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Underground Hearts Club Thirty-six: Cesare Luna
Thirty-six: Cesare Luna I knew that Emmilia Vitore would be the death of me from the first moment that I saw her. I’d heard stories of her growing up. Donatello Vitore’s niece…his rumored daughter…. She wasn’t his daughter. She was the daughter of his brother, Titus, and Donatello had been obsessed with her mother. At first, I had believed Donatello. But then I had met Titus and seen the way Emmilia reacted to his death. I had known the moment that she tried to kill me that she wasn’t Donatello’s child. She was too much like Titus. She thirsted for revenge. Donatello liked manipulating people to do his work for him. That was the difference. He’d rather use fear or throw money at something. Titus Vitore handled his problems differently. He was the kind of man who would rather deal with them himself. That was who he had been meeting the night that Emmilia had been kidnapped. He had planned to help Emmilia reunite wi
Underground Hearts Club Thirty-seven: Emmilia Vitore
Thirty-seven: Emmilia Vitore “You’re going shopping.” I was told this by Donatello on the third morning of my being kidnapped. “Shopping?” I raised an eyebrow. “What for?” “For your wedding,” Donatello said, “Galileo is working on something for me. I have unfinished business that I need taken care of so I won’t be joining you. But one of your cousins will be. Remember Bianca?” I did remember Bianca. The first time I had stayed in Italy, when I was having Tori, Bianca had been seventeen and in high school. I did the math in my head and realized she would have been twenty something by now. “Bianca?” I said. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to have her here?” Donatello shrugged. “It’s perfectly natural for someone that is planning their wedding to want their family around. Why wouldn’t my own daughter have her family here?” I glared at him. “I’m not your daughter. You lied to me. You’ve got some sick, twisted obsession with my mother. I’m not here because I want to get marrie
Underground Hearts Club Thirty-eight: Cesare Luna
Thirty-eight:Cesare LunaThere was a woman talking to me. She was pretty, and blond, with warm, brown eyes. “You know, you really are quite handsome. It’s too bad that no one has claimed you. I’m sure there’s someone that is missing you.” I struggled to open my eyes. My entire body hurt, as if I had been run over by a truck. My throat was dry from not having any water.I didn’t remember who I was.A name was lodged in my mind. Cesare.I was in a hospital room. There was an IV hooked up to me. “Ex-ex-excuse me.”The girl looked up. She was a nurse. I knew because she was wearing her scrubs. “Oh! You’re awake.”I tried to smile but everything hurt as if my face was bruised. “Can I get some water?”The girl’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah. Of course. We’ve had some waiting for you in case you woke up. Hang on.” I watched as she grabbed
Underground Hearts Club Thirty-nine: Emmilia Vitore
Thirty-nine:Emmilia Vitore“You are aware that there are guards following us, aren’t you?” Bianca said.I looked at her. “Of course I’m aware. Do you really think that I’m here to get married because I want to?”Bianca laughed. “I knew there was something wrong the moment I got a text from Uncle Donatello. He’s been trying to convince my dad to marry me off too.”“How are we related again?” I asked.“Oh, we’re not. My parents are old family friends of Donatello’s. When you’re in the Underworld, everyone is family. It’s the easiest way to hide what you’re actually doing.”I snorted. “That must make weddings completely awkward.”Bianca sighed. “You’ve got no idea. It makes dating a complete nightmare. But are you even in love with Galileo?”I shook my head. “No. I’m not. Galileo’s become obsessed with me because I’m in love with his brother. He’s Tori’s father.”“Galileo is?” Bianca asked.“No, Cesare.”Bianca raised an eyebrow. “Cesare Luna?”I frowned. “How do you know who he is?”“W
Underground Hearts Club Forty: Emmilia Vitore
Forty:Emmilia VitoreI had a wedding dress. I had tried it on, had it fitted, and it had been sent to Donatello’s home. The rehearsal was soon. Meanwhile, I had guards outside my door that would follow me whenever I went somewhere, even if it was to the kitchen. Everyone knew that I was getting married too so it wasn’t as if I could try and seduce them into letting me go either. I kept on having nightmares about trying it and Donatello killing them. He was so attached to this whole scenario where he was my father I didn’t want to think of the things he would do if I tried seducing someone that wasn’t my “fiancé”.I still hadn’t seen Galileo yet. Donatello claimed that he was off doing some kind of important mission for him. I didn’t understand that. I didn’t want to. I had a feeling that it had something to do with Cesare but I had no way of knowing. There was a knock on my door. “Hello?” I said.The person outside didn’t bother to wait for my approval. They came in. It was a little,
Underground Hearts Club Forty-One: Cesare Luna
Forty-one:Cesare LunaThe man that had taken me from the hospital took me to a diner to get something to eat. That was where the two of us were at that moment. He was drinking coffee, but he wasn’t eating anything. He hadn’t said a word since he had told me that we were stopping to get food. “Who are you?” I asked.“I’m Marco Abelo. Your wife’s mother sent me to come save you. She’s been keeping an eye on her daughter for a while now.”I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t have a wife.”Marco took out his cell phone and showed me a picture of a pretty girl. A name came to my mind again. “Emmilia?” I asked.He nodded. “From everything I’ve heard, you two have a daughter together. But she kept it a secret because you’re from rival families and you killed someone that she loved. Except that man isn’t dead and he tried to kill you. But then Emmilia disappeared and so did your brother.”At the mention of a brother, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I stopped eating the sandwich that I’d b
