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“I wouldn’t have it any other way,Signor.”
That much was true. Aurelio would take a bullet for any one of the Lucianos. He’d taken two just recently; it was difficult to question his loyalty.
I checked my gear one last time, then motioned down the street toward the park. Vito, Bruno, and Carmine were making the same trek from various directions and we had five other Luciano men further back. We’d watch the park from a distance to see just who showed up after the drop at midnight.
“I take it you’re hoping we might have an opportunity to question our mystery messenger?” I asked. Aurelio was a help to the Lucianos in numerous ways, but he had a very particular skillset.
He shrugged as he managed to keep pace beside me. “You never know when a little information may come in useful.”
When we arrived at the spot outside the park I’d marked out earlier, there were still fifteen minutes to go until midnight. We’d wanted to be in place early, though; no chance of alerting our messenger to our presence here.
I’d intended to let the time tick by in silence. Aurelio had other plans.
“It seems Dr. Dawson has returned to her home…” Aurelio mused, trailing off thoughtfully.
I nodded. I knew he had already been to see her today, though I couldn’t fathom why.
“Vito tells me she’s quite the woman.” He smiled. “I think he’s infatuated with her.”
What was that now? Though I was certain I’d heard him right, evident by the way my hands were tempted to curl, particularly around Vito’s neck.
“She’s hot as hell; that’s no surprise.” I said, brushing it off.
He shrugged. “I think the girl’s appeal runs more than skin-deep, don’t you?”
Now, it felt like he was leading me, and he wasn’t even bothering to try to hide it.
“Do you have something to say, Aurelio?”
“There aren’t too many women I know who could have kept their composure the way she did. I found that to be… impressive. You would benefit from a woman like that in your life.”
“I have more than enough women in my life, Aurelio, any time I want them.” None of the faceless blurs were springing to mind, though; they’d all been obliterated by the image of one prim and proper, pale-skinned brunette with goddamned stars in her eyes.
He sighed. “You’re twenty-eight years old; you’ve had more than enough time to play at being a man,Signor.Perhaps, it’s time you became one for real.”
My spine stiffened. “You know, there isn’t another person on earth who could get away with saying shit like that to me?”
“And perhaps that’s why it’s left up to me to say it. You know I mean no disrespect,” he said, meeting my eyes plainly. “But I’ve seen you with these ‘women’. They bore you. They throw themselves at you, you use them, and forget all about them. There isn’t a single thing about them that makes them memorable to you. Tell me that I’m wrong,Signor?”
“No, you’re not wrong,” I conceded.
“And Dr. Dawson? Is she not… memorable?”
That was one way to put it. Before I could respond, static crackled in my ear.
“Brando made the drop at the bench,” Vito’s voice spoke into my earpiece. “He’s leaving the park by the east side.”
“Bene,” I replied. “Wait for him to clear the area, then have Bruno bring him back to the house. He stays there with Antonio until I say otherwise.”
“You got it, boss.”
Now, all we had to do was wait for our mystery messenger.
“You should make an effort with the doctor,Signor.”
“Do you think we might have more important things to worry about at the moment?” I asked, nodding in the general direction of the park.
Aurelio laughed quietly under his breath. “I think you’re more than capable of staring at trees and talking at the same time,Signor.”
