Dangerous Beauty: Part Three: This is War (45 page)

“I’ll look into what you’re saying and contact you with my decision,” Nathan said.

He felt for the guy, but he wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t just going to jump into a partnership without doing some extensive research first.

“That’s all for today,” he stated dismissively. “You can go now.”

Ricci Marino nodded his head and stood. “Thanks, Salerno. Congratulations to you and your wife. I look forward to hearing from you.”

Without another word, he left the restaurant. Not too long after, a comfortable silence fell over the room as Nathan sat back, stared out of the window, and thought over the meeting while everyone else enjoyed the meal that Salvatore had prepared. When another man entered the room, nobody acknowledge him. They all knew better than to do that. Every man continued to eat, some even began soft conversations.

Still looking out the window, Nathan caught something on the opposite side of the street. His eyebrows rose as he laid eyes on the adorable little creature and a smile pulled at his lips. He was pretty sure he’d just found that something special to take home to his family. He called over one of his men, giving him instructions to go across the street and bring the creature back to him.

“How are you today, Mr. Salerno?”

Nathan released a long, exasperated breath when the man joined him and Lucca at their table. “I was hoping you’d just be taking pictures today, Detective.” Nathan turned his gaze to Detective Marvin Warren. “Although, I’d like to know why you are taking the pictures in the first place.”

“So you know you’re being followed?”

Nathan nodded. “I do. I’m looking forward to hearing why you are following me.” Nathan hated the man, despised him. If Marvin weren’t with the fucking PD, Nathan would rip the fucker’s head off with his bare hands.

Marvin narrowed his dark black eyes on Nathan and smiled smugly. “You’re mafia.”

“You’re wasting your time,” Nathan said with a smirk. “What else you got?”

“The reason I’m here.” The detective reached in his pocket and pulled out a stack of pictures. “Where is she?”

When he laid the pictures on the table and Nathan saw the woman in them, he could barely sit in his seat. A murderous rage surged violently through his blood, pulsing rapidly through his veins and making his heart pound a million angry beats a minute.

Lucca lifted his gaze as well, and when he saw the pictures he dropped his fork on the plate in front of him. He reached for his napkin and wiped his face, then slammed the napkin back down on the table, making the detective flinch.

“Does privacy mean anything to you disrespectful motherfuckers?” Lucca snapped. “When did the goddamn PD become of gang of lurking ass photographers? Every time we turn around, you’re throwing some fucking pictures on a table!”

“Lucca,” Nathan chided softly. “Excuse yourself.”

Lucca slammed his hands on the table. “I need to go outside before I do something stupid,” he said tightly as he excused himself from the table and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Mickey stood from his seat and walked over. When he saw the pictures, he looked at Nathan.

Nathan silenced him before he spoke a word. “Join Lucca outside please, Mikilo.”

He immediately did as instructed.

“All of you can go,” he told the rest of his men. “Kyle, you stay.”

Kyle was the only one that could keep Nathan calm. His father had always taught him the importance of keeping his cool and never giving in to the infamous Salerno temper, but it was times like these that reminded him how much he enjoyed slapping motherfuckers.

Kyle pulled up a seat and didn’t say a word.

“You have very loyal workers for a business man, Nathan Salerno,” Marvin said, watching the men leave. “The blind obedience is astounding.”

“It’s also not illegal,” Nathan replied tightly. He tapped his finger, drawing attention to the pictures on the table. “Kindly tell me why you are carrying around pictures of my wife, Detective.”

Chuckling, he sat back in his seat. “I heard you got married. Congratulations by the way.”

“Why do you have pictures of my wife, Detective?” Nathan asked again, his patience wearing thin.

He continued to avoid Nathan’s question. “She’s beautiful, but not your usual type. And here I thought you were racists,” he said with amusement in his voice. “You’ve always hated me, and I assumed it was because I’m black.” With a wry laugh, he shrugged nonchalantly. “But here you done gone and married a sista.” He lifted a picture of Carter walking out of the S.O. building and let out a long whistle. “She’s fine, too … damn fine. Can barely get the guys down at the station to stop stealing these pictures.” He leaned in as if telling a secret. “Between you and me, I’m pretty sure they’ve been sneaking in my desk and taking the good ones home.” After he said the words, he burst into an uproarious laughter.

Nathan didn’t move a muscle, he didn’t even breath. The man was so desperate to get a rise out of Nathan, but he refused to give the detective the satisfaction of making him lose his cool. He gave away nothing in his expression as a million different murder scenarios flashed through his mind. Slowly. He’d murder detective Marvin Warren slowly.

Kyle said nothing as well, knowing that his presence alone would keep Nathan from doing something stupid.

After the detective’s laughter had died down, he pointed at the picture. “Is she dead?”

Even though Nathan was confused by the question, his expression remained impassive. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t play stupid with me, Salerno. The girl, is she dead?”

Nathan could no longer hide the disgust he felt at the sight of the man; it was now more than evident on his face. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Marvin snorted. “Word on the street is that ruckus a few months back was because this woman, your wife, was attacked. Taken, and killed. So I had to ask myself, why wouldn’t Nathan Salerno report his wife missing? The reports and witnesses said that shots were fired and a woman was shot, yet when we get on the scene,” he lifted his hands, “nothing. Description of the victim was black female, twenties or thirties, long black hair, about 5’6 to 5’8, 135 pounds.”

“My wife is only five foot four, Detective.”

He shrugged. “The witnesses were frightened. They could have missed a description or two.”

“So you think that I … what? Killed my wife?” Nathan asked, unable to hide his amusement.

“No,” he answered in a matter-of-fact tone. “I think you hired someone to kill your wife.”

“And why would I do that?”

The detective leaned forward in his seat. “Because she found out your little secret.”

