by Nicole Fox
She eyed me curiously before opening it. She held up the small device that was made to fit just inside her ear. “Remind me never to have you pick out jewelry for me again.”
“It’s a straight line to me at all times. We can talk to each other without using our cell phones or any bulky wiretaps.” I took the device from her to set it in place. She brushed her hair aside to give me access. The slim lines of her neck were distracting even under the current circumstances, and I took a deep breath to get myself back on track. “I’ll let you know as soon as we have him, and one of my men will pick you up and bring you here.”
“I don’t get to be a part of the fun?” Sophia let her hair fall back in place and looked up at me. “I wouldn’t mind getting a few good whacks in on him myself.”
The sentiment was cute, but it was dangerous. “You haven’t done anything against the law, and I’m not going to let you start. If something goes wrong, there are plenty of other things they can get me on. You need to be able to take care of Christopher.”
“Don’t talk like that.” She stepped forward so she could put her arms around my waist. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“It won’t. I promise. Now let’s get this over with before I change my mind and lock you in the basement.”
Twenty minutes later, I had dropped her off downtown. “I’m just going to grab a few things and maybe stop in at the bakery. I’ll see you before dinner!” She called cheerfully as she opened the door and got out of the car.
We had planned out her exact route—down to when she would use the bathroom and which one—the night before. I already knew where she would be, but this had to look real. “Have fun. My meeting shouldn’t last too long.”
She blew me a kiss and shut the door. I stayed by the curb while she walked into the nearest store, barely able to press my foot to the accelerator and let her go alone. The car felt empty without her in it. “Checking in. Are you there?”
“Mm hmm.” The muffled sound of a store clerk came through in the background. “Oh, thanks, but I’m just browsing.”
“Good. Just take the route we planned until I tell you otherwise. You have lots of eyes on you.” I only wished one pair of them could be mine, but I knew I had to stay far away if we were going to get Joe to come out. I only had to hope that he truly was watching Sophia as closely as I suspected. Otherwise, the whole day would be a waste.
Heading to my office by the docks, I went in the building without saying a word to any of the workers. They were used to this. I locked the doors and pulled the shades before I checked in with Jimbo on the radio. “How are things going?”
“No sign of him yet, boss.”
“You’re staying right with her, aren’t you?”
“I’m here,” he assured me. “Ray is in the alley.” Ray was to stay behind every store Sophia visited in case she had to flee out the back door.
“Good. Keep her safe for me, will you?” I had almost sent Jimbo with Christopher. I knew he was fond of the boy, and I knew I could trust him. There were plenty of capos I was suspicious of, but Jimbo was simply not one of them. It was that fact, though, that led me to send him out with Sophia. My parents would ensure Christopher’s safety, if for no other reason than his DNA.
“You know I will.”
I waited impatiently while Sophia shopped, wondering if there had been a better plan. I could have found out where Joe lived and simply taken him there, or followed him to one of his regular bars. As much as Sophia said he drank, I didn’t doubt that it would make him an easy target. Sophia had also suggested just going for a walk around the block, but I doubted Joe would make a move if he was that close to my house. This was the best plan we had for the moment, and I had no choice but to go with it.
“I think I’ve got a visual.” Jimbo’s voice over the radio sent me straight up in my chair. “Old Buick sedan, silver, sitting in front of the bookstore.”
I almost pushed the button on the device in my ear to tell Sophia we could see him, but I decided against it. It would only make her nervous, and I needed her to act natural. She had already told me it would be hard enough not to turn around and look at Jimbo, and I didn’t need her to do the same to Joe.
Instead, I checked my map of her route. As soon as she was done at the bookstore, she would be taking the alley toward the bakery. Perfect. I scooted to the edge of my chair, unable to wait any longer for the action to begin. I wanted to drive back into the downtown shopping area, find Joe, and curl my hands around his throat.
“She’s out.” Jimbo’s voice was a whisper. “She’s heading for the alley, and he’s getting out of the car. I’m pursuing. You won’t hear from me for a little while.”
Ray’s voice crackled onto the radio next. “I’ll be waiting at the other end of the alley.”
“Good luck, men.”
It was almost too much to bear as I waited. My men were armed, but Joe was crazy. What if he got them first? What if he took off with Sophia? I paced in front of my desk.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ray’s voice returned. “Hey, boss. Can you meet me at the warehouse? I have a special delivery for you.”
Adrenaline rushed through my body, but I couldn’t take off just yet. “I’m on my way. And Sophia?”
“She’s with Jimbo, on her way home.”
I let out a puff of air. Sophia was safe. Now I just had to make sure she always would be.
# # #
I had the use of quite a few warehouses. I needed most of them for the goods that came and went through the shipping company, but it was always nice to have an empty one just in case. I parked in the shadows between two large buildings and let myself in the side door.
