A normal life was never in the cards for Bonnie. She was the matriarch's oldest granddaughter. Therefore, at some point she would have been married off to secure an alliance with one of the West Coast's major crime families. However, the marriage would have occurred when she was older and more prepared. Unfortunately, Abby's decision to marry and then divorce a civilian had sealed Bonnie's fate when she was 3 years old. It became her duty to ensure the survival of their family.
Bonnie's earliest memory was kneeling in a puddle of blood as the most important man in her life bled to death. She could remember the acrid smell of gunpowder as the getaway car's tires squealed against the rain slick road. On some nights, her great uncle's lifeless hazel eyes still turned her dreams into nightmares. That fateful day, she learned that the price of having everything was blood.
Bonnie had received the best education that money could buy from private tutors. However, Sheila taught her the most important lessons. She learned about the proud history of the Benedetto family—both legal and illegal. Sheila taught Bonnie how to maneuver in a world that would always underestimate her. In fact, her grandmother believed that the underworld's misogyny could be her greatest tool. Bonnie could manipulate the pieces on the chessboard to her benefit while the men simply ignored her presence. Moving in the shadows allowed her great-grandmother Emily to sway a man that once upon a time would have died to protect the Salvatore family. Now that man's descendants would gladly slaughter Giuseppe's sons and brothers for Bonnie.
Too many of the up and coming criminal organizations ran as if they were a corporation. However, what they lost sight of was the sense of family that should bind their members together. Money and fear weren't adequate motivation when men were faced with death or lengthy imprisonment. The people allowed into the Salvatore organization's innermost circle had deep roots that spanned back to the old country. To betray the Salvatore family would be to betray their own blood and their family's legacy. It wouldn't be a decision they arrived at lightly.
Outward appearances would lead people to believe that the men of the Lockwood family were the Salvatore organization's most loyal soldiers. Giovanni Salvatore and Giacobbe Loiacono had been boyhood friends in Milazzo. However, they lost touch when the Salvatore family immigrated to the United States in the early 1900's. The family settled in California where Giovanni and his two younger brothers opened a string of illegal gambling halls and brothels. However, everything changed at the start of Prohibition.
Giovanni saw an opportunity to capitalize on the government's sudden morality. He wanted to expand his organization into bootlegging. However, he needed more men. Giovanni sent his younger brother back to Milazzo to recruit men they could trust. Giacobbe was among the first men recruited. Giovanni paid the fee for the man's family to immigrate to the United States with him. His family changed their last name to Lockwood because of the Immigration Act of 1924. The act restricted immigration from southern European countries. Giacobbe was grateful to Giovanni for helping get his family out of Milazzo during a perilous time. He swore an oath of loyalty to his childhood friend and kept it until his death.
The bond shared between Giovanni and Giacobbe was passed down to their respective sons, Niccolo and Georgio. When the widower, Georgio, went to prison for murder, Niccolo Salvatore took in his children. He had two sons named Alonzo and Mauricio. The boss and his wife already had three sons, Domenico, Bruno, and Giacomo. However, he treated the two boys as if they were his own flesh and blood.
Domenico and Alonzo were as thick as thieves into adulthood. Everyone believed that Alonzo would become consigliere when Domenico took over for his father. However, jealousy and male pride derailed those plans and forced a wedge between the two men. They both fell in love with a young woman named Rosemary. She chose Alonzo but Domenico petitioned his father to arrange a marriage between them. Niccolo didn't like the move but convinced Alonzo that it was better for the family in the long run. Rosemary's family had powerful political ties back East that could be useful to them.
Domenico married Rosemary but grew bitter when he realized that she would never love him. His jealousy further corrupted his already tattered relationship with Alonzo. When Niccolo died, Domenico chose his brother, Giacomo, to be his consigliere. The move caused a rift in the organization. Many of their high-ranking capos thought that he was being short-sighted.
Domenico realized his mistake because his younger brother was inexperienced and unprepared for the job. However, he couldn't look weak in front of the organization. As the tension built, Alonzo was arrested for manslaughter. He was guilty but the timing was suspicious. The arrest stemmed from an incident that happened three years prior. However, an eyewitness miraculously appeared to testify against him. Alonzo thought Domenico was responsible for his predicament but could never prove it.
Alonzo's wife and his young sons were destitute during his incarceration. They had to move to Puyallup, WA to stay with some distant relatives on the wife's side of the family. Sheila's mother, Emily, saw an opportunity to gain a foothold within the Salvatore's organization. She wasn't fond of Domenico. He had been a good friend to her family for decades until she married a Black Creole man from Louisiana. Suddenly, Domenico didn't want to socialize with her family—their interactions became strictly business related. Emily was a pragmatist and she wasn't going to turn away money. Her family did business with many people who were prejudice but she hadn't considered any of them to be true friends the way Domenico had once been.
