Accardi (Genevieve and Matteo) by Allison Franklin novel Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty–Three

Matten shoved the dam to the apartment bubbing open. His eyes were immediately drawn to a large black SUV parked by the cuth. Matten slowed as the dom opened and none other than his commun stepped mat. Alessin slammed the done shut and pulled the cuff of his shirt more firmly through his suit jacket,

with his mouth in a firm line.

• “Dao, Digino,” Alexie greeted will

Matteo strode up to his cousin. “Sa it’s true. Michele has called a meeting.”

Come,” Alessio said, nodding his lurad toward the car. Alessio glanced up toward the building as if something caught his eye. He shook his head with disapproval and pulled himself back into the suv.

Matten walked around the back of the car. He pulled out his phone. As his finger hovered over the name, the name appeared as an incoming text message.

Leo: I’ve got her. Go

Matteo fought the urge to glance around to try to find where Leo was hidden. Instead, he stepped into the SUV. He pulled his cigarette packet from his sweatpants, quickly lit a cigarette, and inhaled deeply twice before turning to his cousin.

“Are we going to pretend you magically arrived just as Michele called the meeting or do you want to discuss why you’re actually here?” Matteo asked.

Alessio glared straight ahead. “I got your message.”

ael as a squealer.”

“I never pictured Raphael as a

Alessio turned his glare on Matteo. “He didn’t have to. You’re losing control, Matteo. You’re slipping and there’s only one thing that could cause that.”

“Stay the fuck away from…”

“My point exactly.” Alessio shook his head and watched the skyscrapers of New York blur past as they sped toward their destination. “Love.” He scoffed. “Take a look back through our family’s history and you will see our weaknesses, our missteps only occurred because of one thing. Or the illusion of it

anyway.”

“I’m really not in the mood for a lecture on our ancestry,” Matten warned, already moving on to his second cigarette.

“History?” Alessio scoffed again and Matteo rolled his eyes. “It’s happening now, all around us. Michele married an Irish woman, not for what the relationship would bring his family but for love. You must cut her louse, Matteo. For your sake and hers.”

the Irish then? He’s sure of it?” Matten asked, hoping to shift the subject.

Alessio nodded. “He claims to have proof of not one treachery but two,”

“And how do you know that?”

Alessio glanced over at Matteo. His dark eyin, olive skin an Elilack hair made him appear almost like a shadow figure cast against the leather of the suv. the same reason I know what’s going on with you. We’ve all been recited the ancestral history of our families on a constant loop, yet none of our family have ever done anything to fix the damage done by past generations, I speak with you and Michele in the hopes we can be different.”

“You really think Michele cares about us? About Conor? You were right about one thing, Clara was a weakness because he only cared for her.”

“For

Alessio’s head whipped around. “And you

you’ll be different?”

112

1:02 am

Chapter Thirty–Three

“If Genevieve ever has my chil

Alessio’s eyes widened. “Jesus Christ, Matter Achild with this woman? That’s how far gone you a to leave the family behind and open a donut shop on Fifth Street ”

are? Next thing I know you’ll be telling me you have plans.

Silence filled the SUV as the can slowed to a stop in front of a high–end hotel on the upper east side. Matten got out first. He stubbed out his second cigarette and pulled out a third. As he cupped his hand to light it, Alessio come around the side of the SUV and pinned Matteo hack against it.

“Prove to me you’re not a distracted fool,” Alessio demanded.

Matten’s eyes narrowed at the audacity of his cousin. Alessio was built for larger than Matteo with a few inches in height and a physique that belonged to a linebacker. Anyone who saw them next to each other may say he had the upperhand. Matteo carefully placed the cigarette in his mouth,

In the next second, he dropped his hand and plowed his fist into Alessio’s gut. Alessio only budged an inch, but it was enough. Matteo sent an uppercut into his jaw, forcing him back another step. He then grabbed the back of Alessio’s neck and pulled his head down so he could send his knee into Alessia’s face. He spun him around and shoved him against the car door Matteo had just been pinned to. He twisted his arm, and brought his wrist into a position that would cause him to break it if he tried to get out of the hold. The entire maneuver took five seconds, Matteo took another drag before putting the cigarette out on the shoulder of Alessio’s suit jacket. Alessio was large but Matteo had five years on him and four times that much in real–life, hand–to–hand combat

experience.

“Don’t ever put your hands on me again, Cagloo. And don’t ever speak of my weakness again either,” Matteo warned in a growl. He shoved Alessio forward before releasing his hold

Alessio turned around with a smirk on his face as if he relished someone actually being able to get the upper hand on him. He glanced at the burn mark on his shoulder and scowled. “Questo vestito vale più della tua vita, Coglione,”

Matteo smirked and slapped Alessio’s cheek. “My sweatpants are worth more than your life, Cugino.”

Alessio’s driver stepped out and gave them both a questioning gaze as if to ask if they were done acting like children. Alessio patted the man on the shoulder. “Calm down, Roberto. Only a tussle. Don’t blow a blood vessel.”

“Let’s get this over with,” Matteo said, starting toward the hotel entrance.

It had only been a year since the last meeting between the three families. It occurred when Alessio’s father passed away. It was tradition for the new Don to meet with the other two in order to ensure he fully understood the rules of his new position as well as for him to establish where he meant to lead his family. Alessio’s induction led to quite an uproar when he declared he’d be ending much of his family’s darkest endeavors. While it wasn’t fully integrated per, he’d so far done a remarkable job ending his family’s participation in human trafficking, hamling guns over to terrorists, and selling drugs to the most

vulnerable.

The meeting before the last had occured when Matteo’s father was killed nearly twenty four years earlier. The three families had not met for anything other thun an indortion in over half a century. For Michele to call noe now meant he was desperate. As Alessio and Mattes walked into the restaurant which had been cleared for their meeting, he worried what the

the three would need their help with

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