Chapter 32 Dante
DANTE
My Don is a methodical man.
He doesn't do anything without a plan. And if he brought up the Cosa Nostra, it's for a reason.
All through dinner, he talks to Grace. He's always been charismatic, especially with the ladies. There's a reason he’s been married six times before.
"You found yourself a good one, Dante." He pats my shoulder. "I like her."
His eyes twinkle as he looks at Grace. She smiles back at him, already comfortable with him. She doesn't know him like I do. He can be charming when he wants to be, but he can turn it off like a switch.
“I know I don’t say this enough, but I’m proud of you,” he says. “You held up the fort while I was away. You kept the business running smoothly and increased our net profits. And that’s no small feat.”
I wait.
I know it's coming.
"You were a young man when I left everything in your hands," he says, switching to Italian now. "And you didn’t disappoint me. I know we made a deal that I would give you the names of your parents’ killers in a few years, but I changed my mind.”
My body feels like it's on fire.
I don't know where he's going with this, but I know I'm not going to like it.
"Don Savastano, I did everything you ever asked me to," I say. "Everything. Not to mention, you gave me your word.”
"You misunderstood," the Don says. "I want to give you the names now."
My heart squeezes in my chest.
This is it. I’ve waited years for this moment.
But it feels too easy. Nothing’s ever this simple. Not in my world.
“I’ve always admired your ability to do research,” he continues. “I don't know how you do it, but you seem to know everything about everyone. You notice minute details that others often miss. This is why I have one final task for you."
"Okay," I say cautiously.
“Find the missing Cosa Nostra princess," he says. "Give me her location, and I'll give you the names of your parents’ killers.”
A few years ago, the Cosa Nostra Don's daughter disappeared at sea. She was never seen or heard from again. Most assume that she's dead, but my boss clearly thinks she's still out there.
"How are you so sure I'll find her?" I ask. "Even her own family hasn't figured out where she is, and it’s been years.”
"I know what you're capable of, Dante," he says. "If anyone can find her, it's you."
Enzo has been my best-kept secret. My boss doesn't know about his existence. He doesn't know that Enzo has been working behind the scenes with me for all these years. And I want to keep it that way.
"Can I ask what you plan on doing with the girl?"
His lips curl into a slow smile.
"I'm going to have some fun with her," he replies.
That could mean a hundred different things. I never know with my Don.
I've done some despicable things before, but never to women. If I agree to this, I’ll be crossing a line I’ve never crossed before. But I don’t have a choice. Once my Don decides he wants something done, he has ways of persuading people to do his bidding.
"Okay," I say. "I'll find her."
"You have a week," he tells me.
I stare at him. He wants me to find her in days when her own family hasn't seen her in years.
“Is that a problem?” He raises his eyebrows.
“No,” I say. “Not a problem.”
“Excellent.” He beams at me, back to his charismatic self.
He finishes the rest of his meal and wipes his mouth with a napkin.
This man has no qualms about using me to do his bidding. Maybe I should take a page from his book.
“Have you ever heard of Skylink?” I ask him.
Grace perks up when she hears that. We've been conversing in Italian, but she recognizes the word from earlier today.
“The messaging platform?” he asks.
“Is that what it is?” I say.
"Yes, it's similar to WhatsApp, but more secure," he says. "It's used only by people with something to hide. Why do you ask?"
“Someone was talking about it at the party,” I say.
My mind is reeling.
If Skylink is a messaging platform, all we need to do is break into the servers to find something useful. I have to let Enzo know about this immediately.
"The service is invite-only," Don Savastano says. "And they charge extortionate prices for their subscription. Personally, I don't believe it's worth it because nothing on the internet's ever secure. Even government databases can be infiltrated.”
“I agree with you,” I say.
“I hope you’re not thinking about signing up?” he says.
“No, I was just curious about what it was,” I reply.
He digs into his chocolate cake, relishing every bite until his plate is clean.
"Infinitely better than prison food," he says, switching back to English now. "One of the biggest mistakes people make in their lives is only appreciating things when they are gone."
"I appreciate chocolate cake too," Grace says.
Don Savastano smiles and places his napkin on the table.
"I have to leave now, but it's been lovely meeting you, Grace," he says. Turning to me, he adds, "I'll be in touch, Dante."
Grace says goodbye to him. I watch as he steps onto the elevator.
Once he's gone, I feel like I can finally breathe again.
"He's not what I expected," Grace says.
“It’s all appearances,” I say. “He has a different version of himself for every person he interacts with.”
"What did you guys talk about?" She tilts her head to the side.
"He wants to throw us a party to celebrate our marriage," I say. "It'll be in Praiano."
“Does that mean we’ll be leaving Paris already?” she asks.
“Not yet,” I say.
She nods and glances out of the window.
We're done eating, so I gesture for the server to bring the check. He informs me that the Don has already paid for the dinner.
"Can we stay a little longer?” Grace asks, staring out at the Seine River. "I just want to look at the view."
“We can stay for as long as you wish.” I lean back in my seat.
We sit in silence for a few minutes.
I let my mind drift.
All of the events of the day feel like something out of a dream. I have half a mind to pinch myself to confirm that this is all real.
I’m married to the girl of my dreams. I’m closer than ever to finding my sister. The Don agreed to give me the names of my parents’ killers.
It’s everything I ever wanted and more.
I keep waiting for the happiness to kick in, but there's just a strange hollowness inside me. Waiting for the names of the two men kept me connected to my parents. And soon, I won't have that anymore.
My heart twists in my chest, wringing the pain of the past into my blood.
Grace places her hand over mine.
"Is everything okay?" she asks.
"He said that he'd give me the names," I say. "Of the two men who were involved in my parents' murder."
"Oh," she says. "I thought you had to wait a few more years for the names."
“The Don changed his mind." I shug.
"Just like that?" she asks.
I almost tell her the truth.
But if I tell her about the Cosa Nostra princess and how I’ll be handing her to my Don on a silver platter, Grace will see me for the monster I really am.
So I tiptoe around the truth.
“He said that he was proud of how I took care of his businesses while he was away,” I say.
“That’s nice of him,” she says, watching me. “Do you know what you’re going to do once you get the names?”
"I'll spare you the details, but I've had it planned out meticulously since I was a young boy," I say.
She looks at me for a moment before glancing out of the window once again.
I get the feeling that she has a lot more she wants to ask me, but she doesn't.
There's so much going on all at once. My mind tries to pull me in a hundred different directions, but I keep my focus on Grace. I want to exist in her tonight. I want to kiss her until she falls asleep in my arms.
"Let's get out of here, little bird."
She smiles at me.
I can't help but notice that it doesn't reach her eyes.