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For a little while, at least, that’s the only thing that matters.
CHAPTER 13
Dante
“They want fifty thousand?” Tony says, laughing as he stuffs an olive in his mouth and munches on it loudly. “Thousand, little nephew?” He grins over at Elio.
We’re at Leonardo’s residence, sitting around the pool. My body still hungers for Mia. Last night, I just held her for a long time. I knew she was suffering inside. I could feel her pain, but there was nothing I could do except hold her.
Leonardo Marino sighs. “It’s still not good. Kidnappers are targeting us, the Marinos.”
“They’re a professional outfit, Dad,” Luca says, glancing at me. The four of us—Colt, Luca, Elio, and me—know the truth, even if we haven’t come outright and said it. Leonardo and Tony don’t. “They’ve proven they’ve got no problem executing their prisoners.”
“They keep the ransoms low to keep their operation going,” Elio says.
“They murder a known Marino associate in aparking lotfor fifty thousand?” Leonardo says, massaging his head.
Tony stuffs another olive in his mouth, munching it so obnoxiously he’s making me want to throw him in the pool, then grab him by the shoulders and push him under.“You think you can tell her who to marry? You think you can tell her who to be with? She belongs to me, me. Me!”
Tony leans toward me. For a split second, I think he’s going to hit me. I almost react, but then I notice the olive in his hand. He’s grinning, lips wet and leech-like. “Olive, Dante?”
“No, thank you,” I mutter.
“I thought you wanted one. You were staring.”
“It’s because you eat like a pig,” Leonardo says, waving a hand. “We should look into these people before we make this trade, shouldn’t we?”
“It’s his daughter,” I say, nodding at Tony, the man sitting there munching olives while his daughter is God knows where. From his perspective, at least, she’s disappeared, but he doesn’t care.
“We can look into them.” Tony shrugs.
“But they’ll kill her,” I tell him, keeping my tone calm, so calm, like a man who could slit a throat and his hand wouldn’t falter for even one second. “This group has executed three out of their last fifteen victims. In all three cases, the ransom wasn’t paid.”
“Do you think they can just shake us down, eh?” Tony says, still grinning.
“She’s in hell, Tony,” Leonardo says, sounding more like a confused brother than a mafia boss for a second. “Wherever she is. We have to help her.”
“I know that. Of course, I know that. Are you saying I don’t love my own daughter, Leo? Me?” Tony raises his voice. “Me, big brother? The one you left behind?”
Leonardo shakes his head. “Don’t make this about thepast. We’re old men, Tony.”
“You left, Leo. Left your little brother. Left him in that hellhole.” Tony stands up, shaking slightly on the spot. He’s had three martinis since he’s been here. “I can’t talk about this. Pay the money. Save her. Please.” His eyes are getting watery, almost as if he’s trying to force tears. “All of us express our grief in different ways.”
With that very forced-sounding statement, he turns and walks away. Leonardo sighs and leans back in his chair. “Poor Tony.”
Poor Tony. I almost want to roar at the old leader of the Marino clan. Luca and Elio exchange a look. They both look confused and slightly disbelieving. Even they, as brothers, can’t understand the soft spot their father has for that mongrel.
“He’s dramatic, isn’t he?” Luca says in a lighthearted tone.
“He’s always been emotional,” Leonardo says. “He tries to hide it and pretend he’s a real Family man, but he’s still a boy at heart.”
I clench my hand into a fist so tight it almost hurts. It’s like I feel the bones trying to erupt from my hand. A fuckingboy? This is a man who was going to sell his daughter—a man who’s most likely hurt her in some twisted way that she’ll probably never explicitly say, but we’ll both know.
I stand, then sit, my head aching, splitting right down the middle. The rage builds in me. It floods into me like dye being spilled and can’t be taken back.
Luca
Everybody can see how weird this is, Dad and Uncle Tony’s drama problems. Dad’s always had a soft spot for his brother, but calling him a boy is insane. He’s no boy. He’s a snake who doesn’t care about his daughter’s disappearance—sitting there stuffing olives into his mouth.
