The holy trinity series, p.46
The Holy Trinity Series, page 46
Two hours later, Ciro, Phoenix, and I were back at The Diamond, having a drink and toasting to the new Benetti Reign. I had wanted Sal and Leo here, but we knew, moving forward, me and Sal would have to meet in secret if we couldn’t handle something by phone. Even though Leo had the respect of the entire organization, everyone knew, in order for us to reign supreme, me or Sal needed to be at the helm of the family. I needed to get Remy pregnant sooner, rather than later.
I had every faith that Ciro or Phoenix would stand by Leo if something were to happen to me or Sal, but if our children could marry, that’d be better. And the more I thought about it, the more I needed to talk to Francesca and Robbie and make sure they give us some girls. Ciro and Phoenix’s daughters marrying mine, Sal’s, and Leo’s sons would solve all my problems.
“I still find it hard to believe he blew his brains out,” Phoenix remarked. “He always seemed like too much of a narcissist to pull that off.”
He was wrong. “He was,” I agreed. “What other crime boss would think he could get away with fucking a cop if he wasn’t a narcissist?”
Ciro was at his desk, leaning back in his chair, a tumbler of scotch in his hands. “He knew there’s no way he’d be allowed to live. Who knows what the fuck he’s been telling that woman all these years.”
Phoenix was sitting in one of the audience chairs in front of the desk. “Doesn’t matter,” he said. “She’s been taken care of.”
The day after we buried Giovanni, Marjorie Conti was paid a visit by Sal and a couple of his men. It was deemed a suicide because it had been. They spent hours with her, putting mental images into her head of what they would do to her family if she didn’t put a bullet in her brain. It had a sort of poetic symmetry since it was the way Gio went out, but I couldn’t feel bad for the woman. She had been a fucking cop, and only a dirty cop would get into bed with Giovanni Benetti.
I glanced at Ciro. “How’s Robbie feeling about her new job?”
He smiled, his love for the woman all over his face. “She’s happy,” he replied. “She said she finally feels like she’s not freeloading.”
“Jesus Christ,” Phoenix mumbled. “Save me from independent, stubborn women.”
Ciro snorted. “Amen.”
I poured myself another drink. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” I commented. “Those three women are more powerful than they can imagine, yet all they want to do is go to work like normal folks.”
“Not even,” Phoenix retorted. “They’re just trying to drive us fucking crazy.”
Ciro pointed at Phoenix in agreement. “That explanation gets my vote.”
Phoenix eyed me as he said, “I think Remy should take over security.”
I took a sip of my bourbon. “Why’s that?”
“I think she’s going to evolve into it eventually,” he answered. “As protective as she is over her case children, she’s going to be one hell of a mamma bear when she’s ready to give you children. As much as she fought it in the beginning, I think she’s going to embrace it later.”
“That’s a good point, Nix,” Ciro agreed.
Phoenix shrugged a shoulder. “Watching Frankie take over last week when she thought we were in danger made me realize mothers are more vigilant and protective than us men could ever be. It makes sense that the head of the Benetti Family would be in charge of all our safety.”
I smirked. “The head of the Benetti Family, huh?”
Phoenix’s dimples popped. “Tell me she isn’t?”
“Christ, we’re a bunch of pussies,” Ciro cursed.
I laughed because we really were. “I think it’s a good idea,” I finally said. “Robbie will head all legitimate real estate deals. Francesca will head all legitimate finances for the clubs, restaurants, and businesses. And Remy will, eventually, be in charge of our security. I’ll let Sal know what’s to come.”
“What if she says no?” Ciro asked.
“She won’t,” I replied confidently. “Like Robbie, she’s going to want contribute even through her decision to become a stay-at-home mom later.”
“Then that’s settled,” Ciro smirked. “We’ve got it all under control.”
Phoenix snorted. “Yeah, right we do.”
I looked at the two men who I trusted most in the world, even over my own flesh and blood, and knew I was blessed in more ways that I was cursed. My childhood might have been shit, and I might have been raised by a narcissistic sociopath, but that childhood was shaped from what I had with Francesca, Ciro, and Phoenix more than anything else.
I really was a lucky bastard.
“By the way, Francesca and Robbie need to give you girls, so they can marry mine, Sal’s, and Leo’s sons,” I announced. “That’s the only way the future can be secured.”
“Good luck, Nix,” Ciro automatically replied.
“What? Why me?”
“My daughter is not having Salvatore Benetti as a father-in-law, so that leaves your daughter,” he retorted.
Phoenix flipped him off.
Ciro harrumphed.
And I laughed.
“Speaking of in-laws,” Ciro grinned.
I quit laughing.
