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“That’s because this part of the house is disconnected from the rest of the place. It runs off its own energy source. The old man is paranoid about the Feds getting a drop on him. The basement is encased in so much cement they couldn’t hear a peep down here if they tried. The only way the Feds would get a wire down here is if they planted it on one of our guys.”
“Yeah, but your dad has all of us checked before we’re even allowed in his office.”
I shrugged. “You can never be too careful when
you’re in his position. A lot of men are line after him, waiting to take his place.”
We ascended the stairs at the end of the hall two at a time. When we reached the top landing, I pushed open the door and shielded my face from the bright lights in my eyes. Compared to the dingy basement, the main hallway, with all the creams and whites, was the polar opposite. I blinked a few times until my eyes adjusted to my new surroundings.
Sonny cupped my shoulder with his hand, taking me by surprise. “We’ll get Gia back.”
“I know but in what condition? What if she’s not the same woman?”
He shut the door behind us, and we walked down the hall to the foyer. “Would it matter?”
“No, of course not. I didn’t mean it like that.” I sucked in a deep breath and raked my fingers through my hair, tugging at the ends. “I’m losing patience. My dad doesn’t seem to think finding Gia is important. We had a deal. He’s breaking that deal by telling us what we have going on with Enzo is more important.”
“I hate to say this, but he’s right. I don’t want to see Gia hurt. She’s in the middle of all this, whether she was supposed to be or not. Innocent people always get caught in the middle of wars. It’s inevitable. Sometimes, there’s nothing we can do to prevent it.”
“I could have done something,” I shot back.
Two men in dark suits open the front doors for us. The humid summer air smacks me in the face, the stickiness already making my suit stick to me. With a few more weeks left until fall, the heat has been intensifying instead of letting up. I was more of a cold weather person. So was Gia. I couldn’t stop wondering how she was being treated. After seeing the video of her stripping, I was sure she was being tortured for my sins.
“No, you couldn’t.” Sonny hit the button on the key fob to open the car doors for us.
I looked at him over the roof, irritated and not with him. My best friend was only trying to help me. “I killed Antonio. This is my fault.”
We drove for about ten minutes before either of spoke again. I was sick with guilt, fear, and anger. None of those feelings were meant for anyone in my life. I was mad at myself. By killing Antonio Mancuso, I had set in motion a chain of events, which could lead to Gia’s death.
“All of this is my fault,” I choked out, staring out the window. “I could have saved Gia from all of this. I should have gone against my father and run away with her.”
“Your dad would have hunted the two of you down and dragged you back here. There’s no way in hell he was ever letting you off the hook. For the past hundred years, every man on your dad’s side of the family has been a Made man. You were born into this life. We both were. Neither of us ever had a choice.”
“You had one,” I reminded Sonny.
“Not really. I grew up with my dad in and out of jail. I had my mom and little sister to feed. I’m not book smart like you. I couldn’t go to college and make an honest living. I steal to survive. I kill to live. You do the same, but you have different motivations. You want to please your dad. I do it to take care of my family.”
“What do you think I’m doing?” I balled my hand into a fist on my thigh, biting back the anger. “Gia is my family. Everything I do is to provide for her. To make sure she has what she needs and is taken care of.”
“It’s not the same, and you know it. Gia has a rich dad. She doesn’t need money from you.”
“Are you trying to piss me off? Because you are succeeding, Son. You don’t get it. My dad threatened to take her away from me. I had to play his game and follow his rules. He’s fucking sick and twisted. I believed him when he said he would find a way to end our relationship for good if I didn’t do as he asked.”
Sonny turned onto the highway, glancing over at me with a confused look on his face. “When did your dad say that?”
“After I got accepted into college, he sat me down and told me I could go with Gia as long as I didn’t try anything stupid.”
“Like what?”
“Like running off with her. For whatever reason, the old man always believed that because we share the same name, I was his heir apparent.”
“He doesn’t treat you like it.”
I shook my head. “Nope. Not anymore. Never really did. He’s disappointed in me. He was hoping I’d turn out more like Pete. Even Marco isn’t good enough for him. That’s why he put all of his trust in Pete. He was right to do so. Pete’s the obvious choice. He’s a dick, but he would make a good boss.”
“He would,” Sonny agreed. “Pete’s level-headed and thinks shit through before he acts.”
“Unlike me,” I finished for him.
