Kate Empowered: Code of Silence, #3

By Cindy M Hogan

Kate Empowered

The Mafia has a stranglehold on everything Kate loves, and Kate is determined to end it. 

First they claimed her father, then destroyed her mother. The guy Kate cares for most is as much a prisoner as the family who raised her. And now, after all she's lost, the Mafia wants to recruit her. But Kate has had enough. As long as the Mafia exists, she and her loved ones will live and die in fear, cowering under a dark, all-encompassing power. That leaves Kate with little choice. 

With the help of her Mafia-boss grandmother and a desperate wish for freedom, Kate must risk everyone she loves--and everything she is--to become the weapon that will take the Mafia down once and for all. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cindy M Hogan
• Release date: Oct 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781393262220

Cindy M Hogan

Cindy M. Hogan is a USA Today bestselling author of young adult suspense and action and adventure novels that always have a dash of clean romance. After her first series, The Watched Series, skyrocketed her to number one, she hasn’t let up and now has over 20 novels to her name. She’s always on the move and never sits down to write, instead she walks and talks into a recorder and lets her computer transcribe her words. If she isn’t writing or editing, she’s teaching, gardening or doing crafts. You’ll always find her listening to an audiobook while working in her park-like yard, cooking or baking something delicious. She dreams to someday have a German style bakery with a cute to-go window for Gelato. Cindy loves to create and her most prized creation is her two amazing daughters, and she secretly wishes they were teenagers again. She loves to be home, but her husband is a die-hard traveler and takes her family around the world. During her travels, she finds an endless supply of story ideas, characters and settings, walking away with either a suntan or jetlag. Her contagious laughter is the cure to almost anything. To read a novel of hers is to see a piece of Cindy, as she puts her all into every novel she writes.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Ellie had called three times already, and it wasn’t even ten in the morning. Kate knew if she didn’t pick up, the calls would continue. Best friends were like that sometimes, and Ellie Lambert could be relentless. Kate had broken the unwritten rules of their friendship and it was time to face the music. Kate looked out the window at the sunny Italian landscape, pulling up the courage she needed to tell her grandmother she had to take the call. Alessa wouldn’t approve.

Alessa, Kate said, waving her vibrating phone at the fit and powerful sixty-something-year-old woman seated in front of her, acting casual and unconcerned. Maybe if she made it seem it wasn’t important to her, her grandma would let her take the call. I have to get this. If I don’t, I’ll have a thousand panicked messages on my phone in the next ten minutes. Kate leaned back on the soft leather sofa and put the phone up to her ear, her heart racing in anticipation of speaking to her best friend and hoping her grandma wouldn’t forbid it.

It’s only been a day for heaven’s sake. Her adoptive grandma didn’t stay seated, but stood up from the maroon armchair and left the room, her well-worn boots tapping lightly on the hardwood floor as she went. Alessa Donati wasn’t one to wait around.

Kate sighed with relief and picked up the call. Ellie. Kate said her name with exasperated firmness.

What in the heck, Kate?

Kate could imagine Ellie with her hand on her hip, a look of complete indignation on her face. I know. I was going to call you. Kate began to stand, then thought better of it, and looked out over the vast green acreage of the ranch.

You told your mom to tell me? Ellie’s voice was shrill and Kate knew Ellie was standing, pacing the room as she talked, gesticulating with her hands.

Kate would have to apologize to stop the tirade. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Everyone was here in Italy yesterday, and it was crazy and exhausting.

Staying in Italy with your long-long lost grandma is not something you can decide without me. This is major. Ellie’s voice was already much calmer.

Kate thought about all the reasons it was better for her not to be talking to Ellie, but pushed them aside and just enjoyed hearing her friend’s voice. I’m so glad you called. She took a deep breath through her nose and then sighed. An angry Ellie was better than no Ellie at all.

You can’t just leave your best friend alone like this. There was a catch in Ellie’s voice.

