Chapter Thirty
Waiting by the river, I tossed my cigarette into the water and lit another one as I waited for Luca and Alfie. The night sky looked different from what I remembered. The contrast between the urban sprawl of Chicago and the untouched beauty of Iceland was profound.
Chicago transformed into a tapestry of lights against the deepening blue of the night sky.
Skyscrapers punctuated the skyline, their windows aglow like a constellation of man-made stars.
The streetlights spilled yellow pools onto the boardwalk, while the distant hum of traffic created a rhythm that pulsed through the air.
In stark contrast, the night sky over Iceland offered a breathtakingly different experience.
The landscape was draped in a cloak of darkness, unblemished by the glare of city lights.
The air was crisp and invigorating, carrying the scent of earth and ocean.
The Northern Lights danced with ethereal grace, ribbons of green, purple, and pink swirling in a celestial ballet, casting a soft glow over the rugged terrain.
“Hey,” Alfie grabbed my attention. “Luca should be here any minute.”
“Where’s Bethany?”
Alfie looked up. “My buddy Mark is taking them for a ride.”
“Did I place him in the D.A. office?”
Alfie’s friend Mark, who grew up with him in foster care, needed a job and the DeCarlo family was always looking for good help. Placing him at a desk job to oversee what happened in the D.A.’s office as an extra set of eyes worked very well for us.
“He got his pilot license,” Alfie shrugged.
“Fellas,” Luca’s voice carried through the air.
This was the moment I had dreaded and longed for, the chance to confront the chasm my betrayal had carved between us.
I could see the flicker of pain in his gaze, a mix of anger and disappointment that twisted my insides.
We had years of working together as a team, aspirations and secrets woven into a tapestry of trust, and now, standing just a few feet apart, it felt like I was facing a stranger.
The weight of my actions loomed large, each breath I took thick with regret, and I could almost hear the unspoken questions hanging in the air: How could I have done this?
I opened my mouth to speak, to apologize, to explain, but the words were caught in my throat, knowing that no amount of explanation could erase the hurt I had caused.
The silence stretched between us, heavy and charged, a fragile moment that held the potential for either reconciliation or irrevocable loss.
No matter how this all went down, I wanted Luca to know I still would do anything for the DeCarlo family.
When we came face to face, he just pulled me into a hug. It took me by surprise but the act was so genuine, and I found myself returning the embrace. We were never this affectionate toward one another – we weren’t made that way but it was a nice kumbaya moment.
“Okay, do you both need a room?” Alfie commented.
I shot Alfie a look as we pulled out of a hug. “Look, what got us into this mess was the lack of trust. If we are going to make this work, if, we need to be honest with one another. Can we do that?”
“Feels like couples therapy,” Alfie commented.
Luca stood tall and glared at me, “How long have you been with Bethany?”
“That night when the Apollo brothers were in town,” I answered honestly.
“Do you love her?”
“I do.”
“You could have told me,” Luca’s brows furrowed.
“You know I couldn’t have.” I exhaled.
Alfie chimed in with his humorous self, “I’m pretty sure you said if you ever fell for a woman that you should be shot in the head. Would you want me or Luca to?”
His humor eased the tension making us l augh for a brief moment.
Luca, jumped right back in, “Why didn’t you come back?”
“Because you and I both know you didn’t really want to kill me.”
“So I take it I’d be the one to pull the trigger,” Alfie cut in.
As the conversation unfolded, a moment of silence enveloped between the three of us. Luca’s gaze shifted toward his nephew.
“Alfie,” Luca began.
“I know,” Alfie replied. “I know. I understand. And I forgive you.”
Their eyes locked, and in that instant, a world of understanding passed between them—no words were necessary.
Luca’s expression softened, a mix of pride and warmth radiating from his features.
He saw the determination in Alfie’s bright eyes, a reflection of his own spirit, and I felt an overwhelming sense of love between them.
Alfie, sensing the weight of Luca’s gaze, returned it with a hint of vulnerability, his youthful exuberance tempered by the depth of their shared history.
The corners of Luca's mouth curled into a gentle smile, one filled with unconditional love and unwavering support, as if to silently remind Alfie that no matter the challenges ahead, he would always be there to protect him.
In that fleeting moment, amidst the shadows of the night, the bond between uncle and nephew was deep—a silent promise forged in trust and love, stronger than any enemy they faced.
Now it was my turn, something that I wondered and never could figure out what the answer could be.
“That day you found me and Bethany. What made you both come to the house?”
Alfie shifted on his feet, “I knew about you and Bethany.” He seemed ashamed of his confession. “I knew Luca was on his way to the house and I texted you to see where you were in case I needed to stall. Bethany said she made whatever cookies Aria was craving during her pregnancy.”
Both Luca and I stared at Alfie with an impressive shock. While I was impressed that he caught onto me, Luca admired that Alfie didn’t rat me out but rather protected the family – something Marco would have also done.
“How’d you figure it out?” I had to ask.
“The morning of her wedding to Pio, I went to check up on her and the room had sand on the floor leading from the terrace right outside the room. She was in the shower but I saw her nightgown was wet. I went to check out the terrace and saw Emilio walking up from the beach.”
Now it was my turn to confess something I never thought I would but this was the time to.
“I’m the one who texted your mother and sisters to come to the house.
” The dumbfounded look on their faces was almost priceless.
“I figured if the women knew first then they would be able to make everything less … intense.”
Luca took a deep breath and exhaled. “Is that all? We got a maniac in our city that needs to learn no one runs out the DeCarlos.”
“I’m clear,” I replied.
Alfie nodded his head, “Unless you want to hear about the nasty thing Grace has me do to her, then I’m cleared.”
Both Luca and I give him a push as we simultaneously bark out, “Never mix business with pleasure.”
Clearing my throat, I think out loud. “We know that when there are too many people involved in a plan – someone is sure to spill. This ghost knows too much for someone who is easily under the radar in this city.”
“There’s another rat,” Alfie replied, “Who could it be?”
“They don’t know they are,” Luca concluded.
He shot me a look and shook his head when he knew the person I was thinking of.
“It has to be,” I replied.
Being Consigliere was hard, not because you were expected to carry out each order seamlessly, it was moments like this when the hardcore truth needed to be addressed. Feelings couldn’t matter and I had to make sure the same applied for Luca.
“I’m missin’ somethin’,” Alfie commented waiting for the answer.
Luca let out a breath of frustration. “It’s Aria.”