Love and War Read online

  “He wanted to meet you,” Mahogany sighed wearily. “I didn’t know everybody wanted to meet you.”

  Caprice sat on her queen-sized bed and stared at her mother. Still beautiful and only thirty-eight years old, Mahogany Burke still stopped men in their tracks when they looked at her. She could still work a runway better than any twenty year old. Up until now, Caprice worshipped the ground her mother’s stilettos walked on. It was only forty-eight hours ago that she had found out her mother could have retired eighteen years ago. Mahogany Burke was a kept woman.

  Mahogany joined her daughter on the bed and wiped a few stray hairs out of her face.

  “Are you angry that I didn’t tell you about your father and his line of work, or that I let you go to New York?”

  “I’m mad that I’m eighteen and just now meeting my family.”

  “You shouldn’t be upset over that, Caprice. You never asked for your father. Not a single time. I promised Domani that the first time you asked for him or about him, the two of us would be on the first plane to New York whether he liked it or not.”

  “But you let him run you out of town. I have a brother that I wasn’t allowed to know, Mother. Don’t you think that’s a little f’d up?”

  “I didn’t let anyone run me out of anywhere!” Mahogany’s dark skin flushed with anger. “I left on my own terms. I was twenty years old. Pregnant. And in love with a man that I could not have. I had no reason to stay there.”

  “But you took his money,” Caprice argued. “This house, our cars...all that we have is because of him. You were his mistress.”

  Caprice felt the sharp sting of her mother’s hand against her cheek and yelped. She was more surprised than hurt. Mahogany hadn’t put her hands on Caprice since she was seven.

  “I have never been anybody’s mistress, young lady,” Mahogany said evenly, but Caprice detected the anger and disappointment in her mother’s voice. “If you think our home, your BMW, and that closet full of designer clothes over there are the result of your father’s money, you have a lot to learn.”

  “You may be infatuated with who Domani is or what he does, but remember this. I have never spent a dime of the money he sent. I never asked him for shit. All that money is yours when you turn twenty-one.”

  Mahogany tightened the sash of her silk robe and stood up, towering over her child. “I loved your father and because of that, I will not speak badly about him. But you are my child. The life you have is because of me. You’d be wise not to believe everything he tells you. Understood?”

  Caprice was speechless and could only nod her head before Mahogany glided out of the bedroom like a gust of burgundy silk. Any misconceptions she had of her mother flew out the door with her.

  Mahogany wasn’t weak. In fact, she was stronger than anyone realized. She had never been the quiet and demure girl that Domani thought she was. She held onto her fire and used it when necessary.

  Caprice’s father was the Boss, but Mahogany held a higher rank. She was the Mother. She’d do anything to protect her child from the violent life that her father lived.

  That was why she kept Caprice sheltered in Miami. Now, with only one visit to New York, all of Mahogany’s hard work was crashing down.

  Her new mission was to stop it before Caprice became caught up.

  Chapter One

  PRESENT DAY

  Caprice tapped her red Zanotti sandal on the tiled floor of her Foundations of Finance class. Professor Reynolds had a bad habit of making the last ten minutes of class feel excruciatingly long.

  “Am I boring you, Miss Burke?” Professor Reynolds raised her eyebrows and glared at her least favorite student.

  Caprice’s facial expression remained bored. None of her college professors intimidated her. She hadn’t been intimidated by anyone for a long time.

  “Yes,” Caprice answered honestly. “Can you wrap this up a little quicker? I have somewhere to be.”

  “You are free to go whenever you choose. You’re paying for this class, not me.”

  “Waste of money, if you ask me,” Caprice grumbled as she gathered her Gucci bag and walked past the other thirty bored students. She only had two hours before her weekly dinner with her father and she needed to get to the boxing gym before her trainer threw a bitch fit. Plus, it wasn’t like Nico’s house was close by. Staten Island was nowhere near as close to campus as she wanted to be, but after moving to New York, Caprice learned that arguing with her father was useless. She was living with Nico and his wife until she graduated whether she liked it or not.

