Chapter 27 #2
Enzo slouched in his chair, stretching his legs out under the desk. This was a nightmare. The whole thing. He picked up his phone and dialed a number he knew by heart. A soft voice answered. “Buongiorno, Enzo. Come stai?”
“Buongiorno, Angelina,” Enzo responded, “io sto bene e tu?”
“I am well, Enzo. It is good to hear your voice. It’s been a while.” Angelina’s voice had a slight reproving tone.
“Si, it has.” He didn’t bother to explain or comment on why he hadn’t been for a visit.
He and the old man had decided that when he left, it was better if he didn’t stay in close contact for a while.
No one had voiced it, but they all knew that Rocco would be closely monitoring the situation, and the old man didn’t want to make Rocco any more jealous or unsettled than he already was.
“Is he around?”
“Si,” she hesitated, “but Enzo, this is a bad business. He is upset. It’s not good for him. Please calm him down. He trusts you.”
“I’ll do my best.” It wasn’t a lie, but Enzo guessed chances were good that the old man wasn’t going to be happy with this call.
“Bene,” she said, and then there were a bunch of muffled sounds.
“Enzo, era ora che chaiamassi?” the old man roared as soon as he came on the line.
Enzo couldn’t help but grin. “Nice to hear your voice, too. I’m well, thanks for asking.”
The old man swore. Then called Enzo a donkey. “You should have called as soon as you knew,” he reiterated in English.
“You are right, I should have. I am sorry. I…had a few things going on.”
“Bah! I hear about your goings on. What is this mess?” Massimo demanded. “What have you gotten Bianca into?”
“I haven’t gotten Bianca into anything. I haven’t spoken to her since before I retired.”
“Nevertheless, this is on you,” Massimo snarled back.
Enzo let out a long breath. This was how things usually went. He would let Massimo vent, and then, once he’d calmed down, Enzo would explain. But Enzo didn’t have the time today to go through their normal dance.
“Massimo, this had nothing to do with me. Vitale grabbed Bianca in an effort to get me to do something for him. By rights, you know I should refuse. Doing what he wants only signifies weakness. You taught me that,” he pointed out.
“Stronzo!”
“Calling me an asshole isn’t helping your case,” Enzo growled.
He was trying to be patient, but this was wearing thin.
“I didn’t put Vitale up to this, and I have no idea if Bianca is involved, voluntarily or not.
” He thought back to her voice on the phone.
She’d sounded scared, but Bianca was an Academy Award-winning level actress.
She’s sucked him in too many times to count.
“I was not calling you an asshole,” Massimo clarified, then sighed. “I spoke to her. She sounded frightened. She begged me to come get her.” The old man’s voice broke.
Regret and sadness washed over Enzo like a wave. The old man had been good to him. “I’m going to do my best to get her back, but it’s not an easy situation.”
“No,” Massimo sighed, “it’s not. Rocco is negotiating with Vitale. He says he will bring his sister home.”
Enzo knew Massimo had doubts, but he wasn’t about to voice them. He had to tread carefully for this next bit. “I heard that. I also heard that he’s blaming me for everything. He’s making me persona non grata with La Famiglia.”
“Si, that’s true.”
Enzo remained silent.
“There’s nothing I can do to help with that. I am just an old man. If he asks my opinion, I will voice my displeasure, but there’s nothing I can do.”
There it was. When it came down to it, blood was thicker than water. Massimo would support Rocco even though he knew Rocco was making the wrong choice. It was not the first time this had happened, nor would it be the last.
“Understood,” Enzo said a bit stiffly. He was pissed and, if truth be told, a bit hurt that the old man hadn’t even hesitated to throw him under the bus. “I should warn you, though, I will not go quietly. Rocco needs to stay out of my way, or it won’t be pretty.”
It was the old man’s turn to stay quiet. Finally, he said, “Understood.” Then, “You should have killed Vitale when you had the chance.”
“You have no idea how much I regret that decision.” He didn’t bother to add that his not killing Vitale had helped Massimo and Rocco. Enzo weighed his next statement but decided they were at the point of no return. “You need to think about Rocco’s end goal here.”
“What?” Massimo said sharply. “What are you talking about? His end goal is to get Bianca back—”
“And lay the blame at my feet so he can kill me with no backlash. But have you thought about what happens if Bianca dies?”
The old man drew in a harsh breath and then made a gurgling sound. “Stronzo,” he started, followed by a number of curses, each one more colorful than the last. “How could you suggest that? You think Rocco would kill his sister? You—”
Enzo had had enough. The resentment of years of biting his tongue and being treated as lesser in public came to the surface, and the dam broke.
“Yes, I do, and so do you. It’s what you’re really worried about.
It’s why you took my call. If you were really with Rocco, you wouldn’t talk to me.
You and everyone else would roll down the gates, and I would be shunned.
I have no doubts some will do that, but you’re talking to me because you want my help.
You know that Rocco will kill Bianca and blame me because then he has you all to himself, and he never has to worry about anyone undercutting him again.
Your grandson is a paranoid weakling, and you know it.
His jealousy and anger drive every decision.
It makes him a shitty leader and a worse grandson. ”
Enzo braced himself for the verbal thrashing that he was certain was about to come, but the old man remained silent. Just the sound of his ragged breathing came down the line.
Finally, Enzo said, “Massimo?”
“Enzo…you must save Bianca. I’m begging you.
I cannot help you. My hands are tied, but please save her.
I…know I shouldn’t ask, but please, for me.
You have always been like a son to me, my true son.
I cannot fix things, but I need your help to save her.
Please. For me,” he said again, and then the line went dead.