His Secret Sin, page 14
“What is it?”
“Zoom in there. On that guy,” Diego said.
“I’m zooming in, but I can’t make out a face.”
“Because the son of a bitch has it covered,” Diego said. “He knew we were onto him. He’s been laying low. No one walks into a restaurant wearing a scarf. Not in this heat. Fuck! Why wasn’t I alerted to it?”
“Diego, you didn’t put any warnings out to your restaurant. You thought it would alert them, remember?” Richard said.
“This means he knows about Belle. He’s planning something.”
Richard held his hands up in surrender. “Whoa, hold on a minute there. How do you make that giant leap? You can’t just assume that because he’s gone to eat in Angelo’s something is about to go down.”
“It’s what I’d do,” Diego said. “I want your men nearby tonight.”
“Wait? Hold on a second, Diego. You’re not making any sense at all right now.”
“You want to get rid of Angelo, right?” Diego asked.
“I do, but I want facts. I don’t want to jump to conclusions.”
“I’m telling you right now, Angelo’s about to make a move. It’s perfect. He knows we’ve been following him, so he has laid low. He’s even covered his tracks. Going to Angelo’s with the pretense of talking to the chef.”
“Diego, I really think this is a stretch. We don’t know anything concrete. I can send the manpower, but what am I sending them to? We have nothing.”
“Which is exactly what he wanted! Fuck.” He yelled the word. “I’ve got a date tonight with Belle.”
“Then go on your date.”
“I can’t. Especially not now. Knowing Angelo is out there.”
“Diego, you’ve got this all wrong. I’m telling you. This is not what I’ve seen from Angelo before now.”
“You’re going to make a mistake with this, Richard. Get the men and be prepared.”
“Go on your date. The dad already wants you gone. You’re holding on by a thread. Take my advice and go and spend tonight with her. We can handle this in the morning when you’re not completely stressing out about your wedding.”
“How do you know about all that?” Diego asked.
“I’ve made it my business to know everything. I want Angelo dealt with. I want him gone. He’s a toxin. A poison that shouldn’t see the light of day, but when he’s handled, your family and Boss will thank you for it.”
Diego didn’t agree. He knew Angelo. Had known him his entire life, and knew the little shit was up to something.
He couldn’t convince Richard, and there was no way he could go to his father. The rivalry between them had been there since birth. He couldn’t risk his capo title.
Leaving Richard’s office, he made his way back to his car, with the intention of staying the night with Belle.
Chapter Eleven
A few hours later, Diego grimaced as he looked toward the stage. James was laughing, and Belle looked way too happy with herself.
“Karaoke?”
“Yes, isn’t it great? I bet you haven’t done anything like this before.”
“Karaoke?” He looked around the bar. It was dark with a single light shining on the stage.
“You don’t like it?”
“I’m going to go and find us a seat,” James said.
“I love it.”
“You’re lying now,” Belle said. “You really don’t like to sing?”
“I can’t sing, Belle. I don’t do this kind of thing. It’s fucking stupid.”
“Wow, that is a huge leap from not liking it. Is there something I don’t know about?” she asked.
“Yeah, I don’t believe in getting up on stage and looking fucking stupid for people’s amusement.” He also didn’t want to be on a date with James.
“Oh, well, I kind of put our names forward to sing. I’m going to head up onto the stage.”
“Belle?” He held her close as he noticed someone come in close.
“I’m a regular here, Diego. Don’t worry about it. Just sit back. Have a few drinks. I’ll sing, and then we can leave.”
Now he felt like a prick for upsetting her.
He watched the other man, who was the barman, walking her toward the stage. There was a seat, and he didn’t like that someone else was helping her.
He found James in a small booth. He sat opposite the man who hated him.
“You could have handled that a lot better,” James said.
“I didn’t know she likes to sing.”
“And she doesn’t know you’re part of a crime ring. I’d say you’re even.”
“I’m not part of a crime ring.”
“Fine, mafia ring.”
“You know, talking about it aloud can get you killed.”
“I’ve had worse, believe me. I’m sure there’s nothing you or your cronies could do to me.”
“I wouldn’t make offers like that. You’d be surprised.”
“Watching your daughter go blind because of a driving accident, if that’s not torture, then how about seeing the woman you love more than anything die before you? Only this isn’t a bullet to the head. This is a disease eating her away bit by bit until there is nothing left. That is torture, and I’ve seen that.”
“Belle’s mother.”
“Yep. I watched her die. I watched the vibrant, energetic woman slowly fade away until she was nothing more than a corpse. If you can still get up after that, then you can take on anything.”
The person on stage finished their song, and Diego waited as Belle was moved onto the stage.
She looked a little sad, and he knew he was the one to put her in this mood.
“You know, Belle reminds me so much of her mother. They were both always so happy, so in love with life. Even Belle, no matter what difficulties she faces, she will always come out on top.”