Emily quietly supported Alonzo's family for the twelve years he spent in prison. She also made sure that his sons went to the best private schools in the city. Alonzo understood that Emily's assistance would come at a price once he finished his prison sentence. He willingly became Emily's inside man in Domenico's organization.
Fortunately, the don felt guilty for his role in Alonzo's incarceration. He eagerly welcomed his foster brother back into the organization and his family. Alonzo hid his resentment well. He systematically worked his way to being Domenico's most trusted confidante again. All the while, he reported to Emily and helped her install more moles into the Salvatore organization. Nearly forty years later, Emily's investment was still paying dividends for her great-granddaughter.
Mason walked downstairs and asked, "Can I take it from your smile that the meeting with Mommy Dearest was a success?"
Bonnie's smile brightened. "And then some. Who knew she loved me quite so much? I have you to thank for this, Mason. I knew that my mother used to have a relationship with Ric. However, I wouldn't have known that it was ongoing without the information from you."
He smiled as he sat down across from the couch. "As always, I am at your service, Bonnie. My loyalty and that of my family will always be to the Benedetto family."
Bonnie said, "I can't express how much your support means to me. I appreciate everything that your family has done for me since Grams died. If not for all of you, I would be completely alone here in Los Angeles. Giuseppe went out of his way to isolate me from my family after I married Damon."
Mason's eyes darkened at the mention of Giuseppe. He had watched helplessly as the man had assumed control of the American side of the Benedettos' arms smuggling operation following Sheila's death. The very people meant to protect Bonnie now worked for the man that could hurt her the most. Unfortunately, Mason's fears had been realized when he attacked the girl at her most vulnerable.
"My father made a promise to Miss Emily. He might be long gone now but we will continue to pay our debt to your family."
Bonnie looked down at the mention of Alonzo Lockwood. Alonzo and her great-uncle had been killed protecting her and Stefan from a hail of gunfire. They had been ambushed while leaving a wedding in Milazzo. It was a hit meant to assassinate Sheila, Giuseppe, and Big John. The attempt ultimately failed and the men responsible had suffered greatly before they were given the mercy of death.
"I'm sorry. I don't think that I've ever said that to you," she replied.
Mason reached out and squeezed Bonnie's hand. "My father died 16 years ago, Bonnie. An apology from you is not necessary. My father gladly gave his life for the Benedetto family just as I would."
Bonnie forced a small smile. She said, "Well, don't go falling on your sword just yet. You are invaluable to me inside the Salvatore organization. You becoming Alaric's second in command is fortuitous."
He nodded in agreement. "It is as if Miss Emily was planning for this moment from the very beginning. She spent years cultivating the perfect assets within the organization. Miss Sheila doubled those efforts when you were a little girl. Your marriage to Damon was a long time coming. Those women had a plan for every contingency."
"It's the best way to make sure you aren't caught with your skirt round your ankles." She went quiet for a minute and then said, "I do have another favor to ask of you, Mason."
"Ask away," he replied.
Bonnie said, "I want you to subtly explore just how many of our people are still loyal to me. I have still been paying for their services despite not calling upon them. However, that may change in the near future."
Mason sat up straighter after hearing Bonnie's request. "I'll get into it starting today. I'll suss them out and kill anyone that has forgotten to whom they answer."
She was glad that the older man understood what needed to happen without elaboration. "Thank you."
"Working on a contingency of your own?" he asked with a knowing look.
Bonnie hummed in response. "One can never be too careful. These are delicate times for us all. Things are about to change. I have been thinking I might also need to increase my security."
Mason nodded. "We need more of our people in that house. Giuseppe would have never drawn another breath if one of ours had been working in the manor that night. I can see about getting Brady or Ty assigned to you."
He couldn't think of anyone that he would trust to protect Bonnie more than his younger brother or his nephew.
"Either would be a good choice. I would prefer to have Tyler protecting me. You may need Brady's help with the task I gave you. Anyway, I've already planted the seed with Damon that I'd feel more secure with a personal guard in the house. He said that he would speak to Ric about finding someone suitable."
"I have Ric's ear. I'll be sure to nudge him in the right direction."
"Thank you," she replied.
"You are welcome." He checked his phone and sighed. "Sorry, I am waiting for Vicki to call me back."
"How is Vicki doing?" Bonnie asked with an amused smile. Mason had once vowed never to get married.
He smiled wryly. "She has her good and bad days. Today is one of the bad days. She's been on one since I left her alone with the kids while I was in Shadow Hills."