Underground Hearts Club Forty-two: Emmilia Vitore
Forty-two:Emmilia VitoreBianca stayed the night. “I searched the entire house,” Bianca told me.“There’s no sign of her?” I said.She shook her head. “Unless he’s keeping her somewhere else. But I’ve talked with the security guards and they don’t know anything about a child being kept on the property.”I thought about what Donatello said about my mother. “What about another woman?”Bianca shook her head. “Unless he’s got her some other place that isn’t the house.”I frowned. “I don’t know where he would keep two different people.”She shrugged. “I’ve had my security guard looking into your daughter. You met Great Aunt Sophia?”I nodded. “Yeah, I did. She said that she would help me. I don’t know how. She looks like she’s got one foot in the grave.”Bianca smiled. “Never underestimate Great Aunt Sophia. She can fix everything.”“Donatello sent her here to talk to me about ‘my first time’. I don’t understand why. He knows that I have a daughter. I’m not a virgin.”The two of us were s
Underground Hearts Club Forty-three: Cesare Luna
Forty-three:Cesare Luna“A body found in the Luna family restaurant was identified as Octavious Luna. The Luna family has had problems with the law before, as his brother was arrested previously for issues with taxes.”“Fuck!” Marco pulled over to the side of the road.“What’s going on?” I asked.“That’s your father,” he said, “the man that was killed.”I looked at the radio, then back at Marco. I should have felt something. But I was still struggling to remember my past. I remembered the important things. I knew that Emmilia Vitore was my wife. I knew that I had a daughter with her. That my brother was obsessed with her and working with her uncle, who was also obsessed with her and had the delusion that Emmilia was his daughter. I should have felt sad about the man that was my father being dead. But when Marco said the words, I felt nothing. “Oh,” was all I could say.Marco looked at me. “Well, that’s an appropriate reaction. But you know this is going to derail any plans for you ha
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Underground Hearts Club Fifty-nine: Cesare Luna
Fifty-nine: Cesara Luna There were too many people in Boston that knew who I was. But Marco had places that he could take me where people wouldn’t know. “Your family is mob, right?” I said. I didn’t use that word often. I always said ‘underground’ as though that somehow made it less frightening, less of a cliché. But that’s what we both were. Marco nodded. We were sitting at a bar called Allegra’s. It had been owned by the Allegra family, the same one that Giana----or Maria----depending on who were talking to, belonged to. “I’m a cousin. I think. Maybe a brother. Our parents were never very clear, and they did have a weird history together. Either way, we’ve known each other since we were little. Went to the same schools and everything. I made my bones when I was sixteen working for her father. Her father was trying to make his empire expand, and so he arranged a marriage for Maria to the Vitore family. But Maria always had a mind of her own and she ended up
Underground Hearts Club Fifty-eight: Emmilia Vitore
Fifty-eight:Emmilia Vitore I had no cell phone. I had no purse. When I left, the guards didn’t even follow me. Vera seemed to scare even them. I should have known she wasn’t as innocent as she looked. To survive in our world, you couldn’t be a wilting flower. You had to be as dangerous as the men in it. Vera had killed her own husband. I had no doubt that she would try and kill me if I didn’t leave. At least if I were alive, I could try to get Tori away later. I didn’t want to leave. But I didn’t want her to witness my death either. Vera had already killed her husband. I had no doubt that she would try and kill me. I went to the only place that I could think of where I would be safe. Victoria Mariano’s house. The woman I had thought was my mother…. I had no way to get there but walk. As I walked, I couldn’t help but feel the rage that was coursing through me. Everything had been taken once again. A ca
Underground Hearts Club Fifty-seven: Cesare Luna
Fifty-seven:Cesare Luna “Pull over!” I demanded. Marco looked at me. “We’ve got to get to Las Vegas. We’re on a time crunch.” “Pull the fuck over!” I demanded. My uncle had told me the last thing that I wanted to hear. “Get out!” I shouted to my uncle. He got out and I did too. I took my gun out of the back of my pants and pointed it it at him. Uncle Augustus laughed. “Are you going to shoot an unarmed man?” “Why not?” I said. “It’s exactly the kind of thing that you would do.” “Ah, but you pride yourself on not being like me. You’re the next generation. You always told your mother that you were going to be better than me. You wouldn’t want to fail your mother, would you? Although, you’ve already failed because you fell for the daughter of the whore that ruined your parent’s marriage.” I thought of Emmilia. I hadn’t noticed that there was a resemblance between her and Maria. But I did re
Underground Hearts Club Fifty-six: Emmilia Vitore