“I was drawn to her the moment I saw her,” Diego admitted. It was hard for him to admit how quickly he fell for her, but she had worked her way into his heart. The moment she started singing though, her talent shone through.
She could play instruments like a pro, and was absolutely stunning. He could listen to her play all day, but her singing, now that was something else entirely.
The passion in her voice filled the entire room. The flow of her voice enraptured him, taking him completely by surprise.
He loved this woman more than anyone else in the entire world.
“I know my life is not for her. I know it holds a lot of pain and death, but I can’t let her go.” He looked toward James. “I know you want me to. I can’t do it.”
“You’re not going to give her the life she deserves. She will always be the other woman.” James shook his head. “I’m going to tell her the truth, and when she finds out from me, and not from you, it’ll break her heart.”
“Then don’t tell her. You know I love her. You know I want to do right by her.”
“But you’re still going to marry another woman. You’ll still keep her as a secret.”
“I don’t want to keep her as a secret.”
“Diego, we all have to make choices we don’t want.” James slammed his hand on the table. “You’re not a child. She’s not a child. She’s not a piece of property. She’s my daughter, and I want what is best for her, and it’s not you.”
Diego laughed. “You know, I would have killed a man who insulted me for less. I’m in love with your daughter, James. You can try to fight me all you want, but I will stop you at every turn.”
With that, he got to his feet, approaching the stage.
He got onto the stage, and as he touched her hip, she stopped singing. Flicking through the options, he picked a well-known song.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I don’t like to sing. I don’t like to be on center stage, but for you, Belle, I’m willing to do a whole lot more.”
Picking up the mic, he held her hand, and sang his heart out when it was needed. He sounded awful, and Belle sounded amazing. He would have to get her to sing to him more often.
By the time they were done, the crowd clapped, showing their approval. He held Belle’s hand up, allowing her to get all the praise. He adored this woman.
No, he loved this woman so damn much.
He didn’t even know how it was possible for him to love her this much, but it was. It so was much more than anything he’d ever felt before, and it consumed him.
Walking her back to their booth, he made his way to the bar to grab a round of drinks. He kept to a soda for himself.
Several people slapped him on the back as he passed. The temptation to threaten them was strong, but he knew he wasn’t in his world at the moment. This was Belle’s.
“You two totally rocked the stage,” James said.
“Dad said he’s staying for another couple of weeks,” Belle said.
“He did?”
“Yep. Isn’t that great?”
“Brilliant.” He looked at James, who had a brow raised. Diego had no doubt James was sticking around to keep an eye on him. He hadn’t told her yet, so that was a plus on his side.
If he had his wish, Belle would never know the truth about his situation. Men were able to live double lives, and some never got caught.
You don’t want to live a double life.
He pushed that thought to the back of his mind.
It didn’t matter what he did or didn’t want it to happen. The fact still remained that it was going to happen eventually.
Would it break her?
Would it stop her looking at him the way she did?
Damn it. He didn’t want James to be right about this. He loved her, and he didn’t want to lose her. He’d never had to make a decision this challenging before.
They finished off their drinks, and Belle declared she was starving and wanted to take her dad to Mary’s. All he wanted to do was take her home where he knew it was safe.
Instead, he made sure to put his jacket around Belle as they headed on out.
The night was so busy as they got onto the street. He looked left and right, keeping Belle by his side. He still had a sneaking suspicion about Angelo, and he was rarely ever wrong.
Just as they crossed the road, the sound of tires squealing followed by gunshots filled the air.
Screams, cries, and yells erupted all around him, and he quickly tried to push Belle to the ground. In the rush, she’d been pulled from his arms, and he moved to her side. Diego didn’t get to see who was shooting, but as they took off, he saw his men following in pursuit.
“Diego? Dad?”
Hearing his name, he quickly walked to Belle’s side, helping her to her feet.
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t know. I think so. Where’s my dad?” she asked.
He quickly checked her over to make sure there were no marks or shots, before glancing down the street.
Several people were crying, and there were bodies on the ground.
“Shit!” He spotted James, blood seeping out of his chest.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Your dad’s been hit. It’s okay, James.” Removing the jacket he’d placed around Belle, he put some pressure to the wound.
“Dad’s been shot. Daddy?”
Belle knelt on the ground as James took a breath.
“How bad is it? What’s going on? Diego, what’s happening?”
“Someone, call an ambulance.” The cry came down the street.
Diego kept the pressure on the wound, knowing his time was coming to an end. It wouldn’t be long now before he had to tell her something.
“Diego, please, talk to me?” She sniffled.
He looked up to see the woman he loved looking distraught. She couldn’t see what was happening. Her hands were shaking. She was going into shock. He had to take control of everything, and he didn’t want to hurt her.
“I’m so sorry, baby.”
With that, he placed his hand over her face, holding her close, stopping her from fighting him, until she passed out cold. He couldn’t do what was needed of him with her distracting him.