She’d have felt betrayed and alone too had Ellie stayed in Italy and left Kate in witness protection in the States. I thought I was protecting you. Kate said it like she wasn’t sure about the choice, but deep down she knew it was the truth. But, my grandma said you can come anytime you want. Alessa had said those very words. Kate was sure she would still let Ellie and Colby come. There was no reason for that to have changed.

If the goons here at the safe house let me go. Ellie huffed. I told them it wouldn’t be a problem for me to go out there, but they say it’s impossible.

It is dangerous, Kate admitted. But, at this point, we’re assuming the Mafia here in Italy doesn’t know I’m here. It had to stay that way or she’d be in serious danger. Kate’s face heated up. We don’t know how long that will last. She bit her lip, torn between wanting to discourage Ellie and not wanting to. Out of nowhere, Ricco’s face filled her mind. She’d had a terrible dream about him last night. She’d been back in Venice and he was attacking her again, but this time she was at her grandparents’ house and he’d killed them and her mom and was now after Kate. Shivering at the memory, she wiped sweat from her forehead and shoved the memory away.

Are you saying that me coming puts you in more danger? There was a serious question in Ellie’s tone.

Possibly. But I figure if you come on a chartered plane, they won’t link you to anyone. It seemed a reasonable thought.

Good idea. And I could bring Colby. A wistfulness entered her friend’s voice.

I thought he was starting school. Kate thought about getting up to get a drink of water, but again thought better of it.

Well, he can’t go to NYU now.

Crap! Kate should have known her decision to stay would have that result. With the Mafia’s presence so thick in New York and New Jersey, he wouldn’t be safe.

He’ll get over it. He’s going to love Harvard.

Kate could tell Ellie had said that merely to placate her, but her enthusiasm was enough to almost convince Kate. She would still have to call her on it. She owed Colby a huge apology.

But Cambridge isn’t New York City.

No, but both have great science programs. There it was again—the ring of an untruth. There was nothing Kate could do to change it now.

Is he with you? She could apologize right then and hopefully the angry pit in her gut would go away.

No. I don’t know where he is, but Harvard starts later than NYU, so he’ll be able to come with me to see you.

Kate doubted he would want to. The ripple effect of her choice to find her birth parents continued to get bigger and bigger. She would have to call Colby directly to apologize as soon as possible. You know, it’s not only putting me in danger, it’s also putting you in danger. Again. Something dark and painful sat in Kate’s gut.

I know. But, I’m not letting that get in my way of hanging with you in Italy.

Ellie’s words made the feeling even worse, but Kate knew there was no deterring Ellie once she had her mind set on something. It’s always a party with you. Talk to Colby and let me know. Alessa can arrange it all. She’ll know how to get you here.

I never thought you’d be loving on your grandma after what we discovered.

Kate had found a bunch of pictures of her grandma and grandpa Donati with dead people. She’d assumed her grandparents were murderers. Oh, yeah. You don’t know. She explained that yesterday. They were in the pictures, not because they had killed those people, but because they were documenting it. My grandpa was building a case against the Mafia.

Are you sure? They didn’t seem upset or anything like that. It was true. The looks on her grandparents’ faces hadn’t shown any emotion at all.

In a lot of ways, I think they’d become desensitized to death by then. But I can’t really explain that. I know Alessa and Piero are only my grandparents through adoption, but I feel a strong connection with them.

Probably because they’re Mafia people. Just like your parents.

Had Colby been on the phone, he would’ve spouted something about her genes calling out to their genes because of a common history. Maybe he was right. She felt that same connection with Duran, the Mafia boy who had stolen her heart in New Jersey. Her heart gave a painful thud at the thought of him. But they weren’t bad, Ellie. They aren’t bad.

I want to believe you. Maybe I need to see it for myself. So, what’s the plan? I know you aren’t staying there simply to get to know your grandma better. Tell me everything.

Kate sighed quietly. Ellie would not like the plan. We haven’t really figured everything out yet. It’s only been a day.

Well, what’s the plan so far?

Alessa has designed a killer exercise plan for me and supposedly, I’m going to be learning all about the Mafia’s structure and how it works. Kate hoped that would be enough information to satisfy Ellie. She wouldn’t approve if she knew everything. She kicked my butt last night in their gym. She’s an animal.