The young woman snickered in response. "That's what you get for marrying a crazy woman. Donovan women have two settings: crazy and crazy as fuck. Frankly, I don't know how Mattie survived growing up with Kelly and Vicki."
Mason snorted. "Well, I have some insight into that because Kelly has been living with us for the last few months. She said it was to help Vick with the new baby but I think she's moved in for the long haul and they just haven't told me yet."
"You poor bastard. You'll be lucky if they don't kill one another even if this was their plan."
He huffed out a laugh. "Oh, they're getting along for now but it's only a matter of time before they are at one another's throats. She drives me crazy, but Kelly really has been a lifesaver. Adding a fifth kid to the family wasn't our smartest move. "
Bonnie let out an impressed whistle. "I still can't believe that you have five kids. I'm freaking out at the prospect of having three."
"Well, Vicki and I won't be having any more kids. We both decided to get our junk snipped, tied, yanked out…whatever."
Her eyes went wide. "What are you going to tell Father Finn about that?"
He snorted. "I'm going to tell him that if I get Vicki pregnant again that she will stab me in my sleep."
Bonnie laughed with a shake of her head.
He looked down at his phone after it vibrated. He quickly responded to the message and then stood up. "Looks like Tyler is here. I reminded him to come around back."
She nodded. "Hopefully, that won't be necessary for much longer."
"Don't worry. I will make sure that Ric chooses Tyler or Brady for your security detail. I'll feel better when it's one of us protecting you," he replied.
"Me too," Bonnie agreed.
Tyler walked into the room carrying food from In and Out Burger and a shopping bag. He set the food on the table and said, "I brought lunch. Where's Sarah?"
Bonnie's mouth watered a little at the smell of grease and cheese. She was about 50% sure that she would throw up after eating. However, she wasn't about to turn down a meal from her favorite fast food spot. "She's taking a nap right now."
Mason clapped his nephew on the back. "I am going to get back to work now that you are here. I'll make sure to start those inquires as soon as possible, Bonnie. Call me if you need anything."
"I will and thanks—again," she replied.
He clapped his nephew on the back and then headed toward the back to slip out of the house unnoticed.
Bonnie rushed into Tyler's arms as soon as the door closed behind Mason. She wordlessly melted into his familiar embrace. There weren't words to express the bond they shared. Tyler had been there for when she needed him most—and it wasn't the first time. "Thank you for coming."
Tyler tightened his hold on Bonnie and pecked her forehead. "Where else would I be?"
"I missed you," she whispered into his chest.
He relaxed feeling Bonnie's soft curves against him. "I would have gone to Shadow Hills with you and Sarah if my disappearance wouldn't have been suspicious. I hated that the two of you were there alone."
"I know," she whispered. "But the time alone was good for us. I was able to devote all of my attention to Sarah and she needed that. I think that I needed it, too."
He pulled back enough to study her face. He cupped her chin and said, "You are looking better. How do you feel?"
"I feel better, too. Morning sickness is causing me more discomfort than any of my injuries are," she replied.
Tyler's eyes went down to her stomach. He smiled and asked, "Do you think the kiddos will let you scarf down a double-double and fries?"
"Maybe. Did you remember to get extra fries for me?"
He rolled his eyes and asked, "What kind of question is that? I even stopped off at the market to buy a bottle of creamy Romano salad dressing for you."
Bonnie's eyes lit up. "You are the best, Ty."
"I know," he replied with a grin. "Now sit down so that we can get some food in you."
She sat down on the couch and curled her legs underneath her. She couldn't ignore the sense of calm that washed over her in Tyler's presence. She could be herself when she was with Tyler. He knew her in ways that Damon never could. Moreover, she trusted him to have her best interest at heart.
Tyler handed Bonnie's food to her. He said, "I bought lunch for Sarah, too. I'll just go put it in the fridge for her. She might want it when she wakes up."
Bonnie nodded but she was too busy squeezing Romano dressing onto her fries to respond. She popped one fry into her mouth and sighed happily at the garlicky flavor. She was happy that her stomach didn't automatically rebel against the rich food. Bonnie hoped that at least some of her earlier nausea had been because of her frayed nerves.
Tyler returned a few minutes later with a bottle of water and a glass of strawberry milk. He had a seat beside Bonnie on the couch and toed off his designer dress shoes. He hated his job as a corporate investigator for Velocita. The work was mind numbing because he was overqualified for his job. However, it was a good cover and provided income he could claim on his tax returns to appease Uncle Sam.
He took off his suit jacket and tie before digging into his own lunch. He glanced over at Bonnie with a smirk. She was practically inhaling her meal. "Good?"
