Sante Read online

  Sante

  Dark Mafia Billionaire Romance Book 2

  L. K. Ryan

  Copyright © 2021 by L.K. Ryan

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For questions and comments about this book, please contact me at [email protected]. Visit the official website at www.authorlkryan.com

  Editor: Susan Soares

  Contents

  Disclaimer

  Synopsis

  Introduction

  Calabresi Family

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Epilogue

  Sneak Peek: Renato

  Renato

  Upcoming Releases: 2022/2023

  About the Author

  Calabresi Mafia Series

  Acknowledgments

  Disclaimer

  Warning: There are a few scenes that may trigger. Be aware. Contains strong language and explicit sexual content and is only intended for mature readers. A dark mafia billionaire romance with an asshole alpha male, possessive, and aggressive. This story may contain unconventional situations, language, and sexual encounters that may offend some readers. This book is for mature readers (18+).

  Synopsis

  In my capacity as underboss of the Calabresi Mafia, I was respected and held in the same high esteem as my brother Savio, the Don of the family. The decision he made caused a chain reaction, and I made the decision to clean it all up. Unfortunately, it came with six-inch heels, red lipstick, and a mouth that liked to push all my buttons.

  A hate-to-love, enemies-to-lovers, arranged marriage, dark mafia romance, Book 2 in an interconnecting stand-alone series, and guaranteed to have an HEA.

  Introduction

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  Calabresi Family

  Elio Calabresi-Father, Retired Don

  Adelina Calabresi-Mother

  Savio Calabresi- Boss

  Sante Calabresi-UnderBoss

  Renato Calabresi-Enforcer

  EJ Calabresi-Consigliere

  Vincenzo Calabresi: Calabresi Holdings Inc President

  Chapter

  One

  Sante

  Savio sat with his back to us in the conference room of the Calabresi office, where he normally wouldn’t have us discuss mafia business. After retaliation for Maurizio’s murder on a few of our spots, we needed to discuss what the next move would be. To see my brother married and happy with a wife and baby in the near future was shocking for the entire family, but my mother hadn’t stopped crying since the news was broken at a family dinner.

  “How many warehouses did they hit?” He whipped around in his chair and looked my way.

  As the underboss, it was my job to keep things running without causing him any distress, but lately, things had gotten out of control with Carmine now in position as the head boss for the Colombo Family.

  “At least three.”

  “Three, Sante,” he growled

  “We need to strike back, or they’ll think we’re weak,” Renato complained while he removed his gun from his holster.

  “Put that gun away,” I demanded.

  “Nobody’s in here.”

  “Renato, this is a palace of business.” Savio pointed his finger to the table.

  “I agree with Renato on this one,” Elio J said.

  “Usually, you’re the one who wants less death,” Savio replied.

  “We can’t be seen as weak. We already have Greco’s team,” EJ responded.

  “You have to wait!” a loud voice called out.

  The conference room door flew open, and Satan’s spawn in six-inch heels narrowed her eyes on me. I didn’t move; I only gave the same menacing look right back.

  “You bastard!” Rena stalked around the table, and Renato blocked her pathway.

  “Rena, this is a private meeting.” Savio looked at her, then at me. All I could do was shrug. Her problems had nothing to do with me.

  “No, let me go, Renato. Your brother is going to die today,” Rena shouted and shoved Renato, but he wrapped his arm around her waist and held her back. I didn’t like their closeness, so I motioned for him to let her go.

  “Give me the room,” I told them.

  Everybody looked at me like I was crazy, and maybe I was, but she wasn’t going to try to spin this around on me. Savio rose, and the rest followed. Renato whispered something in her ear, and she nodded, released his hold, and walked out.

  “Speak.”

  “You got me fired.”

  “I didn’t get you fired.”

  “Then tell me why I was told to clear out my desk.” Rena's bottom lip poked out, as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me.

  “I had nothing to do with you getting fired. Excuse me, I have business to handle.”

  I walked around her, and she reached to grab my arm. My eyes scanned down at her grip.

  “I know you got me fired.”

  “I don’t have time to play childish games, little girl.”

  Suddenly, her bottom lip trembled, and tears gathered into her eyes. Savio and the rest of my brothers stared at each of us hard.

  “We need to finish discussing business, Sante,” Savio remarked, and I sat back down. They stepped in the conference room, and she paused, shook her head, and walked back out. I released a harsh breath and rubbed my temples to relax. I hated to get angry. Like Savio, I tried to suppress the beast inside me unless it was necessary.