Joe sat strapped into a sturdy chair in the middle of the floor. His face was bloody and bruised, and he blinked several times as he tried to focus on me. “Oh, I see. I should have known this was something to do with you, Ciro. What’s the matter? Were you too chicken to take me down yourself?”
“He hasn’t shut up since he came to,” Ray said with a roll of his eyes. “I almost knocked him out again just so I wouldn’t have to hear him.”
I approached calmly, determined not to let Joe and his nasty attitude get to me. “Maybe you’d like to tell me why you were tailing my wife.” I emphasized the last two words, glad to rub it in his face that she was officially mine.
“Calm down, macho man. I still fucked her first, you know.” He sneered up at me, malice in his eyes.
I gave him a swift backhand. Yeah, it was true, but I still didn’t like it.
His head rattled backward, but he was laughing softly when he recovered. “You’re too easy, Ciro. Just like that wife of yours.”
“Believe it or not, my business with you is about something else. How did you find out about the hit on you?”
He shrugged, the gesture confined by his bindings. “The Vincenzos had plenty to tell me once I started working for them. It turns out they pay better, too.”
“Then who told them? Someone knew what was going on, and Frankie died because of it. Now you’re going to tell me what happened.”
Joe spat a gob of blood on the floor. Ray and Jimbo had done a good job on him. “Why should I? I don’t owe you anything.”
“No? You leeched money off my family for years and you did very little in return. Sure, you knocked off a few guys here or looked the other way there, but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t have done ourselves.”
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing we parted ways if my loyalty meant so little to you.”
Now it was my turn to laugh. “Loyalty? You would have run off to the Vincenzos a long time ago if you had thought it would do you any good. You were just biding your time until the pastures were greener elsewhere. Now, let’s get this over with. Who’s the mole?”
“I’m not telling you shit.”
In one swift motion, I whipped a small blade from a holster at my belt. My other hand grabbed Joe’s ear, and I set the cold met
al right next to his scalp. “Are you sure? You might want to rethink that answer.”
“What good is it going to do me? You’re going to kill me anyway.” His words were strong, but I could hear his voice wavering.
I pushed the blade down ever so slightly. The knife was sharp and it sent a bead of blood running down his face and neck until it soaked into his shirt collar. “You’re right. I guess you don’t need this ear anyway.” I pushed a little bit harder.
Joe pulled his head to the side, trying to get away. “There’s nothing to tell you! I don’t know where the Vincenzos get all their information. They’re almost as powerful as the Santoras. Once you and your father get out of the business for good, they won’t have any competition left.”
“And I suppose you told them about that, too?” I snatched at his ear and yanked him upright again. “I’m not surprised. You’re nothing but a lying, little rat. You spend all your time controlling everyone else, but you never stop to think about the consequences. Now, tell me who the mole is. You have five seconds.”
“I told you. I don’t know anything! You’re assaulting a cop, you know. You’ll go down for this one, Ciro, and I’m going to enjoy it. I’ve never liked you, and it’s about time you got what you deserved.” He sneered up at me, confident he could make me change my mind.
“All right. Fine.” I sliced through the flesh of his ear with one quick swipe, letting it fall into his lap. His screams filled the warehouse, but nobody could hear him out here. I chose this location for a good reason.
I waited patiently while blood gushed from the wound. “Ray, put something on that. I don’t want him to lose consciousness just yet.”
The capo produced a rag from a nearby worktable and pressed it to the wound, grimacing. I would make sure he got a bonus after this.
“Joe, I think it’s time we cut this shit. Tell me what you know.” It wasn’t healthy to enjoy torturing someone, but I couldn’t think of anyone who deserved it more than Joe Pitera. Part of me hoped he held out for a while, just so I got more time to play. I wiped the edge of my knife on Joe’s pants and set the blade against his remaining ear.
“I don’t know anything. I’m innocent in all this. I’m just a simple man trying to make a living, and the force doesn’t pay that much, you know? Besides, you said you didn’t need me anymore. You can’t hold it against me that I went to the Vincenzos. What else was I supposed to do?” He was still screaming, terrified of what I would do next.
Which was just how I wanted him to be. I let another runnel of blood down the right side of his neck. “What you do is up to you, Joe, until it involves me and my family. I can’t leave here without knowing who ratted us out and neither can you.” I lifted my elbow, bracing myself for the next slice.
“Fine! Fine! It was Bruno! He’s in with Michael Vincenzo. He knew about the hit and he told them everything.” Joe was hysterical now.
I took the knife away. “Bruno? Are you sure?” My heart thundered. Frankie hadn’t trusted the consigliere, but I didn’t know of any reason not to.
“I was at the Don’s house when Bruno showed up, otherwise I never would have believed it myself.” His eyes were wild, rolling in his head.
He flinched as I examined the edge of the knife, trying to decide if I should give him a few more cuts as insurance that he was telling the truth. “Why would he do such a thing? What motive could he possibly have to work with a smaller, less powerful family? Bruno has been with the Santoras for practically his entire life.”
