26. I’ll Find Him
NERO
“What do you mean he got away?” Marco exclaims angrily.
Only he, Luciano, and I are in the room, and this is the only reason I dare call him Dad. “Dad, Wan got away, but we wiped out his entire crew. It’s not anyone’s fault. Raffaele’s men were at every entrance and window. Wan had an escape plan just in case. Who the fuck would have guessed he’d climb into the sewers like a rat?”
“It doesn’t negate the fact that this man, Wan Kwok, walks free, and he’ll be back,” Marco grits through clenched teeth.
“We’ve got all his merchandise and the half million dollars he had hidden in the safe. His bosses aren’t going to be too pleased with him. He’s got nowhere to go and very few places to hide,” I remind him. “It’s only a matter of time till it all catches up with him.”
“I want him found!” Marco shouts, slamming his fist on the desk.
A knock on the door gets our attention as my father gruffly tells whoever is on the other side to come in. When Eros comes through the doorway, my father regains his composure and sits back in his chair.
`“You’ve come to collect your reward,” my father states plainly.
“That was the deal,” Eros replies, his piercing green eyes sharp on my father, his wavy dark hair messy, but that’s the way Eros is. His clothes have always been pristine, but his hair is his trademark look. He’s never cared to look like a businessman. Even in his dark Armani suit, he’s a cross between male fashion model and biker dude.
“Before you do that, I want you to take a look at this,” Marco says, tossing a file folder toward him.
Eros flips through the pages. “What? Are you pleading his case? He raped my sister, and despite that, he lives the good life, and my sister died by her own hand because she couldn’t live knowing Giusto was gloating over getting away with what he’d done.”
“I’m showing you the file so that you can see how many other lives would be affected by ending him,” Marco tells him.
“He beats his wife. His daughters are terrified of him, and his father raised a man without honor,” Eros states. He’s done his homework, and he’s not wrong. My father only fights this because of a promise made a long time ago.
Suddenly, Eros stops at a photo of a young woman with flowing dark hair, big brown eyes, a wide sensual mouth, and high cheekbones. “Who’s this? His newest mistress?” he scoffs.
“That’s Serafina, his sister,” Marco responds. “Since her father’s death, she’s been looking after her mother. She’s a good girl and helps Bianca with the kids as much as she can.” Eros glances up, and I can see he wants to ask more about the girl but doesn’t. “Killing Giusto will bring disgrace on his wife and children as well as his mother and sister. They already have to have heard the rumbling of Giusto’s indiscretions. I’m not sure his mother, Vera, will survive another dark cloud over their family’s head.” Dad lets out a sigh. “However, I made a vow, and if this is what you choose, I’ll have Nero go and fetch Giusto right now.”
Eros rubs his chin and jaw, his eyes moving back to the photo of Serafina. “Giusto will die. This is a fact. But I believe there’s a way to comply with your oath to Egidio. I’ll find Wan Kwok for you, but when I do, Serafina is mine, and I take over Guisto’s territory. He will work for me until he decides to take me out, then he dies.”
“Wan Kwok has disappeared. What makes you think you can find him?” I ask. Rafaele has his best men scouring the city and has come up with nothing so far.
“I’ll find him.” Eros says with steely determination, then glances back at my father. “Well?”
“You will come back to La Famiglia ? As an underboss?” Dad lifts his brow.
“Only if we have a deal,” Eros responds.
Dad extends his hand, and Eros takes it. “Welcome back, Eros.”