  Caprice glanced down at her brand new Rolex; a birthday gift from her mother. She hoped Nico was on time today because she didn’t have a minute to spare.

  It was Nico’s responsibility to pick her up from campus five days a week. Domani and Paolo dropped her off every morning. Despite the constant reminder that she would never be accepted into the Family, Caprice was still Domani’s child...his only daughter and she had to be protected at all costs. Considering how the situation with the Black Diamond Mafia had escalated, it was probably best that she stayed surrounded by men with guns.

  Thanks to Nico, she could handle any gun handed to her. Nico had even arranged the boxing lessons. He was trying to “get the girl” out of her in case shit took a bad turn and he needed her.

  Hanging with Nico and his buddies helped toughen her up. When she moved to New York, she was Miss Teen Florida and it showed. She probably would have been more comfortable living in an apartment in Manhattan instead of Nico’s house.

  Rocco and Luccio were straight up hoods. They came from a long line of wise guys and were proud of it. They drank and cussed like sailors. Caprice loved every second that she spent with them. When she was around, she was just one of the guys. They treated her with the same respect they gave Nico because she was the Boss’s daughter, but they didn’t hold back either. Dirty jokes, trash talk, there was little she wasn’t exposed to. Being around the three wise guys had thickened her skin real fast.

  So did the stunt they pulled the other night.

  Despite her father’s demands that she only focus on finishing her undergrad program, Caprice insisted that Nico teach her everything he could about the Family business, and what she learned wasn’t like The Sopranos at all. The life Nico and her father led was more like a twenty-first century version of The Godfather and The Wire combined to make up the real life Bonatelli family.

  Her life in New York was vastly different than her life in Miami. People knew who she was all over the state of Florida, but being the half-sister of Nico Bonatelli afforded her a bit of street cred that she didn’t have back home. When she lived with her mother, there was very little that she could get away with. Mahogany watched her like a hawk, but when she was with Nico, she could actually commit crimes and get away with it.

  Having a valid driver’s license and insurance was practically the only law that Nico and his friends didn’t break. It didn’t matter if she was hanging around or not. They handled their business and carried out all of Domani or Paolo’s orders. Caprice didn’t mind. She was learning how to handle any and everyone who disobeyed her father’s orders or played around with his money. This included anyone from politicians to the whores who worked for his “escort service.” Occasionally, if he was alone, Nico would let Caprice try her hand to see if she’d retained what he taught her.

  Like the other night with the two escorts. Nico got a tip that they were skimming money off their usual percentage and Paolo had no clue. Nico gave Caprice a switchblade and told her to handle the situation as she saw fit.

  She didn’t kill them, but their pretty little faces wouldn’t be returning to work for a couple of months. She had proven herself worthy and her brother was proud of her. But for the moment, her attention was back on school until the next opportunity presented itself.

  Caprice stood outside of her classroom building looking up and down the street for Nico’s Tahoe. She didn’t see it. Instead, a shiny white Escalade sat at the
curb on the opposite side of the street. The dark tinted driver’s side window rolled down.

  “Yo Caprice!” Rocco yelled. “Move your ass! I got shit to do!”

  Caprice scowled as she ran across the street, her heart thumping in her chest. Ever since Nico overheard her telling her sister-in-law that Rocco could get it, he had made sure that Rocco and Caprice were hardly ever alone. Something must have happened to her brother.

  Caprice straightened her short skirt before she opened the Escalade’s door and climbed in. “Where’s my brother?” she demanded.

  “You get in my ride and don’t say hello? Where’s your manners, girl?”

  “My name’s Caprice and don’t start with that shit today. Where’s my brother?” she repeated.

  “He had some business to take care of.” Rocco’s dark eyes gazed over Caprice’s peanut butter complected legs as she crossed them. Her short skirt left little to the imagination. Rocco knew that if Nico ever caught him looking at his kid sister like that, he’d stick an ice pick in his neck.