“I know! I know!” Tears leaked from the corners of Joe’s eyes. As tough as he thought he was, I had broken him quickly. “But he told them he was tired of being nothing more than an assistant to Tonio. He wanted more power. He wanted to make the decisions.”
“And Vincenzo is going to give him that?” Perhaps our rival family was a bigger enemy than we had ever realized. My father’s idea to legitimize our businesses had come at a horrible time.
“I don’t know. Michael never really said. He made some vague promises, but I couldn’t tell you what might have happened behind closed doors. Bruno told him about the hit, though. I was right there for that. He knew it would get to you if Frankie was killed, and they set the whole thing up together. It was all a plot to bring the Santoras down from the inside.” He leaned heavily against the rag Ray held up to the side of his head, which was quickly getting soaked with blood.
“Okay. That solves that problem. I’ll handle Bruno. What do I do with you in the meantime?” I flashed the knife in the one ray of sunlight that filtered through an upper window.
“I’ll leave, Ciro. You let me go, and I’ll get the hell out of town. I’ll never come back, and I’ll never bother you again.”
I leaned forward and slashed. He flinched, gasping with relief when he realized I was only cutting the ropes that bound him. They fell away to the floor. “Get on your knees and beg me.”
Joe Pitera, a man who up until an hour ago had believed himself to be impervious to my wrath, dropped to the concrete. “Please. Please, Ciro. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done. I was wrong. Just let me go and I swear you’ll never see me again.” His long face looked up at me with such fear that I almost pitied him.
“That would probably be good enough for me,” I said as I reached behind me. “But not good enough for Sophia. This is for her.” The bullet went straight into his forehead. He reeled backward, falling against the chair, and went limp.
I tucked my gun away and looked at Ray. “You heard what he said. We’ve got work to do. As soon as you dispose of the body, meet me back at my house. Don’t say a word to anyone else. I don’t know who I can trust.” I left the warehouse and raced home.
Chapter Eighteen
Ciro
I couldn’t get through traffic fast enough. I had to get back home and make sure Sophia was all right. I knew she was with Jimbo, and I knew he would protect her at all costs, but I still had to see her with my own eyes.
Night was just beginning to fall, and I was grateful for it. The kind of news I had to give to my wife wasn’t the sort of thing that made sense in the bright hours of day. There were dark things happening.
“Ciro!” She shot out of the house and into the garage as soon as I pulled in. Even in jeans and a t-shirt, she looked sexy as she ran across the concrete floor and wrapped her arms around my neck. “I was so worried about you!”
Jimbo was right on her heels, looking embarrassed at seeing our embrace. But he was doing his job and sticking right next to her until I told him otherwise. I gave him a grateful nod. He would be getting a bonus as well.
“There was no reason to worry about me. You were the one being used as bait.” I held her tightly against me. It had been so hard to know she was out there, in danger, and not be able to do anything about it. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I’m absolutely fine.” She grinned up at me, breathless. “It was strange and uncomfortable, but I’m fine. Jimbo and Ray took good care of me.”
I pushed her away from me so that I could look at her fully. “And he didn’t hurt you?”
“No. Now tell me what happened.”
“Um, let’s go talk in the study.” I took her by the elbow and guided her in the house. “Jimbo, you might as well take a break. You’ve earned it, and I may need you again later tonight.”
He nodded and buried his nose in the fridge while Sophia and I headed down the hall.
“Just tell me! Don’t make me wait! What did he say? Did he know who the mole was?” I had never seen her eyes so bright and sparkling. That first time I had come to her apartment to meet Christopher, she had said she didn’t want to have anything to do with the mafia. I was beginning to doubt that. Maybe she didn’t know herself all that well.
“Come in and sit down. There’s a lot to go over.” I shut the heavy door behind me. I knew we were safe in here, even with Jimbo consuming half the contents of the fridge. The alarm system was activated around the clock these days, and I had
a significant stockpile of guns behind the bookshelf. Even so, I glanced out the window before shutting the curtains and sitting down to pour a shot of whiskey.
“You’re killing me, Ciro.”
I didn’t like her particular choice of words, but I knew she was now safer than she had been over the last few years. “First, tell me everything that happened with you. Did Joe say anything? Did he touch you?” The fact that the man was dead made no difference in how angry I would be if he had harmed her.
She sighed as she sank into a leather chair opposite mine. “It was weird. It’s hard to pretend you’re shopping when you know someone is watching you, even when it’s just Jimbo. I had a feeling, though, as I came out of the bookstore and headed into the alley, that he was behind me. I can’t explain it, really. It was like this prickling on the back of my neck that danger was coming. I trust Jimbo, though, and you said you trust Ray. I kept telling myself that I only had to follow the plan and then everything would be all right.”