Lies of Omission : A dark mafia M/M, page 15
Salvador Zinnetti
Age: 26 years old
Organization: Zinnetti crime family
Alias: White Wolf
Right under all that fanfare was the day of my betrayal and his release date. As of yesterday, Salvador Zinnetti was a free man—and I was fucked. I should have believed Lea when she said there was no way he was serving a full term.
“How?” My voice was hoarse.
Alex snorted. “Inadmissible evidence. They didn’t want Armando to go at them with false incarceration, and since he had already served two years and was up for parole for good behavior, they let him go.”
I had to give it to Armando, he was one hell of a fucking lawyer. Judge Lyons was not going to be happy about this news. Chills went down my arms as I finally allowed myself to take in the most recent photograph of Salvadore.
This was not the boy I knew at seventeen, and it wasn’t the man I had fucked over two years ago—this was a whole new beast. Those icy eyes now gave you frostbite with one look. His hair was longer, and instead of looking shaggy and unkept, he looked dangerous and totally fuckable—not that he didn’t before.
“Come on, Lyons, let’s go on patrol.”
After work, I tried not to rush to Lea’s house, where we would continue to watch our newest K-drama obsession while we stuffed ourselves in fine dining.
Since I finished college, my father cut me off, which, in all honesty, was expected. Whatever trust fund I thought I was getting ceased to exist for me, and I was too damn proud to ask him about it. My apartment wasn’t in the nicest part of town, but it was safe enough, and unlike Lea, I did not have security at the entrance of my complex.
“Hey, Bernie,” I told the security guy. I handed him the extra plate I had bought. “Any news for me?”
“Theo, my man, I love it when you come to visit us,” he cheered as he reached for the plate. “All is good. No more threatening mail for Miss Livingstone.”
“Any change, let me know.” I pointed a finger at him and kept going toward the elevators.
If the staff thought I visited Leanna more than her fiancé, they never commented, and they were discreet enough not to leak that to any type of press.
I was barely about to knock on Lea’s door when she opened it. I got a sense of déjà vu at the action.
“Would it kill you to answer your fucking phone,” she spat as she opened the door wider for me to go through.
“I was working, you know.”
“You got out thirty minutes ago.”
I raised my hands to show her the bags with our takeout food. “I was too busy driving around town getting our food.”
“Would it kill you to text and drive like a normal person?”
I glared at her. “I’m a cop.”
She rolled her eyes. “Not after work hours.”
“It doesn’t work that wa—”
“Salvadore Zinnetti is out, and you're way too calm!” she finally snapped.
I put our stuff on the coffee table. Lea kept looking at me while she sat down and passed me a disposable plate.
“So, you heard?”
“Of course I fucking heard…everyone fucking heard.” She huffed, clearly irritated by my lack of emotions. She still passed me the wine so I could uncork it. We were a really classy pair. Drinking wine in fancy glass and eating out of disposable plates.
“Congratulations, you’re psychic. You totally called it.”
“This is not the moment to joke. You need a plan. Maybe you should move in here since my complex is like a fort.”
“Yeah, your fiancé would love that.”
“Elias can fuck off. Until we say ‘I do,’ neither one of us exists for the other.”
“I’ll be fine.”
If I said it enough times, maybe I’d start to believe it. Lea let out an exasperated sigh but ultimately leaned back.
“You know I’ve got your back no matter what, right?”
A humorless laugh escaped me. “Lea, you pretended to date me for years, of course I know. Now, come on, put the episode on. I want to see my man, Secretary Cha.”
“He’s so handsome. I can’t believe they’ve never given him a lead role. The smile and the dimples…gah. By Western standards, he is gorgeous.”
I let Lea ramble on. Good thing I had already watched this episode, because it allowed me to fret in silence about what the fuck I would be doing. There was no doubt in my mind Salvadore Zinnetti would be looking for his pound of flesh—and here I was, ready for the taking.
Sooner or later, all of our sins came to bite us in the ass.
TWENTY-SEVEN
The level of restraint I possessed was something that surprised me. I would be lying if I didn’t admit to counting down the days so I could go in search of Theodore. The nights in my jail cell were some of the worst and most lonely nights of my life. All I had to keep me sane were bittersweet memories to keep relieving me.
How was it that in a short amount of time, someone could mean so much? Hate drew me toward Theo; attraction kept me coming back. But it was his resilient way of facing the world that enthralled me. Protecting him felt nice—no one ever needed me. I often felt like an intruder in my own family, so to be that his protector made me feel good—needed. I felt like I had found where I belonged. Experiencing things with Theo felt like doing them for the first time. The intensity of each kiss, the way my heart would beat faster when he touched my skin. The sex was mind-blowing, something I tried to play off as a fluke after he left, but no one ever compared, and fuck did I try to replicate that feeling.
Sitting up, I stretched and then got on the floor to start doing my workout routine. I was naïve to think going to prison would have been easy. I got cocky thinking my name would have offered me some protection. The outside world didn’t matter much in those barbed wire walls.
