Rushed(117)

He held out a small case to me. "In case you forgot—always be prepared. Take care of the Godfather."

I looked in the case, smirking as I saw the muted gleam of the twin Berettas inside. "Hope I have enough to bribe the customs officials on these."

"Don't worry," Pietro replied. "I made sure there's an extra attaché case inside the plane with a good gift to any customs officers who stick their noses in. We'll have the skids greased when you get there."

I climbed aboard and took my seat, clicking in as the two pilots along with the backup climbed aboard. The crew would rotate between pilot, co-pilot, and resting in one of the spare seats during the nearly twenty-two hours it would take for us to fly to Porto Alegre, including two refueling stops, one in Texas and another in Colombia, where the crew would rotate spots. The Bertolis routinely used this company for Dad's flights—they knew when to keep their mouths shut. I didn't even want to think about how much it was costing him.

We were in the sky in minutes, my stomach sinking into my feet as the pilots quickly reached our cruising altitude of forty thousand feet. I looked over at Dad, who seemed excited by the whole thing. "Are you all right?"

"What do you mean, Son?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "It's just that I haven't seen you this lively since, well, I really can't think of a time right offhand."

He chuckled and leaned his seat back. "Tomasso, when you left for college, like I said before, I wasn't sure you were coming back. I thought you'd become a normal, boring type of person, one of those who let others fleece them while they just sat by idly like the billions of other sheep in the world. When you came back, I was happy, but still waiting to see what else might happen. Now this? Love, honor, and adventure? This is the life I want, not sitting behind a desk worrying about the dust content of the shredded cheese or if I’d need to bust heads if some strip club didn’t pay the full amount. Maybe I grew up a bit too much wanting the adventure and watched a few too many movies that your grandfather never really approved of, but this is what gets my blood pumping."

I couldn't say anything as he grinned, and finally, I laughed. "Okay then. Let's go to Brazil—see what the hell is going on. You might want to get as much sleep as you can. I think we're going to need it."

"Oh, that I’m sure of. I may be excited like I’m twenty years old again, but I’m definitely not. If I get too loud with my snoring, don’t be tempted to shoot me with those Berettas Pietro passed you."

I did a double-take, then just shook my head. It was impossible to put one past my father.





Chapter 20





Luisa





I sat in the chair, hugging myself as my father stormed back and forth. He'd been doing so for going on two hours now, stopping only to turn and look at me silently for a moment before continuing his rant. It was simultaneously scary and monotonous, as he’d started to repeat himself with the line of his comments.

"How could you . . .? Of all the people to sleep with! A goddamned Norte? What the f*ck were you thinking?"

It was the same the entire time, ever since he'd gotten to the house and talked with the staff. Once the thought that I'd been raped by Tomasso had been cleared up, he'd taken me back to the house in Porto Alegre, where I'd practically been a prisoner inside the walls.

I'd been sold out, plain and simple, although it was my own damn fault. After seeing the positive pregnancy test, I'd gone into a sort of daze, leaving it behind in my bathroom along with the box on my dresser while I went back out to oversee the cleanup and repairs from the storm. Of course, someone found it and put two and two together. As soon as they could, they'd reported back to my dad what had been found in his daughter's bathroom, and two hours later, I'd been surprised when he pulled up in a four-wheel drive TAC, red-faced and already starting to rant.

I could’ve denied it, but knowing my father, he would’ve simply ordered me to take another test. Besides, I’d never been able to flat out lie to him in my entire life. The most I'd been able to do was hide information from him. It was that deception I used to hide my feelings for Tomasso, and even that wouldn't work any longer.

So now, nearing midnight, I was exhausted and worn out emotionally and physically.

"How could you do it, Luisa?" my father finally yelled, turning and addressing me for the first time. "Why?"

"I love him, father," I whispered, hugging my knees. "With all my heart, I love him."

"No,” he said, shaking his head. "You're confused. It's what happened last time, remember? I know it, it must be. But that's all right, I will have vengeance."

He stormed off, leaving me with a chill in my heart. I'd listened in as he had ranted and screamed at Carlo Bertoli over the video call link before hanging up on him, only to start in on me. He'd called in all of the Mendosa men he could, including both Vincente and Eduardo, telling them to make plans for trips to America. He was preparing to take the fight to the Bertolis and start a blood bath in Seattle.

I stayed in the chair, not knowing what else to do. When I had to go to the bathroom, I found one of my father's men standing outside the door, escorting me to the toilet and then to my room, which had been stripped down to just the bed, a mostly empty set of drawers, and some books that I'd last read in high school. I fell into bed, exhausted and afraid but unable to fall asleep. Instead, I closed my eyes and decided if there was any time for this sinner to pray, it was now.