Taken_ A Dark Mafia Romance - Piper Stone Page 0,10
the past. We must carry on as Capodannos. We are powerful. We must control.”
“We? Don’t you mean you are? You’re calling the shots, changing the rules to suit your needs, not mine.”
He snarled, fisting his hand. “Don’t you dare pretend you don’t enjoy the spoils of the sect. I knew better, brother. You revel in the money and the clout, the influence you couldn’t have if you weren’t a Capodanno.”
“Fuck. You. Get the hell out of my office.” I glared at him, angrier than I’d been in a long time. “Now!” Maybe the past creeping back in was still far too difficult, the ghosts yet to be exorcised. I turned away on purpose, dismissing him.
I heard the hard slam of his glass on my desk, the angry growl Christian emitted as he stormed toward the door. I also heard his heavy breathing as he attempted to regain control of his emotions.
“I’ve done some horrible things in my life, Matteo. Every member of this community has, including you, but in order to continue on with our way of life, we have to heal. We must regain control. There are too many others who are attempting to break us. I refuse to allow that to happen. Stand with me. Work by my side as you have all these months. We all must do our part, or not only will the sect be destroyed, a significant number of us will end up in prison. Or dead.”
I shifted in order to see him.
He turned to face me, an anguished look on his face.
“And that includes you, brother.”
“You’re a bastard, Christian.”
“You knew that all along. I have no choice and neither do you. The secrets must remain intact.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
I’d seen many emotions in my brother before, his contempt for rules and hypocrisy well known in our family. He’d been the black sheep while I’d played by the regulations as set forth by the Council. He’d been the one dispelling the old traditions, the dangerous methods used in order to keep our way of life. I’d understood the requirements, even touting them to anyone in our community who would listen.
The tide had turned one hundred and eighty degrees. What I witnessed in his face was something I’d never seen before and it had nothing to do with money.
He was afraid of losing his life with his beloved bride. He was also afraid of dying. What in the fuck was going on? Whether or not he had intentions of sharing his deep concerns I couldn’t be certain, but that wasn’t going to happen today.
“Please be at the ceremony tomorrow night. If all goes well, use of the Box will never happen again,” Christian stated with authority, the blip of fear completely gone.
A promise made in a world full of lies.
A cold chill shifted through me, a knowing that would haunt me for the rest of my life. I was being used as a pawn; my happiness traded for helping to keep the sect’s secrets. There would be nothing I could do.
For now.
But I would hunt down the person or group responsible for jeopardizing our world.
And they would pay.
Chapter Three
Winter
Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday, stupid girl...
I laughed as I glared out the window of the plane, almost able to catch a glimpse of the choppy ocean waters below.
Florida.
I missed the wonderful location already. The sun. The beaches. The gorgeous men. Sighing, I leaned back in my seat, the splash of sun on my face creating an actual shiver coursing down my spine. It happened on the few occasions I neared the shores of New York. I could be basking on the sandy white beaches of Tampa, drinking a frothy beverage, searching for my own private pool boy.
Instead, I was on my way to see my parents. Not my idea of a good time for my birthday. While I hadn’t seen them in almost three years, their insistence that I come for a special celebration created a wave of uncertainty dancing throughout my mind. The nagging remained, creating nightmares. My stomach was sick from the thought.
A ritual.
A requirement.
The Sacred Sect.
The words had remained in the forefront of my brain, keeping me on edge. I didn’t want to believe their urgent request had anything to do with the old ways. The ridiculous rules hadn’t been mentioned in years. Maybe it was time I embraced the fact I was their only child and they were getting older. Even missing me.