  But Nico was in Queens and Caprice was fuckin’ gorgeous! She hit the boxing gym five times a week and it showed. Thick thighs, round ass, perfect tits. Caprice was a perfect ten. Add in her brass balls and quick wit, she was everything Rocco wanted.

  He wasn’t interested in some sweet Italian girl he could keep barefoot and pregnant like Nico’s wife, Maria. He wanted someone tough. Someone he could have few beers with. He wanted Caprice and unfortunately for both of them, she wanted him back. She was the Boss’s daughter and there was no way Domani Bonatelli was giving that relationship his stamp of approval.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Caprice teased Rocco with her eyes. “You like my skirt?”

  “Cool it, kiddo.” Rocco focused on maneuvering through traffic on Broadway. He hated driving in the Village. “We’re not going there tonight, Caprice.”

  “Stop calling me kiddo,” Caprice rested her head against the leather headrest. “And why not? We are never alone anymore.”

  “That’s your fault. I told you to keep your mouth shut, but you had to go blabbing to Maria, didn’t you?”

  “I don’t understand what the problem is. I just said you could get it. I didn’t tell her you already got it.”

  “That was too much,” Rocco grumbled. “You talk too damn much.”

  Caprice laughed. “You’re scared of my brother!”

  “You should be scared of your father.”

  “I’m not scared of anyone, including my father. It’s about time that you and everybody else recognize that.”

  Rocco smirked and continued to drive. Caprice thought she was tough. Since Nico let her hang out with a bunch of tough guys she believed no one remembered what she actually was...

  A spoiled college kid who was watched over like Daddy’s little princess.

  Caprice thought they respected her when really they were just babysitting a twenty-two year old brat with a smart ass mouth.

  “You goin’ to the gym or your father’s?”

  Caprice didn’t answer. Instead, she rolled her eyes and pulled her iPhone out of her Gucci bag. She sent Nico a text asking about his whereabouts and remained silent for the rest of the ride. Occasionally, she would glance over at Rocco and her heartbeat would increase.

  Rocco was sexy. He had strong arms, olive colored skin, and was just as tall as her father. His father and Domani had worked closely together in the late eighties until Marco got popped by the Feds. Domani had promised to look after Rocco and had kept his word.

  By the time the Escalade crossed the bridge into Staten Island, Caprice didn’t feel like hitting the gym. She instructed Rocco to drop her off wherever her father was hanging out. She wanted him to say no. She wanted him to insist that they go somewhere and talk, but she knew he wouldn’t. Caprice wanted Rocco to want her as much as she wanted him, but she wasn’t going to force the issue.

  Rocco pulled the Escalade in front of La Galleria 45, Domani’s favorite eatery. Caprice had the door open before the SUV rolled to a stop.

  “Caprice!”

  “Don’t Caprice me.” She grimaced at the touch of Rocco’s warm hand on her smooth skin. “Don’t think for one minute that I’m going to wait for you to grow a set, Rocco. You’re not the only man in New York, ya know.”

  “You’re trying to get me killed. You’re the Boss’s daughter.”

  “I know what I am,” Caprice countered. “I can still do whatever the hell I want to do. I’m out of here.”

  Caprice slammed the Escalade door and walked into the restaurant. She was upset with herself for letting Rocco see how he’d gotten to her. She was playing a dangerous game. She knew the life her father and mother wanted for her. She just didn’t want the same.

  As she strolled through the restaurant, she was careful not to allow her anger and hurt at Rocco’s painful rejection to show on her face. Domani had a heightened sense of perception. He would know she was angry as soon as he laid eyes on her. Despite popular belief, she really wasn’t trying to get Rocco killed.

  “Caprice!” her sister-in-law greeted her as she walked past the hostess stand. “You’re early.”

  “Is my dad in the back?”

  Maria looked worried. “Umm, yes. He and Paolo are at their usual table. What’s wrong?”

  “I’ll tell you later,” Caprice answered as she passed.

  La Galleria 45 was a Staten Island staple and had been for over thirty years. When the previous owner was unable to make good on a loan from Domani, Nico had “obtained” it for his wife. To hear Nico tell it, Maria had never been happier when she was presented with the restaurant as an anniversary gift.

