CHAPTER 5 - RED
CHAPTER
Red
“YOU EXPECT ME to believe this absurdity?” Emiliano Galvatore eyes me with the disdain that, in any other situation, I would immediately rip a man’s face from his skull. But in this time and place, I have no choice but to take it on board.
“The audacity you possess, Mr Bateman, to come to my premises, accusing me of more untruths is beyond belief.” He knits his fingers together, closer to the gun left on his desk, no doubt for effect.
I swallow my building rage. I knew this wouldn’t be easy. I expected denial, anger and distrust, but this pompous, greedy bastard, who I’ve spent the majority of my life hating, is my only hope - Arianna’s only hope. And for that, I’ll put up with whatever shit the old cunt throws my way.
“Why would I believe my own son is behind these alleged threats you’ve received? If I remember rightly, it was only a couple of days ago that you laid them at my door? Yet, now it’s Matteo, along with Roberto’s brother?”
Galvatore rolls his eyes at me, actually rolls them. I need to kill this cunt!
“Please, Mr Bateman, you must think me quite senile if you think I’ll believe your rubbish!
And that ludicrous nonsense about them forming some kind of ‘pureblood’ organization?
Why would either of them do that? You know that Luca Bristoni is my youngest daughter’s intended, so their alliance will be pureblood. Try your hardest to think sensibly!”
Galvatore holds his hands out, palms up, and shrugs his shoulders like I’m a simpleton, and at the deep chuckle resounding from him, my hands curl into fists against my side.
“You say this information came from the mouth of, ah, yes, that’s it, your second-in-command, who you’ve already admitted turned out to be a defector...”
“Yeah, that’s it,” I snarl, unable to stop myself. “The one you pretended not to have heard of by making a parody of his name. ‘Del Boy’, you said, didn’t you? Yes, he was a defector and worked both for you and Bristoni, like you don’t know...”
Emiliano Galvatore flips his hand at this betrayal as if it’s as inconsequential as missing the occasional episode of EastEnders.
“Then perhaps you should keep better tabs on your staff, Mr Bateman? It doesn’t pay to trust people not of your blood.
Yes, your man undertook intelligence work for both myself and Edoardo in the past, but not for some time.
” He chuckles again. “Intelligence work was a bit of a misnomer where he came into it! Only a small percentage of his reports proved useful, so why would I believe the nonsense he’s allegedly fed you? ”
That’s the question I’ve asked myself over and over: holding onto the hope that Del was lying out of anger.
Oscar and Liam believed Del had lost the plot and that none of it was true.
As much as I’d like to convince myself of the same, I know that everything he said, everything Del did and everything he’d been part of behind my back, was the truth.
Now, for the ultimate proof of that, Galvatore has admitted Del was on his payroll.
But there’s one thing Del said that isn’t true... He said I’d never find Arianna, and that’s the singular thing I’ll ensure does not become reality.
I lock eyes with Galvatore’s piercing stare. “Why would Del lie?”
“Well...” A sneer breaks across Galvatore’s face. “He remained at your side undetected, yet wasn’t the brightest of people, which speaks volumes...”
The tutting sound Galvatore makes triggers further irritation, but I remain calm and fold my arms. Now is the time to throw in my trump card.
With this, I’ll know for certain whether this bastard was involved from the off.
I still find it impossible to comprehend that he knows nothing about it.
“You said you’re glad your son is back to help you since Edoardo Bristoni’s ‘suicide’? ”
“Yes, I told you that when you called with your accusations the other day. Matteo is most helpful. He always has been. A loyal son and one wh...”
“Ah, yes – that was the day you also said he was off talking to ‘someone’ called Del Boy? So...” I look around pointedly.
“Matteo still absent? Doesn’t wish to defend himself against these latest accusations of mine that you refuse to accept?
Listen, Galvatore, your son kidnapped your daughter - his own sister - to be used as a broodmare.
He also killed Edoardo Bristoni, so where is your son, Galvatore? Or is the truth that you don’t know?”
Speaking the word “broodmare” makes me sick to my stomach, but there’s a flicker on Galvatore’s face. He masked it, but it was there. I’ve hit a nerve.
“Of course I know where Matteo is, and as for...”
“By the way, quit acting gutted about Bristoni’s ‘suicide’. I know it was you who instructed Matteo to kill him. You told me the contract between you had ended, so it makes sense to cash in on your old business ally’s turf.”
And there it is: the white pallor tingeing Emiliano’s olive complexion.
He didn’t know. And now he does.
But will it be enough?
With a face now turning crimson, overtaking his shocked pallor, Galvatore rises from his chair, his fist banging on his mahogany desktop. “That is the final straw, Bateman. Get out! Your previous accusations were insulting enough, but this! It...”
“Papà? I can hear... Oh!”
I swing my head toward the unexpected visitor, my heart lurching at the similarity to Arianna’s voice.
The dark-haired young woman also shows a striking physical resemblance to my beautiful wife, but only on a split-second glance.
With a further look, it’s obvious she isn’t Arianna on any level, so it must be her sister.
“Get out, Maria!” Galvatore blusters. “You know better than to walk into my office unannounced!”
“I-I’m sorry, Papà.” Maria’s eyes flick over me before averting them. “I-I heard shouting and thought Matteo had finally returned and...”
“I said, get out!” Galvatore screams. “This man is also leaving.”
Maria skitters from the room, her deep blue eyes brimming with tears, and I turn slowly back around to face this man.
A slow smile of triumph crawls across my face.
“I think that answers my question. I’ll leave you to think about what I’ve said.
You don’t know where your golden son is!
Matteo has your daughter, he killed Bristoni and intends to offload you next.
Remember that, so when you find that you still can’t get in touch with him and if you even slightly care about either of your daughters, then feel free to call me. ”
Reaching the door, I turn around. “But don’t leave it long otherwise it will be too late for everybody.”