Ellie scoffed. You’re in shape. It shouldn’t be hard for you.

Not for what she has me doing. I can’t even get up from this couch, I’m so tired, and my muscles are killing me. Kate rubbed her biceps and rolled her head, hoping to work out some of the lactic acid that was building up in her muscles from yesterday.

Sorry.

Yeah. I’ll get used to it. Kate forced herself to stand, grunting as she did and hoping her words were true.

That was nice. Ellie chuckled.

Yeah, I just stood up. It didn’t feel great. She grunted again as she took a step toward the kitchen, pain launching up her legs.

Who would’ve thought two out of three sides of your family would be full of such intrigue and treachery. Your birth parents as well as your adoptive mom. Crazy. Good thing your adoptive dad is so normal.

I know. Her destiny was set a long time ago. There was no denying it.

You’re too nice for all of this. Ellie chuckled, but there was no humor in it.

Kate wanted to lighten the mood, but there was no way to respond without lying. Instead, she chose the truth. That’s why I’m here.

And what, Alessa’s going to teach you how to be mean? Again with the chuckle.

Kate couldn’t keep the reality of what was going to happen from Ellie. They told each other everything. Alessa was the wife of a Mafia boss and I have a feeling she knows her stuff. This place is a fortress and I know she hates the Mafia and blames them for killing her husband.

Your grandpa. Ellie stated the obvious.

My adoptive grandpa, Piero, yes. She wants revenge and is willing to help me get my revenge by teaching me what I need to know. Just the thought of revenge sent heat through her gut. She narrowed her eyes. Revenge would be sweet.

What’s there to know? They kill people and steal from people. They need to be taken down.

True. But as they showed us in New Jersey, these people don’t exactly cling to common sense. They’re warped.

Warped doesn’t even cover it. But, you think that means you have to take them down personally?

I don’t think there’s a way to really get revenge without that happening. Kate pressed her lips together into a thin line. Revenge was the only way to go.

Revenge? Kate, that doesn’t sound like you.

Kate’s heart thumped hard in her chest at the words. Before yesterday, they were absolutely true. Now, she was a different person than the one Ellie was with a few days ago. Maybe it’s time I become who I was meant to be. A lump formed in her throat.

That’s crazy talk. You are who you were meant to be. Don’t let some past that has nothing to do with you change that.

An ache developed in Kate’s chest. Are you listening to yourself? Their past has everything to do with me. I am where I am because of that past. There’s a connection, Ellie. A connection with me and that past and it’s time I take my place and fix things. A shiver crawled up her spine. Saying the words aloud made them too real.

No—

Kate almost yelled into the phone. Listen, Ellie. I’m sorry. This is something I have to do. I need you to be on my side. The silence on the line dug into her heart. What would she do without Ellie?

Kate, I’ve always supported you. You know that, but I’m worried about you. I don’t know.

Ellie, I need you to know. Please trust me. Please. Kate was surprised to find her tone resigned instead of pleading. At that moment she knew, with or without Ellie’s support, she would be going through with this.

In all this time, no one’s been able to bring them down, Kate. She gave an exasperated sigh. What makes you think you can? Seriously.

I don’t know if I can. Kate opened and closed her hands. It’s what I’d like to do. I’m hoping Alessa’s insider info and skills will make it possible. Acid leaped in her stomach in fear that her words wouldn’t turn out to be true. Alessa was promising a lot, but Kate hadn’t seen definitive proof of any of it yet. All she had was hope.

At least you aren’t sniffing sunshine and think it’s a for sure thing. You can’t get mad at me for hoping she doesn’t have the info you need. I want you alive and back here with me. There are hot guys here, Kate. Hot!

Ellie knew how Kate felt about Duran. Along with capturing Kate’s heart, he’d saved her from a life in the Mafia, but he was also neck deep in the Bellini Mafia family and that meant he couldn’t ever be with Kate. It was merely a dream. And I want you with me, but only if it’s safe. I have a chance to get rid of the Mafia, Ellie. For good, so everyone can be safe. You. Me. Our families. She thought Duran’s name in her head. She imagined his soft brown eyes and that perfect, white smile. She had to have her lips on his again. Had to, and yet, she most likely never would. Thinking about him was too painful. She had to stop.