  Domani had asked Caprice to help out in the restaurant but she had promptly refused. Working in the restaurant was not the part of the family business that Caprice wanted in on.

  Paolo, a stoic man in his early seventies, was seated across from her father in their corner booth. Both men stood when Caprice approached the table.

  “Ahhh, mia bella figlia,” Domani gushed and kissed both of Caprice’s cheeks. Caprice smiled. She recognized the Italian for “my beautiful daughter”. Her Italian was getting better since she lived with Maria and Nico and was around it every day.

  “Hey Dad. Uncle Paolo,” Caprice acknowledged the other man. “What’s up?”

  “You tell me, bella.” Domani made room at the booth for Caprice to sit. “Nico tells me that you’re upset with me.”

  “Upset is putting it mildly. Why the hell can’t I go to Keisha’s birthday party?”

  Paolo sucked in his breath and shook his head at the defiant girl sitting across from him. He was appalled by her nerve and desperately wanted to slap some sense into her. No one got away with speaking to Domani that way, especially her…his illegitimate half-breed daughter.

  “You know the problems we’re having in Queens,” Domani answered. “Until Nico and the boys get a handle on the situation, you don’t need to be over there. I’ve explained this once, Caprice. I will not explain it again.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Caprice insisted. “That party is the perfect opportunity for me to talk to Aries. He’s Keisha’s cousin. He will be there.”

  “Your father said no,” Paolo snapped. “Aries is family business.”

  “I’m family.”

  Paolo sneered. “Not really.”

  “Fuck you!”

  “Caprice!” Domani bellowed. He only lost his cool when she crossed the line. Caprice folded her arms across her chest.

  “What?” she huffed. “I am your child. I’m more family than he is!”

  “You ungrateful little shit!” Paolo spat.

  Domani slammed his hand on the table so hard that the patrons at nearby tables stopped talking and looked up in fear.

  “Stop it! What the hell is wrong with you? Caprice, apologize for being disrespectful to your uncle.”

  Caprice said nothing. Instead, she glared at her “uncle”, waiting for him to grant her the apol
ogy that she’d been waiting on since she came to New York.

  It was no secret that Paolo had a bug up his ass about Caprice. He didn’t like her being around for two reasons. One, she was a female. As a general rule of thumb, women stayed at home and did not get involved in the business of men. Caprice wasn’t typical.

  Since she arrived in New York with her six designer suitcases, she had practically chained herself to Nico’s hip. Nico and Domani were soft on the girl. She knew too much and had seen too much. If things ever went south, she’d be the first to crack under pressure. Women always did.

  Second, no matter who her father was, Caprice did not come close to being Italian. She was not one of them. She lacked the heart and loyalty that came from a pure Italian bloodline. Her very presence irritated Paolo and every chance he got, he let her know it.

  “Caprice!” Domani snapped. “I said apologize!”

  “Fine,” Caprice sighed. “Sorry.”

  She looked at her dad, not completely understanding why he always took Paolo’s side. Domani was the Boss. Paulo was just his underling…his second in command. He was too old to run anything anyway.

  “You need me,” Caprice said to her father. “I’m the only one who can get close enough to Aries to find out what he’s up to. Obviously, Nico can’t do it or Aries would be dead by now.”

  “Paolo,” Domani said, “I need to have a word with my daughter. Could you excuse us for a minute?”

  “Sure thing, Boss.”

  “Bye Paolo.” Caprice waved two fingers at the departing man and smirked.

  “Stop asking me for this,” Domani said when the coast was clear. “You and your brother better stop this shit. You think I don’t know what you’ve been up to?”

  “What have I been up to?”

  Domani’s icy glare told Caprice that she was in big trouble. She should have known he would find out about the girls. He had eyes and ears everywhere.

  “Are you going to lie to my face and tell me you weren’t behind the two girls the cops found with their faces knifed up? No one gets away with lying to me, Caprice. Daughter or not.”