Chapter 5
Thomas refused to answer questions about Bianca.
So I changed the question.
“What was supposed to happen to me tonight?”
He smiled.
“Back to business.”
“Yes.”
“Finally.”
That was Thomas.
Death could wait.
Power was respectable.
I pressed play.
Marcus’s voice:
“Pool first.”
Vanessa:
“Then wine cellar.”
Thomas:
“Not cellar. Service corridor.”
Unknown man:
“Vehicle waiting?”
“Yes.”
My captain looked at me.
No Moretti vehicle had been scheduled near the service corridor.
I continued.
Unknown man:
“And the boy?”
Thomas:
“Leave him with Vanessa.”
Vanessa laughed.
“He hates me.”
Thomas:
“He’ll learn.”
Ethan pressed against my leg.
Vanessa looked at him.
“See? Spoiled.”
I stared.
“You shoved him into a pool.”
“And he survived.”
“What if he hadn’t?”
She shrugged.
“Then maybe you’d finally stop raising him like glass.”
I felt three capos behind me shift.
Even hardened men had limits.
Vanessa continued:
“Children need fear.”
Ethan whispered:
“I was scared.”
She smiled at him.
“Good.”
I stepped forward.
My guard touched my elbow.
Not to stop me.
To remind me Ethan was watching.
I stopped.
Vanessa looked pleased.
She thought restraint was weakness too.
I looked at the tablet.
The unknown voice bothered me.
“Who is the fourth man?”
No answer.
Marcus laughed.
“You don’t recognize him?”
I looked at him.
He smiled.
“There are people in your organization you’ve never really heard.”
Thomas snapped:
“Enough.”
Interesting.
Marcus enjoyed saying too much.
I replayed the voice.
Older.
Rough.
Familiar.
Then my captain whispered:
“Boss.”
“What?”
“Carlo Vane.”
My father’s former right hand.
Supposedly retired five years ago.
I looked at Thomas.
“You brought Carlo back.”
He said nothing.
I understood.
Old patriarch.
Old lieutenant.
Old loyalists.
This wasn’t simply abduction.
It was restoration.
May you like
Thomas wanted his organization back.
And the wedding had gathered half the senior Moretti family in one place to watch him do it.