  “What was that about?”

  “She thought I got her fired.” I loosened my jacket.

  “Did you?”

  “Rena Clark is not important enough for me to get fired.”

  “But you tried to fight me when you thought she wanted to sleep with me,” Renato recalled.

  “That was different. I know your track record with women,” I explained.

  “You’re just as bad, Sante,” EJ blurted out.

  “Fuck you, and let’s get back to business.”

  “Do we know where Carmine’s head is?” Savio probed.

  “I think we need to keep an eye on him. Right now, they can’t pinpoint that we made the hit, but we had the most beef with the Colombos.” I leaned forward and explained.

  “Keep me updated, but no more meetings here.” Savio stood, shook hands with Renato, and hugged us both.

  “Sante, hold up.” The moment I arrived at the door, Savio called me by name.

  “Yeah?”

  “Is there anything going on with you and Rena?” Savio slid his hands in his pockets, standing tall.

  “No.”

  “What happened when you had her held up in your apartment for those weeks?”

  My teeth chattered as I recalled those first few weeks when he requested that I kidnap McKayla's best friend.

  “Let's just say I’m looking into better security.” I walked out of his office to catch up with Renato and EJ as they stepped on the elevator.

  “What about the other thing?”

  EJ pulled up his phone and passed it toward me. The door opened, and they followed me out the doors to our waiting car. I stared at the photos.

  “Shit! We need to find another way.” I grimaced, running a hand down my face.

  Smack!

  “Are you crazy!” I reached out to grab her, and EJ jumped in the middle of us, along with my bodyguard.

  “You asshole! I’ll get you for this,” Rena shouted, pointing a finger in my face. People on the street watched us and pulled out their phones to record. I hated being the center of attention. She was embarrassing me and my family’s name with her antics.

  “Get this bitch out here before I do something she’ll regret,” I barked, shoving EJ away from me.

  “Bitch! Ohhh, I regret the day I ever met you!” Rena screamed, reached for her heel, and tossed it at my head. I ducked before it hit me, and Renato laughed at us from the limo.

  “Get—”

  Pop! Pop! Rattata!!

  Bullets sprayed the area from the windows of buildings, cars parked, and a few pedestrians.

  “Rena!” I tried to grab her. EJ shoved me on the ground, and I failed to get over to her.

  Pop! Pop!

  The sounds stopped, and I jump
ed up and pulled my gun out, pointing toward the assailants driving off on a motorcycle. I was breathing hard, as the bike swerved around a corner before I could get a shot sent. It was hard to tell who thought it would be a good idea to come at us. We’d made moves to be untouchable.

  “I have Vincenzo sending the video footage and the surrounding business to your phone,” Renato exclaimed.

  “Get off me!” Rena yelled, and I ran toward her and my bodyguard. He helped her stand up, and she brushed his hand away.

  “Are you hurt?” I questioned, running a hand up and down her arms, and swerved her around.

  “Don’t touch me! This is all your fault, you bastard.”

  “Sante, we need to go,” EJ told me, hopping in the limo.

  “Make sure she gets home safe,” I told the doorman of our building, and she glowered at me.

  “I don’t need anything from you.”

  “Rena, stop being a bitch and let the man help you.”

  She raised up her hand to hit me again, and I wrapped a hand around her wrist to block her, pulling her into my chest.

  “I don’t give a damn if you're pissed. Get your ass in the car. I’d hate for McKayla to be upset and crying at your funeral because you’ve decided to ignore my help,” I hissed, and the light in her eyes dropped in thought.

  “Stay away from me,” Rena spat, yanking her arm out of my grasp.

  She limped over to the doorman, who escorted her to another awaiting car we had pulled up. Renato walked over to me with a harsh glare.

  “What do you have?”

  “Savio is making calls right now, but we think it’s Carmine.”

  “You think, or it’s for sure him.”

  The war I wanted to avoid was slowly seeping into our lives, and I didn’t need Savio making any rash decisions. Now he was a married man with a baby on the way. I took more responsibility since McKayla needed him by her side.

  Carmine was making himself known.

  Renato slid a hand through his hair, and his eyes darkened with rage. I knew he hated being questioned, but as our enforcer, brother or not, his job was to see these things coming before they happened, so we could take precaution. I was grateful we acted in time and mostly everyone was safe, besides a few sore limbs. This was a big fuckup, and any other underboss would eliminate sloppiness from the team.

  “I don’t know for sure,” he seethed, and we had a stare down.

