Accardi (Genevieve and Matteo) by Allison Franklin novel Chapter 55

Matteo dropped his head down as Frankie relayed orders to his men. He took a deep breath and turned.

“I want to see the owner of the club as well as the security detail myself,” he demanded, starting back into the club. “I want everyone here interrogated. No

one leaves until they’ve answered our questions.”

“The police are…”

“I don’t want the police to handle this, Frankie. The ones on our payroll or not. I want one of our men with them during the interrogations and I want them all recorded. I want the feeds from every camera in the club,” he demanded, the door of the bathroom in sight. “I want footage from every camera from the

businesses within three blocks as well as the traffic cameras.”

A group of EMTs rushed down the hall toward him and ran into the bathroom. Matteo stepped into the doorway. His eyes immediately went to the body slumped against the wall. His hand clenched around the damaged doorframe as the EMTs Lowered Leo to the ground and began examining him. They ripped

open his shirt and gently touched the bandages someone had pressed into his numerous gun shot wounds.

“Where is she?! What happened? Louis, just please, let me go!” Jada begged.

Matteo looked to the other side of the room where Louis was trying to keep Jada restrained against the wall. His hands were cupping her face while she

shook her head and pulled at his jacket. Matteo’s rage erupted at the sight of her completely unharmed. He stalked toward her, shoving Frankie’s warning

hand off his shoulder. Jada noticed his advance. Her eyes widened and her attempts to escape her husband now turned to a desperate urge to cling to him.

Noticing her reaction, Louis turned his head. One look at Matteo’s face, made him pivot and shield his wife.

“Calm down, Accardi, she has nothing to do with this,” Louis warned.

“Get out of my way, Louis,” Matteo ordered.

“No, I’m not one of your scared little henchmen. Walk away.”

“No,” Matteo growled. “Frankie.”

Frankie stepped around Matteo. Within a few seconds Frankie had Louis trapped in a headlock and pinned to the ground. “No hard feelings, Lou,” Frankie said.

“Get the fuck off of me! Accardi, if you hurt her…”

Jada tried to run. Matteo grabbed the back of her neck and slammed her against the wall of the bathroom. The EMTs and police gawked at the scene but knew better than to intervene.

“I didn’t do anything, I swear!”

“Why were they looking for you?”

“Wh–what?”

“The men. I heard them say they were after you. You were the one drugged. Yet, they took her. Why were they after you?” Matteo growled.

“I… I don’t know!”

“I haven’t announced our relationship. She tells you and then within an hour she’s taken?!” Matteo asked dubiously, his voice rising as he spoke.

1/3

1:09 am

Chapter Fifty–Five

“Sir, someone said from behind him.

“I’m busy!”

“We’ve been questioning the club goers as you asked. It turns out this woman here announced you and Miss Sinclair had been…. Um, intimate, to everyone waiting in line.” the man quickly explained.

“Is that so?” Matteo asked, his voice sinister.

Jada trembled beneath him and it required every ounce of his fortitude to not become physically violent. He tried to remind the darkest part of himself that this was a woman. He didn’t hurt women. He stuck to the code. Even when said woman threw her own sister to the wolves with a few careless words.

“We’ll continue questioning and going through footage to see who all was outside when this was said,” the man at the door finished

“Why?!” Matteo suddenly shouted down at Jada. “You know better than anyone what comes from making that kind of claim without proper protection!”

A sob broke through her sealed lips and she shook her head.

“Jada, it’s okay, Baby. He’s not going to hurt you. Just tell him the truth,” Louis demanded, his own voice clipped due to Frankie’s pressure on his windpipe.

“I told her this would happen!” Jada finally yelled. “I told her from the beginning to stay away from you. I told her you were dangerous and she couldn’t handle this life. I just wanted to show her how the sound of your name can terrify someone. I just wanted to prove to her what you are!”

“Oh, and what is that?!”

“A monster! This isn’t my fault, Accardi! It’s yours!” Jada screamed while tears streamed down her face.

“Alright, we’re ready, let’s move. Call the hospital and make sure an OR is prepped,” the head EMT announced.

Matteo released Jada before signaling Frankie to do the same with Louis. Jada fell to the floor to be enveloped in Louis‘ arms while Matteo followed the gurney out of the room.

“What’s going on?” Matteo demanded.

“We don’t have time to…”

“Make the fucking time or are you incapable of multitasking because if that’s the case I can make sure…”

“He’s got four shots to the chest,” another EMT responded while they rushed across the club floor, running over discarded cups, dropped napkins and one or two questionable clear sacks, “Two have punctured his left lung, one is embedded in his collarbone and the last is very close to his heart. Only two exit wounds. You can meet us at the hospital where we can give you more details.”

By now they’d reached the sidewalk where they began loading Leo into the back of the ambulance. Matteo watched helplessly from the side.

“Wait…” a small voice said, Matteo looked up to find Leo pulling at his oxygen mask.

“Sir, you need to stay still. We are about to give you a sedative that will…”

“Accardi…” Leo said. Matteo gripped the door and pulled himself into the back of the ambulance. He took Leo’s hand in both of his. Leo stared blankly upward. He licked his lips. “Four men. Masked. Tattoo right forearm. Chicken. Not family. Wanted Jada. Check club.”

1:09 am

Chapter Fifty–Five

M

“We have to go, now,” one of the EMTs demanded.

“Alright, Man. They got your Ell find her, don’t worry.” Matteo said, extricating himself from Leo’s hold and stepping back onto the street.

“Accardi… call. Lucy,” Lee said just as the doors closed.

Matteo watched the ambulance drive off from the curb and run through the next two stoplights. He buried his hands in his pockets and looked at the street around him. There were groups of people stationed at each cop car being interrogated. His men were knocking on doors to adjacent businesses attempting to get security footage. If the owner didn’t answer or cooperate, they were breaking through windows to do his bidding.

Louis and Jada appeared from the club. Louis kept an arm around Jada’s shoulder which shook with the force of her sobs. They made their way to an

awaiting taxi.

“Don’t even think about leaving town or turning your phones off,” Matteo warned.

Louis looked up after helping Jada into the backseat. “Fuck you, Accardi.”

“And you’ll be paying for any damage you did to my baby!” Frankie hollered from the club entrance where his bike still sat on its side. Louis flipped him the bird before getting into the taxi. Frankie chuckled as he made his way toward Matteo who remained in the middle of the street. “How are you holding up,

Boss Man?”

“Just give me your report,” Matteo growled, accepting the box of cigarettes Frankie held out to him.

Frankie crossed his arms. He bobbed his head to the side. “Got guys getting surrounding security footage. Cops and robbers have united to question everyone

in the club. So far we haven’t learned anything new. A lot of people heard Jada’s claim about you and Gen getting it on.” Matteo closed his eyes, inhaled a

plume of smoke and sighed at Frankie’s never ending comic relief. “Even people who weren’t in line at the time, caught wind of it on the dance floor.”

“Perfect,” Matteo hissed.

“We have done a quick sweep of the security cameras but Leo did his job well and stayed out of sight so when the attack happened, he wasn’t where the cameras could view it. By the time they moved through the club and into the back hallway, they were completely covered from head to toe, preventing us from making an ID.”

“And the men I asked you to collect for me?” Matteo asked, his rage one wrong word from boiling over.

Frankie’s smile turned even more sinister than usual. His head lowered slightly, making his eyes appear completely hollow. “Awaiting your questioning at the box, Sir.”

Matteo took another drag of his cigarette and blew it out through his nose. He flexed his knuckles, needing a painful release. “Good.”

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