Epilogue
Luca – (Twenty Years Later)~
Cira walked in, without knocking, and I knew there’d be headache forming behind my eyes before she was done. Out of all my children, she was the only disrespectful brat I had.
I looked up from my desk and raised a brow at her rudeness, but she just kept walking until she was seated in one of the chairs located in front of my desk. I watched as she crossed her legs primly and placed her hands in her lap.
It was a ruse.
There wasn’t a submissive bone in this girl’s body.
At eighteen, she was the spitting image of her mother, but her personality was all Ciro fucking Mancini.
We never should have named her after him.
“What can I help you with, Cira?” I drawled out.
She cocked her head and her voice was all business. “Dad, I know Francisco is going to be Underboss one day, but do you really think he’s cut out for the job?” she asked.
I let out a deep breath and rolled my eyes to Heaven.
This again?
“Cira, we’ve discussed this,” I replied. “Francisco is the oldest, and he’s good at what he does.”
“By eleven months,” she gawked, all pretense of professionalism gone. “He’s not even a full year older than me, Dad.”
Remy had given me four children. Francisco being the first, and Cira being our close second. Two years after Cira, Remy had given me another son, Angelo. Two years after that, she gave me our third son, Emilio, named after Remy’s guard. His assignment had ended up becoming more than just a job, and they were best friends, those two.
With Cira being the only girl, she was a pain in my fucking ass.
Francesca had ended up giving Phoenix three children; two boys and a girl who, much like Cira had me, she had Phoenix wrapped around her finger. And much to Phoenix’s dismay, Francesca had named her Luca. And to Ciro’s dismay, that girl was also my godchild. If any girl were going to take over the organization, I’d vote for Luca. She was something fucking else. However, she wasn’t a Benetti.
As for Ciro and Robbie, Ciro is the one who ended up having an army of little dark-haired, amber-eyed little girls who were ruthless as fuck. They ended up with four girls because Ciro had wanted to keep trying for a boy. He eventually got this little guy when Massimo was finally born, but his girls were a force to be reckoned with.
“Despite the age difference, you’re still a female,” I pointed out.
She gasped in true teenage fashion. “That’s sexist!”
God save me.
“Cira, I am a lot of things, but sexist isn’t one of them, and you know this,” I reprimanded her. “A majority of men are not ready to follow a woman-”
She stood up. “That’s not true, Dad,” she argued. “There are lots of women who head up deadly criminal organizations.”
I sat up and leaned across my desk and looked my daughter in the eye. “Cira Benetti, if you think I am going to walk out of this room and tell your mother that I have assigned her only daughter as head of this family one day, possibly putting a price on your head, you are out of your goddamn mind.”
Ciro gasped. “So, my brothers are dispensable because there’s more than one?”
“That’s not what I said,” I corrected.
“Yes, it is,” she argued.
“Fine,” I sighed. “Go arm wrestle Francisco for the position and, if you win, the position as Underboss will be yours.”
She stomped her foot, proving she could never be an Underboss or Boss. “You’re lying.”
“I am,” I agreed. “Now go give your mother a headache. I have work to do.”
Ciro narrowed her eyes at me but didn’t argue further. She walked out of my office-slamming the door, mind you-and didn’t look back.
I felt sorry for the poor bastard who would marry her one day.
But I was also proud as fuck.
The End.
The Redemption
Copyright 2020 Monica Clayton
Published by M.E. Clayton
All Rights Reserved
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This book is a work of fiction. The entire content is a product of the author’s imagination and all names, places, businesses and incidences are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), places or occurrences, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent from the author, except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Formatting: Smashwords
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Warning: This book contains sexual situations and other adult themes. Recommended for 18 years of age and over.
Table of Contents
◆◆◆
Author's Note
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Prologue
1. Nico
2. Mia
3. Nico
4. Mia
5. Nico
6. Mia
7. Nico
8. Mia
9. Nico
10. Mia
Epilogue
Playlist
About the Author
Other Books
Contact Me
Author’s Note
◆◆◆
Just a couple of things before I let you go and get your read on. While I am doing my best to work with better editing and proofreading software, all my books are solo, independent works. I write my books, proofread my books, edit my books, create the covers, etc. I have one beta who gives me feedback on my stories, but other than that, all my books are independent projects.
That being said, I apologize, in advance, for the typos, grammar inconsistencies, or any other mistakes I may make. Since writing is strictly a hobby for me, I haven’t looked for commitments in regard to publishers, editors, etc. My hope is that my stories are enjoyable enough that a few mistakes, here and there, can be overlooked. If not, my books are probably not for you.