Fifty-six:Emmilia Vitore I couldn’t help but stare at Vera. “What do you mean, you know my mother? Do you mean the woman that raised me? Victoria?” Vera shook her head. “No, I’m talking about her sister. Victoria’s your aunt. She helped take care of you while your mother was in hiding.” “How do you know her?” She looked away from me. “The hardest part about growing up is realizing that your parents had whole lives before you. That maybe you haven’t known every version of them that you’ve ever been. But you must know…I didn’t have a choice.” “Didn’t have a choice in what?” “Octavious liked to tell our story like he was the greatest romantic of a century. It wasn’t romantic. I was forced to marry someone else. Octavious knew him and he became obsessed with me. He seduced me away from him. But there was a time where I hated him so much that I wanted to kill him. Even when I did finally marry him, I still harbored that. And of cou
Underground Hearts Club Fifty-five: Cesare Luna
Fifty-five:Cesare Luna I made the call I didn’t want to make. My family was planning my funeral, and I went to the New York state prison. I waited outside and a pair of guards brought out my uncle. He was almost an exact replica of my father. It was strange, like watching a clone come out. Marco, who had come with me, shivered a bit. “Why the fuck are we getting the worst man in the mob out of prison?” “Because, he knows where Emmilia’s mother is. And Emmilia’s mother is the one woman who is part of a family that is powerful enough that they can help take on my brother.” “Why haven’t you just asked me?” Marco said. “Are you really going to tell me where she is?” Marco shook his head. “No, because I’m more scared of her and her family then I am of you.” “See? That’s why I need the evil bastard. So that we can find her and help Emmilia. We haven’t been able to find The Fixer, and this is our last resort. Also, I’m starting
Underground Hearts Club Fifty-four: Emmilia Vitore
Fifty-four:Emmilia Vitore He had finally left me alone. I still had security guards with me. But he didn’t make me sleep in his bed when he realized I couldn’t remember what was happening. I stayed in a room with Tori. Galileo went to work on trying to find out what had happened with his father. On our third day back in the city, there was a knock on the door. “Emmilia? Are you there?” I recognized the voice. It was Vera, Galileo’s mother. I had been with Tori in the kitchen. I had made us sandwiches and drinks. We were sitting at the counter. “Who is that, Mommy?” Tori asked. I got up from the counter. “Give me a moment, honey. Stay right there.” I went to the door. “Vera, is that you?” “Yes,” she said, “can you open the door please? I don’t have a key and the security guards won’t open it for me. Which is ridiculous, because I’m Galileo’s mother.” “I would like to see her. She’s my daughter’s grandmother. Please, let her in.” I wa
Underground Hearts Club Fifty-three: Cesare Luna
Fifty-three:Cesare Luna “What happened?” I asked Laura when she got back. We were back home, in Boston. I needed to find Emmilia’s father and it was hard to do that when I was supposed to be dead. Laura was doing my errands for me. I had to stay in the house, like a ghost. It was horrible, especially when I should have been going after my brother to get my girl back. Emmilia wasn’t his. He was using her to try and take over the family fortune because my daughter was the heir to the Luna fortune. That was the only reason he wanted her. He didn’t care about her at all. But I was in love with Emmilia, and when I got her back, I would do whatever it took to make her mine. Laura’s face was drawn as if she had seen something terrible. “Cesare, you aren’t going to like what I saw.” “What did you see?” “Emmilia knows that you’re dead, but she…” “But what?” I asked. “She thinks th
Underground Hearts Club Fifty-two: Emmilia Vitore
Fifty-Two:Emmilia Vitore Galileo had to give me his cell phone. Mine had long since been taken from me. There was also no way that he would give me one. He couldn’t have me calling someone that would help me. But Nikos Balis and I had once had something special. He had tried to kill my father and that had been the end of our relationship. If it hadn’t been for that though, we might have still been together. He was incredibly possessive. If I could figure out a way to let Nikos know what was happening, maybe I could get away from Galileo. But I had to do it in a way that would let him know that there was something wrong without alerting Galileo about it. If Galileo knew that I was trying to get away, he would kill Nikos. I couldn’t have another person’s blood on my hands. “Call him,” Galileo said. “What do I say?” I asked. “Tell him that you’re worried because you’ve been hearing rumors about Cesare being dead. Te
Underground Hearts Club Fifty-one: Cesare Luna
Fifty-one:Cesare Luna “Are you sure you need to save her?” Laura asked me this as we were driving back to Boston. I looked at her. “Why would you ask that?” “I mean, as much as you hate to hear this, it is possible that she did fall in love with Galileo and they decided to get married. Besides, you always talk about how she was trying to kill you. You were hired to kill her first, even though you like to pretend that wasn’t the case.” I glared at my sister. “She’s not in love with Galileo. That’s not something she would ever do willingly.” “How do you know?” Laura said. “I mean, you never really saw the two of them together. I lived in the same apartment as her. I saw them. They had a certain something. I don’t think that Emmilia ever acted on it, but there was a chemistry between them. Maybe Emmilia didn’t want to marry you because she still hated you. She didn’t like that she was being forced into the wife role by her uncl
