Retribution (Blood and Honor, #2) Read online

  RETRIBUTION

  An Interpol agent playing a dangerous game.

  A Mafia princess desperate to escape.

  A man determined to exact retribution…

  Nick Clarkston, a young Interpol agent, threatens to undo the fragile peace between the Lucchesi and Andretti families when he tries to take down the Mafia don father who abandoned him. He allies with his father’s sworn enemy, a mobster both devious and ruthless. The mobster’s alluring daughter helps Nick negotiate the murky criminal underworld, but he soon learns she’s using him. Trapped, and with nowhere to turn, Nick makes a tragic mistake that plunges him further into danger.

  Delfina Andretti appears to be the typical Mafia princess—but this princess wants out. Delfina dreams of being a fashion designer, and hooking up with Nick is her ticket out of an arranged marriage. Her feelings for Nick are genuine, but he’s leery of her. Even worse, his heedless drive for justice threatens to get them both killed and to put everyone Delfina loves behind bars—unless she and Nick can forge a new future for their warring families.

  PRAISE FOR DANA DELAMAR

  “The first book in the Blood and Honor series... gets things off to an explosive start. The Italian setting is rendered in luxurious detail.”

  —RT Book Reviews, 4 stars

  “This story truly exceeded my expectations. Revenge is action packed, and when the pace picks up, it does not slow down.... Pick up this book today; it will grab your attention from the beginning. I cannot wait to read the next book.”

  —The Romance Reviews (TRR) site, 5 stars, Top Pick

  “Here is to a WHOOPING 5 Stars. If I had to describe this book in about 4 words it would be action-packed, sexy, romantic, and adrenaline rushing.… This would make a kick butt movie! There were times when I was fanning myself, sitting on the edge of my seat, and so mad I had to put it down. The steamy scenes were oh so delicious!”

  —Bengal Reads blog, 5 stars

  “I thought Enrico was incredibly sexy and Kate is feisty, which makes for a very explosive relationship! I loved how the author incorporated the beauty of Italy and the romantic undertones of the land. The sexual intimacy for me was off the charts! …Highly recommend this read!!”

  —Romance Novel Junkies blog, 4½ stars

  “I was drawn into the story from the absolute beginning, unable to put the book down. The dialogue was simple perfection.”

  —Reading by the Beach blog, 4 stars

  “Dana weaves such a wonderful story of love, passion, treachery…, and lies that I stayed up ‘til after midnight reading…. The end of the book left me wanting to read the next novel.… It’s a book I know I’ll read again.”

  —The Domestic Goddess Diaries blog

  “If you are into the hard-nosed, fast-paced, in-your-face, dirty, gritty, sexy, exotic, erotic, dark-side, honor among thieves, follow the code, inner workings of the Italian Mafia, then this is the book for you!! Well researched and written, Revenge will grab hold of you and not let go! I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.”

  —Ronnie Smith, 4 stars (Goodreads review)

  ALSO BY DANA DELAMAR

  Blood and Honor Series

  Revenge

  Retribution

  RETRIBUTION

  BLOOD AND HONOR

  BOOK 2

  DANA DELAMAR

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright © 2012 Dana Delamar

  Excerpt from Deadly Addiction copyright © 2012 Kristine Cayne

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN (print): 0984931120

  ISBN-13 (print): 978-0-98493112-5

  ISBN (ebook): 0984931139

  ISBN-13 (ebook): 978-0-98493113-2

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Book cover design by Scarlett Rugers Design 2012

  www.scarlettrugers.com

  Author image courtesy of LGImages

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Many people contributed to the creation of this book. No writer goes it alone, and I am certainly no exception.

  I can never adequately thank my wonderful critique partner, Kristine Cayne. She buoyed me up when the going got tough, gave this book scads of her time and attention, and asked many hard questions. Kristine, I truly couldn’t have done this without you. You continually push me to up my game.

