Chapter 31
“So, what happened yesterday?” I ask Javier as we sit at the table eating our breakfast.
He finishes chewing his eggs and takes a gulp of orange juice before replying.
“Johnny’s driver is the one that was supposed to get you the other night.
We found him, and after some encouraging got him to spill the truth.
Turns out, Johnny’s ambition got the best of him.
He promised the boss of the Bonetti family something that he did not get Cortez’s approval on.
When Cortez shot it down, Johnny was stuck between a rock and hard place.
The Bonettis were promised a piece of Cortez’s trafficking business, but unbeknownst to Johnny, Cortez was already in talks with the Mancini family about expanding with them.
When the Bonetti family found out, they were pissed.
” He stops to tear off a piece of toast and pick up a pile of eggs with it before popping it into his mouth.
“To sum up, the Bonettis boss—Sammy, told Johnny to do whatever was necessary to make sure they got their hands on those drugs. It’s a lucrative business, and they weren’t about to miss out.
Johnny’s plan was to work with the Bonettis foot soldiers to have Cortez incapacitated enough that Johnny would have to step in as boss and he could change the order of business. ”
“Incapacitated?”
“The driver said Johnny didn’t want Cortez dead, just hurt badly enough that he’d be in the hospital a while.”
I shake my head, anger rolling down my back. “That…” I take a breath. “Okay, that pisses me off, but where do you come into play?”
“That’s the Bonetti family as well. According to the meeting we had yesterday, the Mancinis don’t care as much.
As long as I’m not hired to take out anyone in their family, they won’t make a fuss about it.
The other family is farther out and less likely to get involved.
Johnny inflated the story so Cortez wouldn’t solely focus on the Bonettis. ”
“And Johnny revealing who I am to the Bonettis was simply what? A bargaining chip?”
“You were to be held for ransom. The assumption was that your dad would find out you were in danger and he’d rush over there and be hurt in the process.”
I huff out a breath, my food forgotten as I listen. Johnny was really okay with both my dad and I being hurt or killed simply because he got ahead of himself and thought he could make boss decisions.
“Okay, so what’s the plan then?”
“While Cortez is concerned about all of our lives, Alberto—the boss of the Mancinis, is concerned about the business. It benefits him to have your dad alive. They are talking to other people about how to go about taking out Sammy.”
“The boss? Is that possible?”
Javier shrugs. “If you get the okay from enough of the top guys you can get away with it. It won’t just be Sammy though.
It’ll likely be the underboss, and some of their most loyal capos.
We’ll have to dismantle that family to keep them in line and hope they don’t try to retaliate.
There’s a guy who is most likely to take over, and your dad has a plan to offer him something to keep their relationship cordial.
He has to talk to him and hope he doesn’t tell the higher-ups what’s going on. ”
“Sounds risky.”
“Everything about this life is risky, but if your dad can take down the boss of the most vicious family, then his family gains more respect. Everyone will wonder what he’s capable of, and fear is what keeps people in line.”
I absorb all this information, trying to imagine how it’ll all go down.
“What about Johnny?”
“We think he knows Cortez suspects him of something. Johnny isn’t answering his calls. He sends him excuses via texts but avoids seeing him face to face or listening to what he has to say. I doubt he’ll agree to meet up. He has to know something happened to his driver at this point.”
I think about the texts Johnny sent me. I still haven’t told Javier about them.
“Johnny knows my dad and I aren’t close. Our relationship has been rocky for a while, so if I were to talk to Johnny and tell him—”
“No,” Javier says immediately, standing up with his plate. “You are not going to see him.”
I get up and follow him to the kitchen. “Listen. I can tell Johnny I don’t know what’s up with my dad. I can say he’s been acting weird and I’m confused about what’s going on, and he won’t think twice about it.”
“What’s that gonna do, Carlo?” he asks, putting his plate down on the counter with a clatter.
“He’s going to lie to you and then he’s going to hurt you.
He’ll take you to the Bonettis, and trust me, you do not want to be their captive.
” Javier crosses his arms over his chest. “We’ll wait until we can take down the Bonetti guys.
Then he won’t have anyone to take you to. ”
“How long is that gonna take?”
“I don’t know.”
“And what if he leaves beforehand? There’s no way my dad is going to keep up appearances with him for weeks or months.
He’s going to know something is wrong and he’ll either run or he’ll be forced to take matters in his own hands.
And he cannot get away with this. He cannot!
And if he kills my dad…” My chest heaves with angry breaths, but I don’t finish the sentence.
Javier watches me carefully, a look in his eyes I can’t quite read.
“And what is your plan?” he finally asks.
“Well, Johnny texted me last night.”
Javier stands up straight, his arms dropping to his sides. “What? What did he say?”
“He asked where I was. He told me things aren't what they seemed. Said he was worried I was in danger.”
