Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
FRANCESCA
Tonight is my lucky night. I’m grateful tonight is the opening game of the Savannah Sharks season because the street is lined with taxis waiting to take fans back to their cars, home, or out to an after party after the game is over.
I wave at the first taxi in line. “Can you bring me to the City Hall building?”
The older man raises his eyebrow. “City Hall is closed for the night. Are you sure you want to go there at this hour?”
“Yes, I’m sure. My uncle’s restaurant is right across the street.”
He looks me over before saying, “Marino’s on the River?”
“Yeah, that’s the one.” I give the driver a smile. I can’t believe he knows Uncle Tony’s restaurant.
Or does he know me?
Is he a Rossi informant? A capo?
“Hop in. I know exactly where that is. It’s mine and my wife’s favorite place to eat for all our special occasions.”
My heart races as I remember being kidnapped. Can I trust the taxi driver? Will he drive me straight there ?
I grab my phone and call Uncle Tony. He answers on the first ring.
“Principessa, what’s going on? Are you at the hockey game tonight?”
He might not be a fan of the hockey team, but he keeps up with the schedule.
“I’m actually leaving the arena. I’m about to hop in a cab to come see you.”
He lets out a small gasp. “You’re on the way to see me? Why?”
“Do I need a reason to come see you?” I tease.
He laughs. “Of course not, but I know you, Principessa.”
“Okay, you’re right. There are some family matters we need to discuss.”
I can’t just outright tell him what’s going on, or else the taxi driver will know. If he is a Rossi informant, then it can cause a domino effect of troubles for my family.
“Be safe. I’ll wait for you outside.”
“See you soon.” I hang up and slide into the backseat of the taxi.
The driver gives me a smile through the rear-view mirror. “You’re smart.”
“Huh?” I ask as he drives away from the arena.
“You’re a smart woman to call your uncle and tell him you’re on the way. There are a lot of evil men in town that would love to get their hands on you.”
My heart stops for a moment.
Fuck.
Double fuck.
What did I get myself into ?
The driver stares at me for a moment before shaking his head. “Oh, no, not me. I support your family in all aspects of business.”
Is there more to this story? It seems like he’s trying to hint at something, but what? I don’t know.
“Thank you for your support, and for driving me to my uncle’s restaurant.”
“Anytime. Seriously, if you ever need a ride, call me. I’ll make sure you get there safely.” He reaches into his shirt pocket and pulls out a business card before handing it to me.
“Thank you.” I put his card in my wallet, so I can have it later. It will be nice to have a reliable driver since I don’t have a car yet.
It only takes five minutes to get to the restaurant, but true to his word, Uncle Tony is outside waiting for me.
He pays the taxi driver and thanks him for taking care of me. We head inside and he orders us dinner before showing me around the restaurant.
“The renovations look great. I love the new colors.”
Gone are the dark and dingy curtains and tablecloths. Brand new bright white ones are in their spots, making the restaurant feel more elegant and upscale.
Old and torn booths have been ripped out and replaced with tables and chairs.
“Wow, it’s so open and bright. It’s like a brand new restaurant.”
Uncle Tony motions for me to follow him to the kitchen. “I’d take the credit for the new look, but I hired an amazing interior designer.”
“Money well spent.”
“Yes, it was. Come with me. We will go to my office and you can tell me all about the family matters you need help with while we eat.”
I smile at the kitchen staff as we walk through the kitchen to Uncle Tony’s office.
Uncle Tony pushes the office door open. “Guys, you remember my niece Francesca?”
Several guys nod and greet me as I head towards the couch that AJ is laying on. Uncle Tony’s office has always been a lounge area for “his” members and AJ. Hell, it’s been my hangout spot on more than one occasion.
The large television is still hanging on the wall where I’ve watched movies after doing jobs for Uncle Tony. There’s always something on and always a group of guys focusing on it.
But not tonight. Tonight, the television is turned off, and there are only a few guys hanging out.
“Make some room for your favorite cousin.” I say, patting his legs.
He moves his feet off the other couch cushion and sits up. “Hey, Frannie. What are you doing here?”
I groan at the horrible nickname. “I need some guidance and help.”
That gets his attention. I never ask for help, so they know I’m serious.
“Do you want the guys to know whatever you are about to tell us? They can leave if you want it to stay between the three of us.”
Uncle Tony’s guys don’t like the way Dad and Joey are turning away from the Italian way of running the mafia. To them, the mafia is and always will be about family, not bringing strangers into the operation.
“Considering what I have to talk about, and the fact that they will probably help with this issue, so to speak, it will be easier for everyone to hear it one time.”
Although several guys appear to be missing, but AJ can relay the information to them later.
“Okay, well, let’s hear it.”
All eyes are on me.
“Long story short, one of my friends from the past two years lied about his name. He’s Jax Rossi, and Dad has him in our interrogation room in the basement. He told me that Mom faked her death. He said she’s alive and living at the Rossi estate in New York.”
Several gasps echo through the office, but everyone stays silent. No one knows what to say.
