
Last Breath
Erin Trejo
Copyright © 2023 by Erin
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Contents
BLURB
1. Dominic
2. Evangeline
3. Dominic
4. Evangeline
5. Dominic
6. Evangeline
7. Dominic
8. Evangeline
9. Dominic
10. Evangeline
11. Dominic
12. Evangeline
13. Dominic
14. Evangeline
15. Dominic
16. Evangeline
17. Dominic
18. Evangeline
19. Dominic
20. Evangeline
21. Dominic
22. Evangeline
23. Dominic
24. Evangeline
25. Evangeline
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Contents
BLURB
1. Dominic
2. Evangeline
3. Dominic
4. Evangeline
5. Dominic
6. Evangeline
7. Dominic
8. Evangeline
9. Dominic
10. Evangeline
11. Dominic
12. Evangeline
13. Dominic
14. Evangeline
15. Dominic
16. Evangeline
17. Dominic
18. Evangeline
19. Dominic
20. Evangeline
21. Dominic
22. Evangeline
23. Dominic
24. Evangeline
25. Evangeline
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
BLURB
I was raised in the Mafia but it wasn't the world I wanted. I left New York; Chicago bound for school and a new life.
Little did I know that it was all a lie.
Now I'm in deeper than I ever was before.
Betrayal and lies run deeper and deeper.
And I'm caught in the middle of the web.
I'm at the mercy of the master of deception, corruption, and evil.
1
Dominic
“I don’t think that’s important,” I tell my father as I sit in his office. School. That’s one word I can’t stand to hear. Not after the life I’ve lived.
“This isn’t up for discussion Dominic. You will graduate high school.”
“What’s the point? I need to be here, learning the real world not in school learning bullshit I don’t need,” I remind him. My life as a Dameco never revolved around school. The time I spent learning world history would be better spent learning the ropes of our family. My father understood that, but my mother was a stubborn woman. She wanted things her way and even though there was love lost between the two of them, my father did all he could to appease her. He wanted her happy and that was something I didn’t understand. Happiness came at a price and my mother always seemed to be paying that price.
“Your mother wants you to finish school, Dominic and honestly I think having your diploma will come in handy in the future for you.” Ignoring his words, I huff out a breath and turn to leave his office when I’m abruptly stopped. My father is behind me, spinning me to face him in record time. “You are disrespecting me.”
“Not in front of your men,” I remind him with and edge to my tone. No, in front of them I’m the perfect son that follows every single rule and does it with precision. In front of his men, I am weak in my father’s presence. Too bad that’s only in front of his men. In front of mine, I’m the king. I’m the man that will ruin you and not blink an eye. I’m the man that will take what isn’t his and smile as I do.
“When is this going to stop, Dominic?” His hiss tells me all I need to know about what comes next. A fight. His fist knocking the air from my lungs, me doubling over to catch my breath but that’s when things get fun. Because I fight back.
My fists are clenched, my arm swinging rapidly crashing into his face. It doesn’t take long for us to be pulled apart. Partially by his men and partially by mine.
“I’ve warned you!” My father roars.
“And I’ve warned you as well. Keep your fists for my mother!” Vincent pulls me out of the room quickly, my lip bloody and dripping down my chin. I swipe it with my finger and bring it to my lips, sucking it off.
“You really need to stop testing his patience,” Vin says. Vincent Bernella. My best friend, my right hand and the only person I truly consider family.
“His patience? Mine is wearing thin, Vincent. I’m sick of dealing with this petty shit and we all know it. School? It’s pointless.”
“Is it my son?” I turn when I hear my mother behind us. Seeing her perfectly beautiful smile as she beams at me, my chest clenches. He hurts her. Uses her. And she lets him. That’s the way of our world and that’s the way of this family.
“It is, mother. Everything I need to learn is inside these walls. You know that as well as I do. When I take over; school will have been for nothing,” I tell her speaking honestly.
“Maybe so, but you are only eighteen and this is your last year. There’s something special about senior year, Dom that you will never get to experience again. Dating, girls, prom.”
“All things I have no desire for mother. Girls are in abundance and dating is useless. All things you know very well. I’m training to be the Boss I don’t have time for these things,” I remind her once more. She steps closer, raising her hand to my cheek, cupping it in her soft hand.
“My son. Always thinking outside the box aren’t you? You’re going to be just like him,” she says, a tear forming in her eye.
“I’m nothing like him!”