I don’t know, Ellie said. "What kind of people would kidnap you and force you into slave labor because you were in their store and said you thought about stealing from them? Only the insane Mafia. You can’t predict what they are going to do."

Don’t remind me. Being held prisoner by her own dad, who was about to become a major boss, was terrible. While in New Jersey, Kate had made some blunders and the Mafia had tried to make her pay. If not for Duran, she would have been a slave to them for the rest of her life. In the end, after a raid by the FBI, Kate was freed and a lot of bad Mafia members were put in jail.

Afterward, the Commission, the closest thing the Mafia had to a governing body, ordered a big turnover of most Mafia employees. Duran ended up being sent to Italy, along with over half of the other New Jersey employees. He was in Venice and was supposed to move to Bologna to finish school when Kate and he accidentally ran into each other while Kate was on vacation. He’d wanted her to go home, back to the States, from the very moment he spotted her there. He’d warned her things would be dangerous if she stayed. He’d worried about her. Was he still worrying? She’d totally get in touch with him and let him know she was safe, if only she had a way.

That’s why it’s so important I learn all about how the Mafia functions. Remember that documentary I saw in that New Jersey Internet café? The one that told the Mafia’s story and how the Governor brought them down? Well, it wasn’t enough. It taught me some things, but there’s so much more I need to know. It was how she’d discovered the barest hint of the horrible truth about the Mafia and how involved it was with her past and future.

I hope what your grandma teaches you will be helpful. Listen, I have to go. Dinner. But I’ll call you later.

If I don’t answer or I don’t immediately call you back, don’t keep calling. Be patient. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

You’d better, and I don’t care about the time difference. It’ll be worth it to me to sleep through class if I get to talk to you.

Kate grinned as she hung up. Why had she been hesitant to talk to Ellie? She should have known Ellie would support her, no matter what. Her smile faded. Then again, Ellie didn’t know everything yet.

Kate walked into the kitchen to get a drink and texted Alessa that she was off the phone. Alessa didn’t return, but Mario, the ranch hand with long, shaggy, dark hair and a crooked, endearing smile, did. He spoke in Italian, which Kate knew almost nothing of, so she really had to work to understand what he was telling her. He waved her over to a laptop sitting on the large farm table, grabbed some headphones, and handed them to her. He typed some things on the computer, pointed at the screen, held up one finger and said, "Un'ora." He grinned and said some other things she didn’t understand. When he left, she put on the headphones. She sat down, and looking at the screen, discovered she was about to take an Italian language course.

Great, she mumbled, as she clicked on the word Begin.

It started out fast and sped up from there. No English, just Italian, with pictures and videos and Italian words flying across the screen. It even prompted her to speak. She slaughtered the words. Her tongue wouldn’t work right. The last ten minutes, she was speaking with an actual Italian person who asked her questions. She tried to answer, but considering she hadn’t understood most of what was going on during the lesson, she didn’t do very well. Her grade? Fail.

She had never failed anything before, and it rankled. Determined to do better next time, she set the headphones down and smoothed her hands over the rough wood of the desk’s surface. It surprised her that she felt so at home in Alessa’s house already. It felt familiar and warm even though she had no idea where exactly in Italy she was. She knew the ocean was to the west and hills and valleys were to the east, so they were somewhere on the western coast, but how far north they were, she didn’t know. Moments later, Alessa and several of her ranch hands were in the kitchen grabbing some food Chef Maurice had left in the fridge. Cold meat cutlets, smoked salmon, and fruit salad with raw vegetables. Bread and butter on the side.

Everyone greeted her with "Buongiorno" as they set the food platters and dishes on the table.