She nodded happily. "So good." Bonnie eyed the glass of strawberry milk he had placed in front of her. "Did you check the expiration date on that milk? I can't remember the last time I stocked the kitchen. Everything in the refrigerator is probably out of date by a couple of months."
Tyler chuckled and said, "Don't worry. I am not forcing you to drink spoiled milk. I went shopping this weekend for the essentials. I figured we'd need some fresh food around here if we're going to use this place as our base of operations."
"Thank you for doing that, Ty. I didn't even think about needing food when I was out earlier." Bonnie took a big gulp of the milk and asked, "How much did it run you? I'll pay you back."
"Don't worry about it. Mason and Brady will be here more often than either of us will be. I'll make them reimburse me for it," he replied.
He was well acquainted with his uncles' voracious appetites. They would burn through the food he picked up in a week's time even with them only being there a few hours each day.
"How'd the meeting with Abby go?"
Bonnie put her feet in Tyler's lap as she bit into her burger. "Better than I expected. It didn't take much to get her on my side. I guess I never realized how much she disliked my marriage to Damon."
He snorted and said, "I think that is the party line for anyone that actually cares about you, Bon. My old man definitely wasn't on board with the idea but Miss Sheila promised that she had a plan."
Verdant eyes studied him carefully. "She did have a plan and I am following the framework. But I am also doing things my own way. I know that you worry about my objectivity but I haven't taken my eye off the prize. My feelings for Damon will never overshadow my duty to the family, Ty."
Tyler put down his half-eaten burger and moved closer to Bonnie. He took her hand and said, "I'm sorry for saying that I didn't trust your judgment, Bon. I didn't mean it. I was just…in a bad headspace at the time. Can you forgive me?"
A weight Bonnie hadn't even realized that she was carrying began to lift off her shoulders. She nodded at Tyler with a small smile. "Of course, I forgive you."
He pecked her cheek.
The two childhood friends fell into a companionable silence as they finished eating lunch.
Tyler stood up and collected their trash. "Do you want more strawberry milk?"
Bonnie stifled a yawn and shook her head. "No, I think I am going to head upstairs to get a nap. Are you going to hang around here?"
"Yeah. I don't trust those assholes that Damon has watching your back. Go get your nap. I'll be down here when you wake up," he said.
"Thanks, Ty." Bonnie climbed the stairs and went into the master bedroom. She closed the heavy curtains to block out the late afternoon sun. Afterwards she climbed into the bed.
She was on the edge of sleep when Tyler burst into the room holding his phone aloft. He closed and locked the door so that he wouldn't disturb Sarah down the hall. The last thing they needed was for her to walk in on them discussing business. The kid was smart as a whip and didn't miss very much going on around her.
"We found the fucker," he barked out.
Bonnie's eyes popped open and she sat up in the bed. "We found Giuseppe?"
Tyler grinned as he sat beside her on the bed. "Yeah. He turned up on Cousin Dante's doorstep tonight. It makes sense that he would reach out to a Loiacono first. He was fucking testing the waters…trying to figure out who knows what. I don't have all the details yet. My old man just texted me the basics."
She considered her options. "Make sure the information gets to Lucy but keep the Salvatores in the dark for now. I want to hear what Abby learns from Alaric first."
He nodded and quickly fired off a text to his father. "Dante knows the score. He'll keep his mouth shut until we tell him otherwise."
Bonnie smiled in relief. She had been uneasy not knowing Giuseppe's whereabouts. The man had to know that his back was up against the wall and a cornered animal was unpredictable. "This is the best news I've gotten all day."
"You and me both," he replied. He reached out and ran his pointer finger over the Saint Christopher medal hanging around her neck. "Mason told me that you were wearing it in Shadow Hills."
Bonnie looked down to where Tyler's finger rested just above the swell of her breasts. "I never took it off. Do you want it back?"
Tyler had been torn in two the night that Bonnie turned up to his house bruised and battered. He wanted to keep her close and never let her out of his sight again. However, he also understood that they were playing the long game. Both of their families had made incredible sacrifices to get them to this point. Damon couldn't learn that the Lockwoods' allegiance had long been flipped in the Benedetto family's favor. Tyler knew that it was ridiculous but giving Bonnie his Saint Christopher medal felt as if he was sending a piece of himself with her. The medal had belonged to his grandfather.
"No, I want you to keep it. I like knowing that you're wearing it," he replied quietly. Tyler drew Bonnie into his arms as he sought out her soft lips.
The kiss was tender, heartfelt, and so different from the way that Damon kissed her. Bonnie knew that this was wrong but every fiber of her being tingled from Tyler's touch. She wanted him. She needed him.