  “We don’t have time for you two to go back and forth. Father wants us to report now,” EJ demanded, and I broke our stare to get in the limo. Renato followed and closed the door. As the driver pulled off into traffic, I reached in my pocket for my cell phone to make a call.

  “Where are you?” Savio questioned.

  “With EJ and Renato, headed to see Pops.”

  “I’m here with Vincenzo. I called to check on McKayla. She's safe.”

  “Do you need us to swing by and pick up McKayla?” I ask.

  Renato and EJ perked up when I mentioned McKayla.

  “No, my men are already transporting her to the house. Make sure she doesn’t worry,” Savio explained.

  “How long are you going to be at the office?”

  “Shouldn’t be too much longer. I’m waiting for all the footage to be downloaded.”

  “All right, keep me updated.”

  “Why do you sound off?”

  Savio, as the big brother and boss, hated if things distracted us from our duties, and I knew if I lied, he’d be able to tell. I debated for a moment and figured to keep some details out of the equation.

  “Rena was out there.”

  “What!” he shouted in my ear. I pulled the phone away.

  “She’s fine. Calm down, Savio.”

  “Where is she?”

  “With our men, being escorted home.”

  “Do you know if McKayla finds out about this, it’s going to stress her out,” he barked.

  That was all I’d been thinking about, not only our safety, but if something happened to McKayla and the baby, our parents would not only disown me, but Savio wouldn’t care if I was his brother. Heads would roll, and I'd be the first one on the chopping block to answer for the lack of protection.

  “I’m handling it, Savio.”

  “Take the attitude out of your voice. Underboss or brother, my wife is number one priority, which means her best friend is to be safe at all times.”

  “I got it, boss,” I answered and then heard the dial tone from him hanging up.

  “Savio’s pissed,” EJ exclaimed, and I nodded, looked out the window as the limo arrived at our family home. This was our shelter when we were little boys, and now as men, we came to have not only a connection, but a discussion on what needed to be done in the best interest of the family.

  I started to slide the key in the door, and Cora suddenly pulled it open. She ran into my arms, and I knew she was scared and wanted to know what was happening. Growing up around us with her mom as our family cook, we all thought of her as a little sister.

  She stood back and reached for Renato. She was the only woman, besides our mom and Cora’s mom, who got any affection from Renato.

  “I thought you three were dead.” Cora wiped the tears stung her eyes.

  EJ came in last. Cora gave him a hug, and he didn’t reciprocate, which was strange. His eyes bounced from me to Cora as he reached an arm around her waist and rubbed her back.

  “We’re fine, Cora,” EJ replied, releasing his grip. All three of us walked further into the house, and I stepped into the living room with my father talking on the phone.

  “Where’s Mom?” EJ questioned. Cora pointed to the kitchen. I walked further in the room to the fireplace, with the mantel covered in family photos of us as kids during the summer months in Italy.

  “I need everything immediately covered by Tulio.” Father ended the call, and a sigh escaped his lips as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

  I placed the photo back down and faced him.

  “Savio is getting the footage together,” I said.

  “You're the underboss. How did this happen, Sante?”

  Father and I never had clashes the way he often did with Savio or Renato, but his questioning of my abilities would be the first time he’d see another side of me. I clenched my fists at my sides.

  “We’re looking into Papa.”

  His brows knitted together.

  “Savio is handling the company, and his wife is pregnant. Did you forget!” he seethed, tossing his hands up and sitting on the couch. I marched over and took a seat next to him.

  “My whole life has been in Savio’s shadow, and I gladly do the job, but don’t sit up here and make it seem like I’ve slacked in my duties, or did you forget Greco?”

  “Sante.”

  I looked up at my mother. I approached and wrapped her in my arms, kissing her on the forehead.

  “Madre.”

  She raised a hand to my cheek.

  “Are you hurt?” She ran a hand down my chest, turning me around, and I chuckled.

  “Mother, I'm fine.”

  She slapped me on the chest and wiggled her finger in my face.

  “This is serious, Sante. Why am I getting calls on lockdown?” she fussed. My father reached a hand out toward her and pulled her down next to him.

  Their love was the beacon of our family, like my grandparents before them. Even I knew that finding that bond would never happen for me. Savio joked often that I would be a recluse for the rest of my life because I lacked the emotional tools to connect with a woman outside of the bedroom. I explained my intentions head on, and they either wanted to do as I say or be replaced. At the age of thirty-four, I did everything that Savio did growing up, and he could now complain about my lack of relationships, but he was in my place once, until McKayla came around.