She replied with "Buongiorno", and from that moment on, no English was spoken. Alessa and she had talked briefly the day before about the importance of her learning Italian, but Kate hadn’t expected to be completely immersed in it so soon. The charming ranch hand, Mario, who brought her the laptop earlier, began instructing her by pointing at things, saying their names, and waiting for her to repeat them. His crooked smile encouraged her when it seemed impossible for her to understand. He would then say phrases which she could sort of figure out if he gestured in just the right way. She ate when she could. By the end of the meal, he had gone over the names of all the food on the table and what she assumed was how to ask for it and how to receive it at least four times. Suddenly, she discovered she did in fact know most the words. A tiny thrill whipped through her. Maybe she could learn this language after all.

Once lunch was done, the men cleared the dishes and left. Kate didn’t miss the fact that Mario stayed and stood by the entrance to the kitchen as if standing guard.

Shall we get to work then? Alessa said. Kate’s whole body relaxed at the sound of English and she gladly followed. Alessa led her into a large room off the front foyer, past Mario and under the expansive, winding stairs. She heard the click of Mario’s boots on the tile floor behind them as he followed at a discreet distance. Books lined the walls, comfortable chairs and sofas sat neatly arranged with tables. Behind the largest desk stood a man she hadn’t yet met. His over-six-foot frame and lean body exuded confidence and strength, but his soft, kind face immediately put her at ease. He moved from behind the desk and lifted her into a hug.

Chapter 2

K ate. Finally, we meet. Taken by surprise, she squealed as he spun her around. She was more than happy to hear he spoke English too. It was heavily accented English, but English nonetheless.

This had to be her uncle, the trader. The textiles man who had left the Mafia to follow his father’s other dream. If her grandpa had been anything like him, she was sure they would have gotten along famously. He kissed both her cheeks and set her down. Then he looked her over, not in a disgusting way, but in a caring, are-you-healthy way.

You must be Tomasso, Kate said, smiling up at him. His thick, brown, wavy hair and lightly tanned skin made him look like a typical Italian.

Has my mother been telling stories about me? He smiled jovially as his eyes flicked to Alessa.

Only that you came back to Italy from America to take over your father’s textiles business when he died. You’ll have to fill in the rest.

We’ll have plenty of time for that later. Now, we must get you up to speed on the Mafia. He frowned, suddenly all business. Take a seat.

She sat in a gray leather armchair and he moved behind the desk, but remained standing. We’ll start with the structure of the Mafia. Structure is what makes the Mafia powerful. Respect the structure. His ominous words seemed to reverberate through her.

Kate nodded and repeated, Respect the structure.

"In bocca al lupo," Alessa said. Both Tomasso and Kate turned to look at her.

"Grazie," he responded as she left the room and shut the wooden door behind her. Kate hoped it wouldn’t be long before she understood what was just said. Tomasso continued speaking as if nothing had happened.

Respecting the structure will keep you alive. Think of the structure of each family as having a pyramid-like business structure. Lots of grunt workers at the bottom and only a few at the very top. A group of these family pyramids creates the Mafia. In New Jersey and part of New York, that’s five families. There are more here, but we won’t focus on that. It all starts at the bottom with the gophers and associates in each family. There are two types of people in the Mafia. The first group consists of people who are involved with them willingly. Most gophers and associates choose that life.

Why would anyone want that? Kate asked.

Many reasons. Nowhere to go. Family in the Mafia. Poverty. Greed. Pride. Desperation. Hope. He sat and rocked back in his chair, his hands cradling his head.

Kate whistled. I’m sorry I asked.

Tomasso’s face hardened. Never. Ever. Be flippant about the reasons people become involved in the Mafia. That knowledge is power. Power to defeat and power to protect. You must know who fits on which level from each family. A shiver rushed through her and the gravity of the conversation hit her. "Then there are those who are forced into it. For every terrible reason you could imagine.

The first two levels of workers are just that, workers, not actual members of the Mafia. Many aren’t even Italian. You must be Italian to be a true member. Gophers and associates are drug dealers, burglars, lawyers, police officers, politicians, business owners, and people who have wronged a family in some way and are, like I said, forced into service.

"That’s what happened to