One day, she’d forgive him. It just wouldn’t be any day soon.
****
Belle came to … somewhere. There was no smell, and as she sat up, she felt something around her wrist. Touching the metal, she knew she’d been cuffed to something. Touching the space around her, she realized she was on the bed.
Alone.
There was no other scent.
Everything was a little hazy, and then she recalled the screaming.
The gunshots, and little by little, it came back to her in a nightmare of sounds and darkness.
Her father.
“Help,” she said.
Getting to her feet, she took a step to side, trying to find the wall. After three steps, she found nothing, so she went in the opposite direction, finding the wall.
The chain on her wrist was embarrassing and not what she wanted to have done to herself.
“Is anyone there?”
No sound.
Silence.
Her mouth was incredibly dry.
Stroking her fingers along the wall, she tried to think of anything she could say to make someone hear her.
Nothing came to mind.
“Hello. Can someone help me?” She turned and the cuff on her wrist had gone as far as it would let her.
She had no choice but to stop.
Moving in the other direction, she came to a stop at the bed. Moving around it, she tried again, getting to nowhere.
The room had to be large, or she was taking really tiny steps.
Finally, giving up on her useless exploring, she sat back on the bed, crossing her legs, wrapping her arms around herself, and trying not to freak out about what was going on around her.
What the hell happened?
What happened to her dad?
Why was she locked in a room?
Rubbing at her head, she tried to make sense of it.
The sound of a door opening had her scrambling to sit up.
She couldn’t make out anything, no scent, no distinct sound. Nothing.
“Hello,” she said.
“I see you’re awake.”
She didn’t recognize the voice. “Who are you? Why am I here?”
“I bet you have a whole lot of questions, and well, my son, he’ll be down to answer most of them, I believe. You’ve just got to give him time.”
She frowned. “Your son?”
“Diego.”
“You’re Diego’s father.”
“Yes, I’m Diego’s father, and you, my dear, have been taken for a fool.”
“What?”
“You really think he was just a lonely guy who owned a bar?”
“He’s not?”
“I have to say I thought his distraction would have been for someone more … interesting. I guess he has a thing for women who can’t see him.”
She sensed the man coming closer, and she took a step back.
“You do know when you’re in danger. It’s a shame those same instincts didn’t kick in around my son.”
“I want to see Diego.”
“It’s good to want things in life. It doesn’t mean we’ll always get them.” She flinched as he touched her hair. It wasn’t aggressive. He merely tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “Beautiful. Maybe I do see a certain charm, but it’s still not enough to put all that we had built in jeopardy.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Of course you don’t. Why would you understand? You’ve been kept in the dark. To not be able to see what is right in front of you. Diego has been lying to you. My son is capo of this city. He rules this place, and he took my place because I was ready to step down.”
“Capo?”
“Yes, and I also want you to know, he’s engaged to be married. There is no strength unless there is wealth and power, and the woman he is going to marry will provide all that.”
Diego was engaged to be married to another woman.
He wasn’t just a bar owner but a capo.
She pressed a hand to her chest. Everything was caving in on her, and she couldn’t breathe.
“Calm down, dear. You’re going to give yourself a heart attack.”
She heard the door slam closed, making her jump.
“Wait, wait. What about my dad?” She walked too fast and the chain pulled her back, but she kept trying to move, ending up on the floor, trying to crawl. The metal cut into her flesh, and she screamed, begging for them to let her know what was happening with her father.
This couldn’t be happening to her.
Diego had told her so many lies.
What the hell was she going to do? The man she thought he was, he didn’t exist. He’d not even been real. Everything she had with Diego had been a lie. Giving him her virginity, believing she was falling in love with him. It had all been a trick.
A vicious, nasty lie.
Crawling back on the floor, she rested against the wall, drawing her knees up. They had chained her to the bed like she was some kind of animal.
Where was her dad?
What was she going to do?
Were they going to kill her?
She didn’t want to die.
But what else did she have to live for? Resting her head against the wall, she took a deep breath.
In and out.
She did it slowly, trying to stop herself from panicking. It wouldn’t help her in this situation.
She had to think, to be ready.
Covering her face, she allowed herself a few moments to completely break down, crying for everything that could have been.
Chapter Twelve
“It’s not looking good,” the doctor said. “If he makes it through the night, we’ll see. For now, we’ve got to take it one moment at a time.”
Diego looked down at James. He had no choice but to come back to the hospital. Belle had been out for the count, and he’d given her to his father and told him to take care of her until he returned.
This had been one of five attacks. The other four attacks had been at his places of business, including the bar and Angelo’s. Two other attacks had taken place on another capo’s land. For his own part, he had three attacks on his turf. Cops were everywhere, and he didn’t want Belle drawing any more attention than was needed. He’d already called Richard, and wanted him here.