Having a routine was something that helped keep me going and have some semblance of balance.
The ride to prison was quiet, the kind of quiet that made your thoughts scream louder. The kind of quiet that made your anxiety pick up and start a turbulent dance with your heart. In the moment where the prison came into view, I wondered, what if I didn’t make it out of this one alive? Then I remembered Armando would do everything on his side to ensure I had protection, and I had to place my trust in that. Besides, if anything good came of this, I would finally see my zio Amado, and I was dying to ask him some questions.
The first day was intimidating. The guards had a pissing contest with me from the get-go. I bit my tongue, kept my mouth shut, and just told myself that I would be out in no time. I wasn’t prepared for time to cease to exist in that place. Every single thought you put in the back of your mind—all those nasty ones you pretended you never thought about came out front and center.
It was a lot like being in high school with all the cliques and mean girls, except they were prisoners who had homemade weapons that could kill you or give you fucking sepsis. My only reprieve had been during one lunch, when I finally saw a man I had not laid eyes on since I was a little boy.
From what I remembered, he wasn’t like my zio Luciano and had been closer to my father. Their bond was akin to the one I had with his son.
“Zio Amado,” I said, walking up to him.
He looked at me, his features perfectly stoic, but I saw his eyes widen for a second.
“You’re no kin of mine.”
Prison was a hellhole for a reason. I survived, and now I was going to get my fucking revenge. Armando was already up and about when I came out of my room. It was surreal to be able to eat when I was hungry and take a piss whenever I felt like it. No one told me what to do, and I showered at whatever time I wanted just because I could. The best part of all was, I didn’t have to keep watching my six, although that habit was proving hard to drop.
“Look at you waking up a whole twenty minutes late today,” Armando teased, but I could see the sadness in his eyes. It was the same sadness I saw on the first day I walked out without a shirt and he could see my new scars.
“I have a long night ahead of me,” I told him as I reached for the protein smoothie he had made.
He gave me a look. I swear, sometimes I wondered why I needed my dad when I had Armando’s nosey ass already knowing the steps I would take.
“I just got you out. Try not to go back in, okay?”
My lip twitched.
“As long as the stuff you got me doesn’t trace back to me.”
“I swear to God, Sal, you fuck up, there will be no need for a lawyer. I’ll kill you myself.”
He was only half joking, but I was beyond caring.
I had gone years without my drug of choice, and I was ready to fucking relapse.
“Thanks again for letting me crash,” I said before taking a gulp of the drink.
“I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again and again until it sinks in. We’re family. And we’ll get to the bottom of everything, okay?”
All I could do was nod.
My savings were tied up in investments, so at the moment I was fucking broke.
I was supposed to get the inheritance my father left for me when I turned twenty-five. Prior to this, I got an allowance from that after his passing, plus it paid for my necessities. Since I was in jail when I came of age, it couldn’t be released to me as I wasn’t present to sign for it. It was the first thing I did when I came out, and it turned out that I blew through it before I even got it released.
It was a load of bullshit, and I called foul play, but I had no way to prove anything—yet.
“I’m off to work,” Armando said as he grabbed his briefcase.
“I’ll be home late.”
He rolled his eyes when he saw the smirk that grazed my lips.
I had to thank God today for the fact that Judge Lyons was a massive cunt. His son lived in a building with mediocre security. The place was quiet, with neighbors who didn’t spend their time gossiping in the hallways, which worked perfectly for me. No one even noticed when I picked the lock so I could break inside.
I wandered through the dark, taking in everything that was Theodore Lyons. His place was cozy. Modern style with a few feminine touches that I knew were Leanna. Other details were a little higher class, and I wondered just who the fuck was coming over because they were unlike him. Years might have passed, but I liked to think I still had a good grasp on what made him tick.
The sun had long set when I finally heard the doorknob start to twist. My blood hummed, every cell in me coming alive for the first time in years. I slowly rose from where I was seated and moved toward the kitchen since it created a blind spot from the door.
I held my breath as the door began to open. I cursed my heart for beating so loud, it was about to announce my presence. The door fully opened and Theo walked in. I didn’t know his usual after-work routine, but I swear it was like he knew I was there. Instead of going for the light switch that was by the door, the floor creaked as he began to walk without turning the lights on.
Could he feel my presence already? Was his blood racing, too? Every cell in his body telling him what a fucking little traitor he was?
I pressed myself closer to the shadows that the kitchen provided. Theo’s profile came into view, and my eyes greedily took him in. He grew maybe an inch or two more since high school. His hair looked tamer; the untamed curls he proudly displayed seemed to be missing. His build was more muscular but nowhere near mine. When his profile hit the moonlight, and I saw what he was holding in his hand, I decided to let myself be known. I should have known we couldn’t hide from one another. We were fucking magnets, and we were bound to be attracted to each other no matter how deadly the outcome might be.
