I grit my teeth, imagining how humiliating it would be to arrive anywhere surrounded by Rocco’s mafioso guards. “I don’t want to put you out. It’s just one performance, so there’s really no need. I’ll be back home before you know it.”
His eyebrow quirks up. “You assume I’ll be waiting for you at home.”
“I only meant…you’re away half the time, and I know you’re busy…so.”
“My favorite singer will be performing at theCandelabra.I wouldn’t miss that for the world.”
23
ROCCO
“Martino says she’ll be on stage soon,” Teo announces as he takes a seat next to me at theCandelabra’sVIP table.
I nod at this, taking in the familiar atmosphere of the packed club.
Alessandro is in the corner with a few of his men, feigning a drunken stag party. Dante has positioned himself on the other side of the room, his own team posing as South African tourists.
Not to mention the handful of lieutenants that had come along for kicks. Each of them had approached the VIP table to offer their sly smiles and transparent intentions: to see what all the fuss was about.
Even Mia is off work tonight, drinking with Marco by the bar. Her fiery gaze narrows on me every few moments, but so far, she has kept her distance. As far as I’m aware, Cas hasn’t been in contact with her since the last time we were here.
How many of them I can trust, I don’t know. But so far, Teo and I have been able to keep her surname from becoming public knowledge.
“No sign of him?” I ask. I’d given Claudio Lazzaro very specific orders to make himself scarce tonight.
Thankfully, Teo shakes his head. “Martino hasn’t let her out of his sight.”
I’m paranoid; I know I am. But you don’t make it far in this business if you’re not.
“Good.”
“Boss…Rocco…” Teo sighs.
I cut him off. “I don’t want to talk about it tonight, Vitale.”
“You can’t ignore it forever,” he tries to rationalize. “You have to consider the possibility that she might be working against you.”
“I have,” I reply firmly, turning myself away to end the conversation.
But Teo has never been one to break under the pressure.
“Carmine hired Lazzaro to bring his daughter to Brooklyn with money he stole from the Guild. He’s one of the only people who could have pulled off a loan like that right under Chiavari’s nose. You said it yourself.”
“I’m not disputing that.”
“So it can’t be a coincidence that Cassandra Bellini now resides inyourhome with access to your personal files.”
I drink to cover my grimace. Finding out that Cas had been rooting through my office was a shock and definitely didn’t aid her case. But if she intended to use that information against me, she wouldn’t have boasted about knowing it in the first place.
“What are you saying, Vitale? You really think she’s the rat?”
He glances over his shoulder before leaning in closer. “I think you’d be a fucking idiot not to consider the possibility.”
“Leaks were happening before Cas even came into the picture.”
“So she took over from her father after he ate lead.”
I shake my head. “She doesn’t know anything.”