He shakes his head and begins marching toward his phone. “When your dad finds out—”
“No!” I say. “Don’t tell him yet.” Javier stops and looks at me like I’m crazy. “I responded to him. Said I thought he was right but that I was okay. I’m keeping up appearances. I can do it better than my dad.”
“Carlo.” He grinds my name out through his teeth.
“We can set a trap. I can talk to him and let him think I don’t know anything. I’ll tell him that whatever my dad told me scared me, so I found somewhere to stay away from it all. We lure him to us.”
“He could bring someone from the Bonettis with him.”
“Then we can take care of them at the same time.”
His lips twitch briefly. “Look, it won’t be as easy as you’re making it seem.”
“He’s dangerous. You said it yourself. Desperation isn’t good.”
He hesitates enough to grant me hope.
“I still have to tell your dad.”
“Fine, but tell him you think it’s a good idea too.”
He gives me a look like he isn’t quite sure it is, but then he turns around and gets his phone from the table. Instead of making the call in front of me, he goes outside.
After fifteen minutes, I peek out one of the windows and see him walking around, the phone still pressed to his ear. I decide to go to my room where I continue thinking about the decisions that need to be made, and what the outcome of those decisions could be.
Something has to be done, I know that. We won’t go back to our normal lives until the situation with Johnny and the Bonettis is done.
Johnny’s betrayal means death. I’ve come to terms with that. I don’t even struggle with that fact. As a priest, I should be doing everything in my power to dissuade Javier or my father from killing him. I should preach about forgiveness and allowing God to handle it.
As Cortez’s son, I know there’s no such thing as forgiveness. My father plays God in this situation, and as a could-be victim, I’m having a hard time finding it within myself to let this go.
However, as I play with the crucifix that hangs from a thin chain and rests against my chest, I hear bible verses in my head.
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.
“What’re you thinkin’ about?” Javier asks from the doorway of my bedroom. He eyes the cross between my fingers before meeting my gaze.
“Forgiveness.”
He walks in and drops to his knees at the side of the bed, reaching for the cross. “Tell me a verse.”
With a sigh, I stare up at the ceiling and recite one aloud.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God has forgiven you.”
Javier’s quiet for a while, and when I turn my head to look at him, I find he’s already staring at me.
“I told you when I was in the confessional that I have my own rules to abide by, and they don’t fall in line with your god’s rules.
I’ll never change my ways. I’ll never be made to feel like I have to earn someone’s forgiveness when it’s they who should seek mine.
We’ll always remain on opposite sides here, Carlo.
I don’t believe in a god, and if there is one, he doesn’t deserve my idolation.
Not with the way the world looks.” He drops the chain and then crawls into bed next to me.
“Anyway, your dad is thinking over the plan.”
My head snaps in his direction. “Really?”
“He’ll get back to me on it, but that’s about as much hope as you can get.”
I gaze up at the ceiling. “It’s not a no.”
We lay side by side in silence for a while, our arms touching.
“I have to go back home tomorrow.”
I turn to look at him. “For what?”
“Cortez has work to do in the city. I go where he goes.”
I study his profile for a while. “You’d die for my dad, wouldn’t you?”
“My job is to protect him.”
“It’s more than that.”
“Of course it is. I do what he needs me to do, but I’m also there as his protection. If someone decides to lunge at him, I rush in to stop that from happening.”
“And if someone shoots at him?”
“I get him out of the way.”
“But you could get shot in the process.”
“Do you want me to let him die?” he asks, turning to look at me.
I don’t answer right away, but not because I want him to let my dad die, but because I’m trying to wrap my head around what I’ll eventually face.
“I think I’m just now realizing that I’ll lose one of you, and it’ll be because of the other person.”
Javier’s brows furrow. “What do you mean?”
“If Dad dies, it’ll be because you didn’t protect him. If you die, it’ll be because you were either protecting him or doing a job he sent you to do.”
“Could you forgive either?” he asks after several seconds.
“I’m not sure.”
He nods. “It’s a cruel world, but Cortez is your dad, and the boss of the family. Who am I? I don’t have a family to mourn me. There is no choice. If it’s me or him, I’ll save him. For you. For the people who depend on him.”
My heart swells at his selflessness, but it also breaks, because he doesn’t think he’s worthy of life.
I slide my hand into his. “I don’t want to be left to mourn you.”
He runs his thumb across my skin, giving my hand a slight squeeze. “You haven’t seen me in action. I’m pretty good at what I do,” he says with a small smile. “I doubt I’ll die.”
I grin, but it’s not authentic. He’s trying to skirt past the topic. “Okay,” I reply.
He turns to his side and brings my hand to his lips, planting a kiss on my knuckles. “We’ll all be okay.”
Another forced smile graces my mouth, because as much as he wants to try to give me some peace, I know it’s not true. There’s no way we get out of this unscathed. Even if we make it through this with our lives, someone’s heart is going to be broken, and I have a feeling it’ll be mine.