“You are more than you can see and that scares me, Dom. You deserve better than this.” I watch the look in her eyes for a long second before I look away. I can’t take seeing myself reflecting my father in her gaze. My mother slowly tugs my face back to meet her gaze.
“This is who I am mother.”
“I know that. That doesn’t mean I don’t want the best for you. Finishing school and living as a child for one more year isn’t going to kill you, Dom. After you graduate, everything is going to change. Everything,” she says sympathetically.
“What do you mean by that?” Tears stream down her pink cheeks breaking my heart in the process. My mother is the rock that I’ve always clung to when I needed to feel grounded and that’s something I refuse to let go.
“Nothing, Dom. Just promise me that you will love someone until your last breath.” I nod once, but she raises her eyebrow and I know she wants my words.
“I will. I will love someone until my last breath.”
“Good. Now go get your things ready. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for you,” she says before leaning in and pressing a kiss to my cheek. I watch her walk away when Vincent speaks.
“Your mom is hot.”
“My mother is off limits, asshole. I can’t believe I’m being forced into this shit.” Storming down the hallway, I head for my wing. I don’t want to be near my father or his demons today. He knows I’m better off taking care of business as usual.
“It won’t be that bad, you know. I graduated.”
“Your also not a Dameco and people weren’t throwing themselves at your feet. It’s a disgusting display,” I tell him. Vincent drops onto the bed and grabs a cigarette lighting one up. Those have become my go to. When stress hits me like a fucking brick, I smoke to control my anger. Some days it works, others it doesn’t.
“You think too highly of yourself.”
“Fuck you, Vin.”
“Whatever you say school boy.”
2
Evangeline
“Can you believe we’re seniors this year?” Abby, my best friend squeals as we walk down the hall. I’m ecstatic to be here. It took every ounce of my begging and pleading with my father to get me into this school. I cried, batted my lashes, and pulled the daddy card every chance I got and he finally broke. He finally gave me the space that I’ve been craving since I was a child.
“It’s going to be amazing, Abby. I swear to you, this was the best decision I’ve ever made,” I say with a huge small plastered across my face. We walk down the hall of Cornell Prep with our arms linked together. It wasn’t hard for me to get my best friend to tag along for senior year once I cried to my father about being alone. Abby doesn’t come from the money that I do, but once my father offered to pay her way this year, her parents jumped at the idea. It wasn’t because they didn’t love her, they did, but they knew they couldn’t provide for her the way my father could.
Judging by the looks of the guys here, I’d say you were right. Look at that one,” she says nodding her head toward the lockers that line the wall. I see him. The taller boy with his dark hair styled to perfection. It’s shaved short on the sides, but long and styled on the top. He has dark menacing eyes that hold authority and it intrigues me. Yet there’s an air of danger around him that I’m smart enough to stay away from at the same time.
“Jesus,” I whisper when his eyes shift and find us. Abby straightens her spine as we walk past him, but I hold his stare. His eyes are a shade of grey that I’ve never seen before. The storm that brews in them is harsh and I can almost feel the tornado if I tried hard enough.
We don’t break our connection until my neck strains to see him. Then I snap myself back to reality.
“God, Eva, way to be cool,” Abby giggles as she tugs me along with her.
“What?”
“You were staring him down like a piece of meat.”
“No, he’s just different than the guys I’m used to.”
“Mafia men? Isn’t that the point? You’re not there anymore, Eva. You don’t have to live in that world anymore,” she reminds me as I pull out my papers to find my next class.
“I know. It’s just strange. Nobody knows me here, Abby. I’m not used to that,” I admit. It’s true. Being Evangeline Cavella came with its perks, but it also came with hatred, violence, and anger. People hated who I was based on my name alone. Now here, no one knows me aside from me being the new girl along with Abby. I thought that’s what I always wanted, to be anonymous, but now seeing the hateful stares we’re getting, I’m not so sure.
“That’s the point. We get to be nobodies around here and no one will even bat an eye your way, Eva. It’s perfect. We can hang out whenever and wherever we want. We can go to parties and not have your bodyguards traipsing around behind us. We can be… normal.” She’s right. That’s all I ever really wanted. I want to go to prom, have a boyfriend, one my father doesn’t approve of. I want to drink sodas and eat pizza like a regular eighteen-year-old girl. I want to do all the things a normal teen would do.
“You’re right. This is my only chance at freedom and I’m taking it.”
“That’s my girl!”
