Accardi (Genevieve and Matteo) by Allison Franklin novel Chapter 126

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty–Six

Matteo fought the urge to growl as the guard walking him down the hallway shoved him to move faster. He rolled his eyes but lengthened his stride as much as the shackles around his ankles would allow. He could hear Frankie behind him, not resisting any urges he had to talk shit, spit and try to inflict injuries on the guards pushing him forward. He could understand Frankie’s irritation. It was aroused on purpose through every opportunity.

As promised, the FBI had been waiting for them at the tarmac. While Matteo managed to wrangle his anger for the sake of diplomacy, Frankie had made no such concession and took the chance to punch Noah Bennett in the face, hopefully breaking his jaw. Luckily, Roman had been waiting and expected Frankie’s outburst, as any good lawyer would. He’d managed to calm the situation and get his two clients handcuffed and into the awaiting van without further

incident.

When they arrived at the detention facility, it had taken several hours to be read their rights, get finger printed, have their picture taken and set court dates that would never come to pass. The only glimmer in the entire ordeal was his right to make a phone call. Hearing Gen’s voice, her worry, her desire for her mafia boss husband to be safe gave him the will to push past the shit that would come later. After he’d hung up with her, Frankie had called his parents who denied the request to answer. Matteo had pretended not to notice the stricken expression on his friend’s face as he quietly hung up the phone and whispered something about them not being home.

Once brought past the intake portion of the facility, they had been stripped. Matteo only had one request and that was to keep his wedding ring on his finger. When told he would have to remove it for the intake, he refused… which earned him a punch to the face and a forceful removal. He would remember the man who had yanked the ring off his finger and sullied the touch of the last person to hold it: his wife.

Once he got out, the guard’s home would be the first he visited. He’d remove the guard’s own wedding ring, maybe take Gen’s idea and use a cigar cutter. Maybe he’d make the fucker’s wife eat it. Those thoughts lessened in severity when he had been given his ring back but they hadn’t evaporated completely.

After that encounter he’d undergone an extensive strip search, a probe up the ass and an unnecessary delousing. The guards had put them both in orange jump suits and velcro shoes along with some new fashionable accessories to complete the ensemble: their shackles. Each guard’s insults and rough treatment would be imprinted in his brain until the day their cold, lifeless faces eventually replaced the memory.

“Your room is right up here, Princess,” Matteo’s guard announced. “Room 114. Our presidential suite. I hope it’s to your liking.”

The guard stopped Matteo by pulling at his shoulder and yanking him to the side so he faced the open door leading to the six foot by eight foot room with a bed, a table attached to the wall and a sink/toilet combination.

“Homey,” Matteo observed a moment before the guard finished unlocking his restraints and shoved him inside.

Matteo calmly rubbed his wrists as the door slammed shut behind him and he heard multiple locks turning over. The guard looked in at him through the small window with a triumphant smile.

“Never thought you’d see the inside of one of these, huh, Playboy?” the guard taunted.

“Sir,” Matteo began. “You sure do have an awful lot of pet names for a little thug such as myself. I feel the need to tell you I am happily married. Perhaps my associate, Mr. Donati, would be more receptive to your advances.”

On the outside of the cell Matteo could hear Frankie bark out a laugh. “That ugly pig face? Hell no. I’d never get it up for him. Greek God out here, however… You’ve had me sporting a half chub since those girly hands fondled my balls earlier.” Frankie made some kissing noises before Matteo heard a thud followed by Frankie calling after the Greek god as the door to his cell was slammed shut.

“They don’t appear to have any sense of humor to speak of,” Matteo observed, loud enough for Frankie to hopefully hear.

“No, they do not,” Frankie called back from his cell next door.

“Pity, I was hoping they’d bring some kind of entertainment.”

1/3

3:56 pm

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty–Six

“I be plenty of fun when we get a chance to sit down in the mess hall.”

“Is that when you plan to start your investigation?” Matteo asked, walking around his cell.

“If that’s the earliest chance I get,” Frankie answered.

Matteo could hear him shuffling around his cell, moving objects and flinging things against the wall.

“Aha!” Frankie yelled.

“What?” Matteo asked with a roll of his eyes, already knowing Frankie must have found something good.

“The mattress.”

“What about it?” Matteo asked, looking at his own mattress which sported a few yellow and red stains. He resisted the urge to gag and quickly laid his

blanket down over the evidence of someone else’s indiscretions.

“There are springs!” Frankie yelled.

“Good, we’ll have a wonderful night’s sleep after all,” Matteo said under his breath.

“What?”

“Nothing, Frank,” Matteo said with a sigh. “Say, we never got a chance to talk about what happened.”

“What happened?” Frank repeated.

Matteo walked to the window and looked out the best he could. “With Stephen.” The air was silent for a moment. “Frank.”

“Not talking about it, Man,” Frankie warned.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Matteo said anyway.

“Right,” Frank answered. Matteo could hear the ripping of fabric. “It’s not my fault I stationed him outside a safehouse with a woman inside wanted by a man called the Butcher. Not my fault I left the fucking country. Not my fault my brother’s head was split open and his hands pinned to the side of the house like he was Jesus–Fucking–Christ himself. No, you’re right, Accardi.”

Matteo sighed. “You’re going to find her.”

“You’re fucking right I’m going to find her!” Frankie yelled.

“You’ll make him pay.”

“Pay?” Frankie asked. Matteo couldn’t see him but he knew Frankie was by the door now. Frankie laughed, the sound carrying down the hallway. “Pay?” he repeated. “No, Matteo. I won’t make him pay. Not at first. First I’ll hunt the fucker down because he knows the minute I’m out of this cell, I’ll be coming for him. Then when I do find him, I’m going to play with him a bit. A little light stalking. Start out small at first. Move a few things around his home, park his car in different spots, make him think he’s just losing his mind a bit but nothing to worry about. Then I’m going to start taking out his associates one by one. I’m going to crucify them just like they did Stephen. I’m going to make him see his loved ones in the same way. I’m going to fuck his girl. I’m going to use her all up until she tells me she loves me and then I’m going to make sure he knows it. Then, when there is no one left, I’ll show him the heart she’s given me, presented in a box, gift–wrapped for his enjoyment. Then I’ll fucking kill him. Bury their fucking hearts together.”

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty–Six

“You’re not going to kill her,” Matteo said with a sigh.

“You doubt my abilities?”

“I doubt your ability to kill the girl, yes,” Matteo argued.

Frankie scoffed. “She means nothing!”

“That’s why you didn’t tell me about her, right? Why you took her to a safehouse? Why you had your brother watching over her?”

“Shut the fuck up!”

“Why are you fighting it?”

“Look at you!” Frankie yelled. “Locked up in jail because you got blinded by some good pussy! That won’t be me.”

Matteo started to laugh. “Frank… You’re here with me.”

There was silence for a moment. “Because of my brother.”

“Then why is there this rush? Your brother is dead, there’s no bringing him back. Trust me. I’ve been where you are. I know what you’re thinking. You’re here because of the girl. You want to save her.”

“I want to make her pay!”

“For what? Capturing your interest? Falling in love with you?”

“Yes.”

“Frankie…” Matteo sighed.

“Just… Leave me the fuck alone. I… have work to fucking do,” Frankie announced, his voice fading as he walked further into his cell.

Matteo placed his forehead against the glass and let out a long breath.