Also, I am an avid reader-I mean an AVID reader. I love to read above any other hobby. One of the things about reading that hurts my heart, though, is when I fall in love with a book, but I have to wait for the additional books in the series to be released. Because I feel that disappointment down to my soul, I vowed that if I ever write a series, all books will be published at once. Nope-no waiting over here…LOL. So, if you are reading one of my books, but can’t find any other books on the secondary characters of that book, that means the book is a standalone project. Now, the exception to this was, both Enemy Series (Facing the Enemy and In Enemy Territory). I got enough requests for their secondary characters’ stories, I decided to write them. But, in the future, series books not released all at once will only happen at the request of my readers. As much as this is a hobby, I am writing these books for you guys as well as myself.
Thank you, all, for turning this hobby into something exciting and magical!
Acknowledgements
◆◆◆
The first acknowledgement will always be my husband (unless we ever divorce, then probably not so much after that), but seeing as how I can’t imagine that day ever coming, I can’t ever put myself out there without thanking him for all his love, support and belief in me.
Second, there’s my family; my daughter, my son, my grandchildren, my sister, and my mother. They are the people who love me the most, and know me the best, and love me dearly, despite, of all they know…LOL!
And, of course, there’s Kamala. She insists that I don’t have to thank her in every book, but my love for her and gratitude for all her support and enthusiasm, claims otherwise. She’s the first person (outside my family) that I shared this dream with, and she’s been by my side every step of the way. Kam, you really are the best kind of friend!
And, finally, I’d like to thank everyone who’s purchased, read, reviewed, shared and supported me and my writing. Thank you so much for helping make this dream a reality and a happy, fun one at that! There are not enough ‘Thank You’s in the world….
Dedication
◆◆◆
For all those who were taken too young or too old-
There’s never enough time, and there’s never a right time to tell your loved ones goodbye.
Until we see you again.
Prologue
2019~
I didn’t like Momma’s new boyfriend, but she said I had to be nice to him.
I didn’t want to be nice to him. I didn’t want to play with him at all.
I knew if Michael was here, he wouldn’t make me play with him, but Michael was gone. He was gone a lot. He said he had a job, but I didn’t know what his job was. He did buy me pretty dolls sometimes when he was home. I liked that.
I wished he was home now.
Momma said her new boyfriend’s name was Robert, but if I was nice to him, he’d let me call him Bob. I didn’t want to call him anything. I didn’t like the way he looked at me. It gave me the creeps. One day, after Robert left to take Momma on a date, I told Michael that I didn’t like Robert. He said he’d make sure that Robert left me alone, and I believed him because Michael was a good big brother.
Michael was big, though, and that’s why he had to work so much. When you get big you have to get a job so you can pay your bills. Michael also told everyone I was his sister even though we had different daddies. Michael’s last name was Morelli and mine was Gallo. He was ten years older than I was and that made him a grownup.
Momma’s scream made me run out of my room. She sounded scared and I knew Robert must be hitting her like he likes to do sometimes. But when I ran into the living room, I didn’t see Robert hitting Momma.
No.
I saw four big guys wearing fancy clothes. They looked like important guys. They looked like they had good jobs. I wondered if Michael worked with them.
I looked around and saw Momma sitting on the couch, and she had her arms wrapped around her legs like she was cold. I was scared, but she was crying. “Momma?”
One of the big guys walked over to me, and he bent down, so I could see his face. He had eyes the color of the sun. They were pretty eyes.
He smiled and I thought he looked nice. “Mia? Is your name Mia?”
I nodded. “Yes,” I answered. “My name is Mia and I have a brother named Michael.”
“That’s good, honey,” he said. “I’m friends with your brother Michael.”
I was right. These men worked with Michael. “Do you guys work with him?”
The man kept smiling. “You could say that.”
I looked over at the other men in the room. “Is he with you?”
The nice guy shook his head. “No, honey, he’s not. But he asked us if we could come over and pick you up.”
That confused me. “Pick me up for what?”
The man didn’t answer. “How old are you, Mia?”
“I’m eight. I’ll be nine in two months,” I told him.
“Mia, have you ever heard of your mother’s cousin, Jeanie?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Well, Michael is over at Jeanie’s house, and he’s getting a room ready for you so you can go stay with him. Would you like that?”
I looked over at Momma crying on the couch. “Wh…what about…what about Momma?”
“Your Momma is sick, honey,” he said. “We’re going to take her to the doctor, so she can get better. Would you like that?”
“Really?” I hoped he wasn’t lying. I’d like Momma to get better if she was sick.
“Yes, but she’s very sick,” he said again. “So, it’s going to take a long time for her to get better. But Michael and your cousin, Jeanie, are going to take care of you while she gets better.”
I grabbed his face and pulled him closer. I didn’t want the other men to hear. “Does that mean there won’t be stranger-danger anymore?”
His voice sounded funny, but he kept smiling. “I promise, Mia. There won’t be any stranger-danger at all. There will always be someone looking out for you.”