“And who is your girl?” a voice says behind us. I turn to see a hot guy with blonde hair and blue eyes smiling at us. I almost have the urge to look around and make sure one of my father’s men aren’t near us to whisk me away from him.
“I’m Eva and this is Abby,” I say politely trying to make a good first impression.
“I’m Gabe. Nice to meet you both. So, there’s a huge party over at the Willow’s mansion. You do know where that is right?” Abby perks up and speaks before I have the chance to say no.
“We do.”
“Good. Back to school bash. See you there.” He turns and walks away as I turn to face my friend.
“We have no clue where that is,” I tell her.
“We couldn’t say no. He would have called us on our bullshit. We’re fitting in, remember?” I roll my eyes.
“Fine, but you better figure out where the party is by the end of the day. We are not missing the first party we’ve ever been to,” I tell her before pulling her into a hug and heading toward my first class. The bell rings just as I step inside and someone rushing behind me slams into me. I stumble, but I’m caught by the teacher, Mr. Hottie himself. Damn, we didn’t have teachers that looked like that at my old school. They were all nuns and so stiff I wanted to die.
“You must be Miss Cavella,” he says in a smooth tone.
“And you must be horny to be hitting on young girls,” someone says behind me. I turn my head to look over my shoulder and see the guy with the storm grey eyes staring me down. His demeanor is easy and laid back, but something tells me he isn’t always like this.
“What a disgusting thing to say,” I snap catching the look in his eyes. He’s amused and yet calm.
“Just stating facts. Watch out for Mr. Harlson.” He walks away to the back of the room leaving me standing with my new teacher and in shock.
3
Dominic
My eyes roam the group of people that are gathered in this damn house. Angela’s family is loaded, not more than mine, but still. The music blasts through the overly priced sound system as people dance and drink. It’s your typical high school party of which I don’t want to be at. I only came because Vincent has been trying to get a piece of Angela’s ass for a long time now. Her family knows who we are and what we do and if they knew I was here right now I’m sure the police would be called in.
“Who is that?” Vincent asks leaning into me so I can hear over the music.
“Don’t know her aside from seeing her at school.” I keep my eyes on her. Perfectly shaped lips, almond shaped brown eyes, and long brown hair that’s curled and hanging over her chest.
“I should get a piece of that,” Vincent says as I shake my head and smile. I saw her earlier, but I didn’t take her in the way I am now. She seems out of place here and that alone should have red flags flying, but I don’t let that bother me, not tonight anyway. Tonight I’m here for fun and a little business. My father has dealings with a few of the kids’ parents that are in attendance tonight and I plan on making them pay up while they’re drunk off their asses.
“I need to go find Dale,” I tell Vin. He nods and I motion for my guys to follow me. Of course I bring my guys everywhere I go. You can’t be too careful in our line of business.
Stalking through the house, I head out the backdoor when I see Dale leaning over a table, white powder in a single line.
“So it’s that kind of party?” I ask catching his attention. As soon as he sees me, he stands and starts to move. I motion for my guys to move first, which they do. They have him on his knees in no time, hands behind his back. I walk over casually and stand in front of him, hands in my pockets.
“Why run?”
“I’m not. I didn’t,” he says quickly.
“Is that why you’re on your knees at my feet?” Cocking my head to the side, I study his face. He’s just like every other loser I come across, using what he shouldn’t be. Slipping my hand from my pocket, I pull the gun from the back of my pants and hold it up to him.
“What do you want?”
“What do I want? Wasn’t it obvious. Your father owes mine and I’m here to collect. That is what I do at these types of events, isn’t it? Then I see you snorting all the money off the table, now Dale, that is a bad look for you,” I tell him keeping my tone as calm as possible. I like them on edge, unsure how to take me.
“I have the money! I’ll have it!”
“Which is it? You have it or you will have it?”
“Come on Dameco! Just shoot the fucker,” Mario, one of my boys says making me chuckle. I raise the gun and shove it between Dale’s lips, forcing his mouth open before I lean down into his space.
“I don’t like games. I don’t like liars. You are doing both right now and that’s really starting to work my nerve, Dale. I’m here to collect like any other Friday night. Now where the fuck is my money,” I growl low in my throat. That’s when I see her. The new girl. Our eyes collide and the air sticks in my throat. It’s been a long time since someone has captured my interests like she has. Pulling my gaze back to Roni, one of my other guys, I nod in her direction. She saw the gun; I saw the look in her eyes. Now I’m going to have to deal with the new girl on top of Dale’s lying.
