AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hell, I’d become damn good at ignoring the signs and desires over the years.
Until Christiana.
After that, I’d lived in a shell for three years, refusing to accept I’d found the one. I almost laughed at how ridiculous I’d been. What it had done was prepare me when I’d learned the news of who’d betrayed me.
Not that it made me feel any better about what was necessary, but perhaps it allowed me an understanding of why the rat had made certain decisions.
He was important to me, yet I’d allowed Max and Viper to come with me. My beautiful bride to be was safely tucked away in Max’s estate, likely hearing stories about me and the rest of the family. I’d yet to ask her to marry me, trying to find the right time. I knew it wouldn’t matter until questions were finally answered. Sadly, I wasn’t certain when or if that could happen. The goose chase seemed real, the information provided by her father garbage.
What I was about to handle was also kicking me in the gut.
As I pulled up to the modest house, I took a deep breath, keeping the engine running until both Max and Viper pulled against the curb on one side or the other of the two-way street. When I cut the engine, I realized these were the moments when I realized I no longer liked my chosen profession.
I’d told my father I wanted to be a doctor. It was strange that I remembered that since I couldn’t have been more than eight or nine. What I also remembered was that he sat me down in his office in one of the massive leather chairs and he’d told me I could be anything I wanted to be. And that he’d encourage and support me. That’s why he’d cared so much about Raleigh and her choice of becoming a ballerina.
Reminiscing wasn’t going to make this any easier.
Joe Cavalini had been nothing but a dead end. There was no such name, no trail that led me to finding my son. It would appear her father and the Bianchis had won another battle. Sadly, at this point I couldn’t get my hands on him. I should have put a bullet in his head when I’d had the chance.
I climbed out, studying the gorgeous sky. What I wanted was a little time spent on the islands. Maybe that wasn’t a bad plan. I owned a house on St. Barts but couldn’t remember the last time I’d been there.
I leaned against my Corvette, folding my arms as I studied the house. As Max and Viper flanked my sides, their silence added to the heavy air and weight of what we needed to do.
“Pride,” Viper said absently.
“Agreed,” Max added.
Exhaling, I glanced from one to the other. “Meaning the reason he didn’t come to any of us with his troubles?”
“Exactly.” Max was more disturbed than he wanted to let on, not only angry for the closeness he’d felt to the man but that he’d recommended I accept him as a trusted member of my work family.
“What are you going to do?” Viper asked.
I thought about his question as I’d mulled over it for almost two full days since the shit at the church. Dozens of the Bianchi soldiers had been rounded up, the illegal gambling establishments they’d formed suddenly swarmed by members of the DEA. I’d been shocked that various law enforcement agencies had worked together, including the FBI in Chicago.
The two cities’ mayors had come out heroes in sweeping their streets of unwanted criminals. Even though most of the Bianchi crimes had been done in Jersey, what Mayor Santiago had helped orchestrate had given him a serious boost in ratings with families living in Jersey and in New York.
There was no doubt he’d be reelected, the police commissioner keeping his beloved and very posh job as well. The alliances we’d made had also helped the other crime syndicates breathe easier, at least for the next few months.
All was right with the world.
Except in mine.
“I’ll know the right thing when I see his face. Let’s get this over with.” I kept my sunglasses on, pushing away from the vehicle then heading toward the man’s front door. I’d didn’t need to remove my weapon from my jacket. In my mind we were all civilized men, capable of making decent choices.
Even if they were some of the most difficult to do.
Viper and Max stood behind me as I knocked on the thick wooden slab. It wasn’t long before I heard footsteps and as the door was opened slowly, I sensed Max tensing.
There was no doubt as I looked on Ralph’s aging face that he knew exactly why we were there. His entire face fell, a knowing settling in.
“I’ll be a few minutes, honey,” he called then closed the door behind him.
I allowed him some space. There was no reason to push him at this point. His wife certainly didn’t deserve to deal with anything else than her stage four lung cancer. It hadn’t taken long to figure out what had happened, the pieces fairly easy to put together.
I’d confronted Cayman, who’d realized he’d opened his mouth and revealed certain details of my life, trusting Ralph as I’d done for years. There was no reason to think otherwise. Not one.
Ralph glanced at Max and it was one of those moments that would be frozen in time in my mind. “How did you figure it out?”
