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"What is it, Rosalie?" he asks.
"You said you were coming for my father's funeral, when Don Conti falsely accused you of murdering his ex-underboss and declared war on you?" I ask Rosalie.
She nods, looking confused.
"What if," I whisper, and Felix catches on to my drift. He cuts me out, his face ashen-white.
"What if it was a ploy to keep us from meeting you at the funeral and letting you know you had allies in America?"
I nod.
"That bastard," Felix whispers my thoughts. "I had evidence Don Conti was behind his own ex-underboss’s murder, but I couldn’t understand why. I couldn’t believe it to be true for what Don would do that to his own men? This is exactly why I asked Stefano Nitti to get more time, to find better evidence, for I couldn’t identify a motive for Conti to murder his own right-hand man. And now, everything makes sense. He's even more cunning than we thought. They've been planning this for goodness knows how long."
"Which means taking Conti down will be harder than we thought," Rosalie bemoaned. “It’s clear he’s been two steps ahead of us the whole time.”
Chapter 34
Stefano
IstepintotheCapo's office and I'm immediately struck by the heavy scent of cigar smoke swirling through the dimly lit room.
"Stefano, have a seat," he says, gesturing to the chair across the grand oak desk he sits at. I do as I'm told, and anxiously wait to know why I was called here.
Has he learned I let Felix Carlisi go?
"Isabella's father's murderers," the Capo begins, his voice measured, "we found them, and they've been dealt with." He pauses, watching my reaction closely. "I want you to bring Isabella to me. She deserves to hear the news."
I can barely register what I'm hearing. "So, she's free to go now?"
The Capo nods, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Yes, Stefano. She is no longer in danger."
The weight of all the sleepless nights melts right off me. Isabella is safe – that's all that matters.
"Thank you, Capo," I say, my voice filled with relief and gratitude. "I'll go get her right away."
"See that you do," he replies, leaning back in his chair, his eyes never leaving mine. "And tell her... I'm sorry for what she's been through."
As I stand up and turn to leave the room, my mind races with thoughts of Isabella. She'll finally be free of this nightmare, and we can start rebuilding our lives together. Maybe once she regains semblance to normalcy, things between us too, can heal.
"Stefano," the Capo calls out just as I'm about to exit the office. I glance back at him, my hand resting on the doorknob.
"You did good work, son."
I bow my head, ever-so-slightly. There's something that happens within me when he calls me son. No matter how angry I've been at him, the word itself replenishes my soul, makes me feel like I belong.
I hurry through the grounds of his grand estate. My emotions are waves, crashing into one another – relief and guilt – relief for Isabella's newfound safety, and guilt for ever doubting the Capo's intentions.
"Stupid," I mutter to myself, my steps quickening. I regret not trusting him from the beginning. I should have given him the benefit of the doubt, after everything he's done for me, for us, for hisfamilia.
Perhaps when he said it doesn't matter if Isabella dies, he was just overwhelmed in the moment, looking out for his mafioso. There was a war on, after all and what is it that Don Conti always says? When at war, let all blood spill but the family's.
And of course, Isabella isn't his family. We protected her, but she wasn't a part of us. He was always looking out for us, and I let my fears cloud my judgment.
I burst through the heavy doors of the cottage.
"Isabella!" I call out as I enter. "Isabella, it's me! It's Stefano!"
There's no answer. She's still upset with me, about us. That's fine, things can be mended later but I can't wait to see her face when she learns she's safe. Her father's killers have been given the kiss of death. I run up the stairs, two at a time.
