We loaded Dante into a car so he could be returned to his house, while the guys who’d surrendered cleaned up the mess of bodies on the warehouse floor. The men outside surrendered too, even though they had no idea that their guns were faulty.
“We’ll start the business transition tomorrow,” Don Mancini said. “I wasn’t looking to expand, we’ll need more guys, but we’ll make it work.” He headed for the main door. “Let’s head out. It’s almost dawn.”
After we finished up, we headed back to the SUVs that waited to take us back home.
Don Mancini moved to the middle SUV. “Wolfe, you’re with me.”
Leo was about to walk up on the other side of the SUV to join his father, but when he heard the order, he moved to the front vehicle, the one I’d ridden in on the way here.
Everyone got in the cars, and we headed to the winery in Caltanissetta. The sun was starting to rise, the sky still a dark blue as light slowly crept across the land. It was a quiet drive because it was spent in silence.
I expected Don Mancini to have something to say to me, but he stared straight ahead.
I turned to look at the side of his face.
He felt my stare and met my gaze.
“This is the part where you tell me I was right, thank me, and give me a nice pat on the shoulder.”
His stare lingered for a moment longer, and I saw a hint of Francesca in the stare, in the stubbornness. “You were right.”
I smirked then looked ahead. “Damn right I was right.”
“How did you do it?”
“I’ve done a lot of favors for a lot of people. And favors are the only debt I collect. Asked my little friend tochange out their guns for faulty ones before the meeting. And then I grabbed Dante myself and loaded him into one of their shipments.”
“Why were you so certain Luigi would move this way?”
“Because assholes like him are all the same.” Always thought they had a brilliance that reinvented the wheel. Thought they were five steps ahead of their money, when they were three steps behind. I stared out the window and saw the empty road ahead of us, the world still asleep. “Think about it. He stole your guns once before. You didn’t figure it out, so he did it again. The first time, he was testing you. Made his assumption about your abilities at that point and made his decision to move against you. He wasn’t going to change his mind just because you found the guns the second time. That’s how people are. First impressions matter. First decisions matter too.”
“You didn’t think it was harsh to take his son as collateral?”
I turned to look at Don Mancini. “Did you think it was harsh when he put a gun to your son’s head?”
“Leo chooses to be here. Dante has chosen to remove himself from this life. They are not the same.”
I looked ahead again. “I feel nothing. I earned the name Wolfe from Cosa Nostra years ago because I know howto hunt. I know how to find anyone who doesn’t want to be found. One of my assignments was an asshole who betrayed Cosa Nostra twenty years ago. Changed his name a couple times and disappeared off the map—but you know where he ended up? A priest in the Vatican, hiding behind the cross around his neck.”
“Did you kill him?”
I smirked. “What do you think?”
Don Mancini stared at me for a long time.
“Maybe one day, I’ll tell you, Don. But not today.”
When we arrived at the winery, it was early morning.
Francesca was there, ready to treat the wounds we were bound to have.
But Leo was the only one who had any bruising, and the only thing that would fix that was time.
Don Mancini left the vehicle then walked toward the front of the house. He looked over his shoulder and motioned for me to follow him.
I came to his side, and together, we walked up the stairs.
Francesca stood there, her eyes on me longer than they probably should have been. The relief on her beautiful face, like she might burst into tears, was a look I’d never forget. She swallowed then shifted her gaze to her father. “You’re okay?”