  Once again, Ann Charles and Wendy Delaney came to the rescue when I was floundering about and needed help replotting this book. Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving up part of another weekend to help me.

  I’d also like to thank my beta readers, Kim Schmeller and Ninia Ingram, for their insights, comments, and catches. You made this book better than it was!

  I owe a great debt to Romance Writers of America® and specifically my hometown RWA® chapters, Eastside RWA and Greater Seattle RWA, for providing inspiration, support, guidance, friendship, real-world craft advice, industry contacts, and knowledge that proved invaluable. Thank you all.

  Last but not least, I’d like to thank my family, my friends, and most of all my real-life hero, James Davis, for bearing with me during the madness. You will always be my honey bunny.

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  The Lucchesis

  Enrico Lucchesi (loo KAY zee) – capo (head) of the Lucchesi cosca (crime family)

  Kate Lucchesi – wife of Enrico Lucchesi

  Nick Clarkston – illegitimate son of Mafia don Enrico Lucchesi; Interpol agent

  Fedele (feh DAY lay) Lucchesi, Alessandro (Sandro) Lucchesi, Matteo Lucchesi – sons of Domenico Lucchesi, Enrico Lucchesi’s first cousin

  Rinaldo Lucchesi – deceased; Enrico Lucchesi’s father; former capo

  Domenico (Dom) Lucchesi – deceased; former first cousin to Enrico Lucchesi and capo di società (second in command) of the Lucchesi cosca

  Antonella (Toni) Lucchesi (née Andretti) – deceased; Enrico’s first wife; daughter to Carlo Andretti and sister to Dario Andretti

  The Andrettis

  Dario Andretti – capo of the Andretti cosca (Milan branch)

  Ilaria (ee LAR ee ah) Andretti – wife to Dario Andretti

  Delfina Andretti – daughter of Dario Andretti; aspiring fashion designer

  Cristoforo (Cris) Andretti – son of Dario Andretti and capo di società of the Andretti cosca (Milan branch)

  Benedetto Andretti – son of Lorenzo Andretti; capo di società of the Andretti cosca (Calabrian branch); head of La Provincia

  Lorenzo Andretti – father to Benedetto Andretti; capo of the Andretti cosca (Calabrian branch)

  Carlo Andretti – deceased; former capo of the Andretti cosca (Milan branch)

  Other Characters

  Antonio Legato – capo di società (second in command) of the Lucchesi cosca

  Ruggero (rooj JAIR oh) Vela – bodyguard to Enrico Lucchesi

  Giovanna (joh VAN ah) (Gio) (Joh) d’Imperio – best friend to Delfina Andretti; daugh
ter of Gianluca d’Imperio

  Gianluca (jon LOO kah) d’Imperio – capo of the d’Imperio cosca

  Leandro (lay AHN droh) d’Imperio – capo di società of the d’Imperio cosca

  Jacopo (jah COH poh) Bossi – co-worker and friend of Delfina Andretti

  Silvio Fuente – officer of the carabinieri

  Émile Davenport – Nick Clarkston’s superior at Interpol

  Flavio (FLAH vee oh) – bodyguard to Dario Andretti

  Eusebio (yoo SAY bee oh) – bodyguard to Benedetto Andretti

  GLOSSARY OF TERMS

  arrivederci (ah ree vah DAIRT chee) – goodbye (formal)

  attacca (ah TAHK ah) – attack

  basta (BAHS tah) – enough (as in “I’ve had enough!” or “Stop!”)

  bella, bellissima (BAY lah, bay LEE see mah) – beautiful

  bene (BEN ay) – good

  bisnonno (beez NOH noh) – great-grandfather

  buona sera (BWOH nah SAIR ah) – good evening

  capisci (KAH pee shee) – you see, you understand

  capo (KAH poh) – head (don) of a crime family (cosca); plural capi (KAH pee)

  capo di società (KAH poh dee so chay TAH) – second in command of a cosca

  cara (CAR ah), caro (CAR oh) – dear, sweetheart

  carabinieri (car ah bin YAIR ee) – Italy’s national police force; a single member of this force is a carabinere (car ah bin YAIR ay)

  casinò (cah see NOH) – casino. In Italian, casino (cah SEE noh) means “brothel” and casinò is a gambling house.