The ringing of Uncle Tony’s phone interrupts the silence. He yanks the phone off the receiver, pressing it to his ear.
“What?”
His jaw tightens, and his eyes narrow as the person on the other end speaks.
“This isn’t good.” AJ whispers beside me.
What isn’t? The phone call or my news ?
Everyone watches Uncle Tony as he pinches the bridge of his nose and hangs up the phone.
He looks toward two of his men. “Go handle the guests waiting at the hostess stand. Make it clear that we don’t do business this way, and if they want future business, it will be ten percent more for their stupidity.”
The two men nod and leave the office without a word.
Damn, Uncle Tony is pissed. Tonight seems like the night of bad news all around.
Loud knocking sounds on the door a second before Uncle Tony yells out, “Enter.”
A waiter walks in carrying two plates of freshly cooked food. He places one on the desk before handing the other plate and silverware to me.
The ravioli looks and smells amazing, but how can I eat when we have serious issues to sort out?
Uncle Tony seems to know what I’m thinking because he says, “Eat first, then we will get back to business.”
I nod and say, “Thanks for dinner,” before digging in.
AJ laughs from beside me and steals a garlic knot from my plate. “Family tax.”
“Family tax?” I ask with my mouth full.
He shrugs. “I could just say that I wasn’t hungry until I saw your food.”
Uncle Tony turns the television on and changes the channel, stopping on a comedy. He laughs at a funny moment before taking a bite of his meal .
My phone dings with a message as I take another bite of ravioli. Picking up my phone, I see a message from Rhett.
Hey, where are you?
I don’t respond, so he texts again.
Please let me know you are somewhere safe.
I put my phone down on the cushion and take another bite of my dinner. I’ll deal with him after I know what we are going to do about Jax and Mom.
My phone rings, and before I look at the caller ID, I know it’s Rhett calling. I let it go to voicemail.
Everything is always on his terms. Well, not anymore. This time, he can wait for me to figure things out and then I’ll fill him in.
Uncle Tony gives me a worried glance. “Are you going to answer him, Principessa?”
“Not right now. I’m tired of them making decisions for me. I’m tired of feeling like an outsider when I’m part of the family.”
Several men whisper their support for me.
AJ grabs my fork and steals my last ravioli. “We’ve been telling you all along that you can work with us. With us, not for us. You are a Marino. You are the mafia, not those hockey players.”
I feel guilty for ignoring Rhett and not standing up for him, but I feel equal to every person here than over there with Dad and Joey .
If I was an equal, then I would have known Rhett joined the ranks years ago. I would have known about Dad buying King’s Empire.
I would have known everything that was going on and not felt blindsided.
I never would have had to sneak around and follow them to the shipyard. I never would have been kidnapped.
My phone’s notification sounds, alerting me to a new voicemail. Keeping it off speakerphone, I listen to Rhett’s message.
“Chessie, I’m so sorry. Please call me back and let me know you’re safe. I will search every house here in Savannah if I don’t hear back from you in thirty minutes.”
Rolling my eyes, I type out a message.
I’m safe, just figuring some things out. If I need to talk, I’ll call you.
He immediately responds.
Where are you?
I debate keeping my whereabouts from him, but I know he won’t stop calling or messaging until he finds out where I am.
At the restaurant eating dinner. I’ll see you after the game.
Hopefully that will pacify him and keep him from interfering with whatever plans Uncle Tony comes up with.
The three little dots bounce, letting me know he’s typing before they disappear altogether.
He’s either on his way here, or he’s in the suite with Dad watching the game.
I put my phone away and turn my attention to Uncle Tony, who is already watching me. “What are we going to do about Jax and Mom? Is there anything we can do?”
He presses his lips together before sighing. “If Jax is telling the truth and Elizabeth really is alive, we need to confront her.”
AJ jumps up from the couch. “Then let’s book flights and head to New York. If Aunt Liz faked her death, then she has some explaining to do.”
“We can’t just barge into the Rossi’s house in New York. We need to arrange a meeting here first. Speaking of their house here, when did they move down here?”
Uncle Tony thinks for a moment before saying, “For a year and a half, I’d say. I thought you knew.”
“No, I didn’t know. I mean, I figured it was their house when they kidnapped me and I saw their name on the mailbox.”
Uncle Tony is irate. “What do you mean when they kidnapped you?”
“Uh,” I glance around the room. “I was doing some sneaking around trying to get answers they wouldn’t give me and I was taken. Well, not before Jax told me his last name wasn’t Brown like he told me.”
AJ sits back down next to me. “What were you trying to figure out?”
“Anything and everything that has happened over the past two years, what businesses they’ve bought, and who they associate with now.”
Uncle Tony slams his fist on his desk. “Damn it. Arturo needs to stop treating you like a fucking child.”
That’s never going to happen.
“How are we going to arrange a meeting at the Rossi house?” I ask, changing the subject back to the matter at hand.
Uncle Tony grins. “You have the biggest bargaining chip of all right now.”
“And what is that?”
That I want to know if my mother faked her death?
“You have the Rossi heir in your interrogation room.”