Nathan mimicked the detective’s action and leaned forward. “Did she?”

“I read up on your wife, Salerno. She came from a small town, both of her parents died in a tragic car accident that she survived …”

Nathan smiled on the inside. It was truly amazing what the right friend and the right amount of money could do to a person’s identity.

“She was just an innocent girl with big city dreams. Smart and talented with ambitions of becoming a business woman.”

“So what happened to her?” Nathan asked, interested in hearing the story about this small town girl with big city dreams.

“She got a job as a secretary for one of the biggest organizations in the United States. Only problem was, she didn’t know that it was just a front for a ruthless mafia family …”

Nathan and Kyle
ooo’d, ahh’d,
and gasped as the detective continued the story.

“Here’s my theory. You see her and are immediately attracted to her. You make her your personal assistant, she eventually became your mistress, and you fool the poor girl into loving you, then convinced her to marry you.”

“But why did I kill her? If I married her I must have loved her.”

“You didn’t love her. She was just a front for you. She’s a good girl, from a good family. She looks good on your arm, makes you look normal.”

Nathan nodded. “So what went wrong?” he asked.

“She found out,” he answered simply. “She found out who you really were, and she threatened to turn you in. So instead of spending the rest of your life in jail, you have her killed.”

“In the middle of a New York street?”

He shrugged. “I never said you were smart about it. I know you have men on the inside, Salerno. Trust me, I’ll find every dirty cop and judge that you and your father have in your pocket. And when I do, I’ll get justice for that girl and the many other people you and your father have hurt.”

“So that’s what you think I am, Detective?” Nathan asked. “Some villain preying on the innocent of New York City.”

The detective shrugged.

Nathan sat and stared at the man for a moment before he spoke again. “So, you were taking pictures of this small town secretary because?”

“She was with you,” he answered. “She popped up out of nowhere and we wanted to know more.”

Nathan nodded. “Why do you keep the pictures then? Why do you allow yourself and your fellow officers to lust over the departed small town innocent girl?”

“So you admit she is dead?”

“I admit nothing. I was just asking.”

Jaw clenched with impatience, Marvin narrowed his eyes and once again leaned close to Nathan. “Look here, Salerno, I will find this girl, and when I do I’m taking your ass in.”

Nathan sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out his cell. Sitting the cell on the table, he dialed his wife and set it to speaker.

After two rings, her voice could be heard by all three men.

“Hey there, sexy,” she said seductively. “What are you wearing?”

A peaceful calm immediately fell over Nathan, lifting his spirits and bringing a smile to his face. “Carterina.” He had said her name through a soft chuckle.

She giggled and lightened her tone. “You miss me already, Nathan Salerno? It’s only been two hours since you last called, bubby. Dante and Gabriel are here. I told you those contractions last night were just Braxton Hicks. You worry too much. I feel better today. Well, except for the fact that I’m as big as a house.”

Nathan chuckled. “You’re not as big as a house, Carterina. You’re pregnant with twins, and beautiful.”

“Mmmhmm,” she muttered. “So you keep saying. And why we’re on the subject of your sons, I had to yell at them for the first time today.”

“Did you?”

“Yes, bubby. They were kicking my ribs so hard over and over again. It was like they were tag teaming me or something. I was yelling at my humongous stomach.”

Nathan laughed softly.

“So as payback for them playing ultimate fighting in mommy’s tummy I went shopping and bought them some cheesy matching sailor outfits.”

Nathan frowned. “Sailor outfits?” His sons were not wearing any damn sailor uniforms.

“Yes, sir. Sailor outfits. And because it was you that did this to me, I’m having a matching one custom made just for you, Daddy.”

Nathan laughed loudly. “Absolutely not, Carter.”

“Oh you’ll wear it, Nathan Salerno, and we’ll take pictures and go to the fair. It will be a memory that will last forever. Anyway, I want to tell you about my day. You will not believe what happened at my mommy class …”

As Carter began to animatedly tell Nathan everything that had happened at her ‘
What to Expect When Expecting’
class
,
Nathan pressed the mute button on the screen, and drew the detective’s attention to his phone background. The picture was of Carter sitting on the plush white swing in their garden and rubbing her rounded belly. It was a picture Nathan had taken during her seventh month of pregnancy. He’d loved it so much he’d made it his background.

“My wife is at home on bed rest. She’s happy, healthy, and eight months pregnant with my sons.” Nathan explained to Marvin. “I married Carterina for the same reason you married your wife, Detective. I fell in love.” Taking Carter off speaker phone, he tapped on the window next to him and placed the phone to his ear, continuing to listen to Carter ramble on. “Is there anything else you’d like to accuse me of, Detective Warren?” Nathan asked right when Mickey and Lucca entered with Nathan’s gift for his family. Nathan smiled at the adorable little creature.

“A purebred chocolate Labrador puppy that comes from a championship bloodline costs a pretty penny, Nathan,” Mickey said as he walked over to the table and scratched the puppy’s belly.

“It’ll be worth it,” Nathan stated, taking the pup as Mickey handed it to him. “Boy or girl?”

“Boy,” Mickey answered.

“Maybe I should get Sofia one.” Kyle reached out for the puppy and Nathan handed him over. “She will be eight months next week.”

“You can’t have a party for the child every month, Kyle,” Lucca said, taking his seat.

Kyle chuckled. “I can and I will.”

Nathan looked over at his best friend and smiled. Little Sofia was Kyle’s entire world. Nathan had never seen his friend so in love. It was truly a beautiful thing watching how fatherhood had changed him

The sound of the door to the room closing caught Nathan’s attention. When he looked over to where Marvin Warren had been sitting, he found the seat empty. The detective had left, but on the table in front of Nathan were all of the pictures of Carter that the man had pulled from his pocket.