“Don’t hurt yourself, little lion,” I drawled.
He jumped up and turned toward me, his gun aimed at my face as I stepped out toward the moonlight. As I walked closer, banking on the fact that I was sure he wouldn't blow my brains out, I could see the surprise in his eyes.
“Breaking and entering into an officer’s home is a sure way to go back to jail, Zinnetti,” he spat.
There was nothing nice about the laugh that left my lips. I didn’t stop walking until his gun made contact with my skin. Now that we were face-to-face, I could see the difference those two years had made. Our last night together was a blur. Knowing he was in the city was something I knew the moment he returned, but I forced myself to stay back. I still didn’t have enough power to protect those around me.
But it was game over for me when he came to the club and made the first move. I greedily took him in after not seeing him for years, but it was brief, and I couldn't catalog it all quickly. I wanted him there but also as far away from my family as possible. Then I was greedily taking in his body and getting reacquainted with him after all those years.
When I read the messages I got from Armando that night, I knew why he had sought me out. I didn’t have it in me to feel the knife he had just stabbed my back with.
“You’re going to send me away again? It wasn’t enough to fuck me over once?”
At this, he said nothing. His chest rose and fell. His eyes were on my face and then my mouth. I smirked; he scowled.
“Would you like me to call 911?” I taunted.
“What do you want?” he asked instead.
Hmm, what a loaded question. What did I want?
“Are you sure you want me to answer that, cub?”
I saw the way his Adam’s apple bobbed and how his hand began to shake just a bit if I focused on them. He was just as affected as I was.
“I’m not scared of you, Zinnetti.”
My lip curled.
“You’re not going to call me Sal anymore? Throwing me in prison wasn’t enough for you to feel familiar with me?”
At that, he didn’t say anything.
“Not even the fact that my cock’s been in you?” My question was a husky whisper.
His loud intake of breath was like music to my ears. Theo glared at me.
“You’re nothing to me.”
His words were hissed, and I could feel the emotions he was trying to keep contained. How could he stand there and tell me I wasn’t anything to him when the moment he walked into my life he became everything to me?
My hand struck out so fast that I saw the surprise in his eyes as I disarmed him. One instant, he had the gun in my face. The next, I was pointing it at him.
“You never greet your guests at gunpoint unless you intend to kill them.”
“I-I don’t remember inviting you.” His voice was a fake bravado of courage.
At this, I chuckled. I took a step closer to him, twisting the gun so it came to the side of his head.
“Bullshit, cub. You knew the moment I got out I would be back.”
And he couldn’t deny it.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Salvadore Zinnetti was standing right before me, and he wasn’t wrong—I couldn’t deny it.
Nothing seemed amiss when I opened the door to my apartment. It was the fact that I had been on edge since the moment I heard Salvadore got out of prison. It had been a long week when I began to make an enemy of my own shadow. Maybe I was paranoid, but I swore I could feel someone watching me when I stepped inside.
The first thing I usually did when entering my apartment was turn the light on, but this time, I grabbed my gun instead of going for the switch.
As I made my way through my apartment, I swore I felt my skin burn. Now he was here, in the flesh.
I was annoyed at myself for not coming straight home. I spent two hours after work trailing my father to no avail. I didn’t do it all the time but enough that I had an idea of his every move.
He wanted to show me how he owned me by throwing money around. I would win the pissing contest he started with hard cold facts. Everyone was bound to slip up eventually.
Now, here I was, having had the upper hand, and like always, I ended up at the mercy of Salvadore Zinnetti.
I stayed quiet because I didn’t trust my voice to betray how I felt.
“What do you want?” I finally managed to say.
His eyes narrowed, and now that I was at his mercy, I allowed myself to take him in. He wasn’t the same as before. It was like every time we kept meeting, we encountered different versions of ourselves. He used to be poise and grace on the outside, with chaos reigning on the inside, but now it was like he couldn’t be contained. His presence screamed danger.
His height used to make me feel protected—safe. He was bigger and wider now—no doubt in my mind more lethal.
“And an apology would be nice, don’t you think, cub?” he drawled.
My jaw clenched. I refused to apologize for what had happened. If we started laying blame at the other’s feet, we would not see where the truth ended and the lies began.
I saw him shift, and for a second, I almost forgot he had my own damn gun pointed at me. If they ever found out at work, I’d lose my badge for it. I heard the soft click of him undoing the safety, and it was ready to go. A chill went down my spine.
This was not the same Salvador that used to be mine—if I can even say that. The Salvadore I had was a figment of my imagination. Someone I had made out to be a knight in shining armor when he had always been a wolf in sheep’s clothes.
I opened my mouth to appease him, but Sal’s presence seemed to infiltrate my space even more.
“On your knees, little lion.”
My heart sped at the huskiness in his command, and I blamed my traitorous body for the thoughts that were racing in my mind.
I should have been scared—someone needed to tell my fucking cock that we do not get hard when being held at gunpoint.