  ciao (CHOW) – informal hello and goodbye

  come stai (COH may STY) – how are you

  comparaggio (cohm pah RAH joe) – the Southern Italian institution of co-parenthood, whereby the person making this vow swears to be as a parent to the child. A co-father is referred to as compare; the “parent” and “child” are compari. The vow is thought of as indissoluble and incorruptible. Within the Mafia, compari will not betray each other.

  contabile (cone TAH bee lay) – accountant; treasurer for a cosca

  cosca (KOHS kah) – a crime family; plural is cosche (KOHS kay)

  Cristo (KREES toe) – Christ

  davvero (dahv VAIR oh) – really, seriously

  Dio mio (DEE oh MEE oh) – my God

  dottore (dote TOR ay) – doctor; the “e” is dropped when used with a last name

  faida (FEYE dah) – blood feud

  figlio (FEEL yoh) – son

  finocchio (fee NOHK kee oh) – derogatory slang term for homosexual

  fortunato (for too NAH toh) – lucky

  fratelli di sangue (frah TELL ee DEE SAHN gway) – blood brothers

  grazie (GRAHTZ yeh) – thanks. Mille (MEE lay) grazie means “Many thanks.”

  idiota (ee dee OH tah) – idiot

  ladro (LAH droh) – thief

  Madonna (ma DOEN nah) – the Virgin Mary; Mother of God

  magnifico (mah NIF eh coh) – wonderful, magnificent

  malavita (mah lah VEE tah) – the criminal underworld, the criminal life

  merda (MARE dah) – shit

  molto (MOLE toe) – very, a great deal, a lot

  ‘Ndrangheta (en DRAHNG eh tah) – the Calabrian Mafia, or “The Honored Society.” Members are ‘Ndranghetisti (en DRAHNG eh tees tee), or “men of honor.”

  nonna (NOHN nah), nonnina (nohn NEE nah) – grandmother, granny

  nonno (NOHN noh) – grandfather

  padrino (pah DREE noh) – godfather

  paesano (pie ZAH noh) – villager, peasant

  papà (pah PAH) – dad

  pentito, pentiti (pen TEE toh, pen TEE tee) – penitent, repentant; in the Mafia, pentiti refers to Mafiosi who have turned state’s evidence

  per favore (PAIR fah VOR ay) – please

  perfetto (pair FEHT toe) – perfect

  polizia (poh leet TZEE ah) – Italian police

  porco Dio (POR koh DEE oh) – literally “pig God;” very vulgar religious curse

  porca miseria (POR kah mee ZAIR ee ah) – literally “pig misery”; means “damn” or “bloody hell”

  prego (PRAY go) – welcome

  principessa (prin chee PESS ah) – princess

  prozio (proht TZEE oh) – great-uncle

  puttana (poot TAH nah) – whore, prostitute

  ragazzo (rah GAHTZ oh) – boyfriend

  raggazi (rah GAHTZ ee) – people, friends, guys

  salute (sah LOO tay) – to your health; cheers!

  sangue del mio sangue (SAHN gway DEL MEE oh SAHN gway) – blood of my blood

  scusa (SKOOZ ah) – excuse me

  sì (CEE) – yes

  signore, signora, signorina (seen YOR ay, seen YOR ah, seen yor REEN ah) – sir, madam, miss; the “e” is dropped from signore when used with a last name

  Sottotenente (soh toh teh NEN tay) – Second Lieutenant

  strega (STRAY gah) – witch

  stronzo (STRON tzoh) – shit, turd, bastard

  ti amo (TEE AH moe) – I love you

  troia (TROY ah) – slut

  vaffanculo (vahf fahn COO loh) – go fuck yourself

  vincolo di sangue (VIN coh loh DEE SAHN gway) – blood bond

  zio (TZEE oh) – uncle

  PROLOGUE

  Nineteen years ago

  London, England

  Nick listened hard for her voice, for some indication that she was all right, but all he heard was water running. He knocked on the bathroom door, a tentative rap. His tight throat strangled his voice. “Mummy?”

  No answer. His stomach rolled over, and the supper he’d eaten hours ago seemed ready to come back up. Why isn’t she answering?

  His mum had been in there for ages, weeping at first, then eerily silent for some time now. He’d sat hunched over, hugging his knees, across from the door for hours, praying that she’d come out, smile at him, and make his world right again. But she hadn’t.

  Nick shifted his weight, and his feet squished unpleasantly in the carpet. He looked down at his white socks, only they weren’t white anymore. They were pink. The water seeping under the door was tinged with blood. Had she fallen and cut herself? “Mummy!” he cried, this time smacking the door—wham, wham, wham—with an open palm. He tried the knob, but it wouldn’t open. The sick feeling in his stomach expanded, grew. Mummy, answer me.

  He shoved on the door, then put his shoulder into it. In his panic, he forgot that the door had always been sticky. He wasn’t that big for an eight-year-old, but his weight was more than enough to do the job.

  The door swung inside, bashing into the wall to his left. Nick overbalanced and skittered into the bathroom, arms pinwheeling, his feet slipping on the wet tiles.

  His gaze bounced from surface to surface in shock—red, red, it was all so red.

  Dangling over the edge of the tub, his mother’s left arm oozed blood from a deep gash. The tap was on, cold water cascading onto the floor.

  “Mummy!” He slipped and fell in his haste to reach her, bloody water splashing all over his face and hair, soaking his pajamas. Horrified, he wiped the blood out of his eyes. He scrambled up and went to her, the shock of the fall scaring up the sob he’d been holding back. His choked breathing echoed in the room, sounding harsh in his ears. “Mummy? Wake up,” he pleaded, touching her shoulder. Beneath his fingers, her skin was icy. “Wake up!”

  Her eyes were closed, her blonde hair floating on the dark, dark water, stained nearly black with her blood. A wild cry tore out of him and he shook her hard, praying that she’d open her eyes, that she’d say something.

  But she was gone.

  She’d left him. Just as his father had left them earlier that day.

  It was all his father’s fault. If only he’d stayed when Nick had begged him, when his mother had begged him. If only he’d cared.

  CHAPTER 1

  Present day

  London, England

  Nick Clarkston trudged up the stone steps to his flat, his rolling suitcase bumping along behind him. Thr
ee weeks wasted. He’d chased through every backwater of Sicily, followed every lead, researched every whisper. And ended up with nothing. No drug bust, no Mafiosos in jail. His first big assignment as an Interpol agent, and he’d blown it.

  He’d been pleased when his superior, Émile Delacourt, had chosen him. Still he’d wondered why, why him. He was too bloody new to Interpol. And something wasn’t right with this case; he’d known it for at least a fortnight. But Delacourt hadn’t let him give up on it, had insisted he stay in Italy, had insisted he keep following the leads given by their informant. Leads that led nowhere, that dissolved in wisps of smoke. Why had Delacourt been so insistent? And why had he then abruptly called a halt to the investigation that morning, a full week after Nick had told him it was futile?

  Patting his pockets, Nick fished out his keys, fumbling for the right one. He was so bleary eyed that he shoved the key in the lock the wrong way. Jerking it out, he slammed the door with the flat of his hand, then let his arm fall to his side. He was behaving irrationally. Focus, mate, for just a little while longer. Then you can sleep.

  Finally he unlocked the door and shoved against it with his shoulder, annoyed when it wouldn’t open more than a couple feet. Peering around the edge, he discovered the culprit: three weeks’ worth of post that had been shoved through the slot and was now jammed under the door. Bloody fantastic. Now I’m late on my bills too.