32. Cassio
It pained me to leave Francesca so soon after her mother’s death. A week wasn’t nearly enough. Francesca had been doing well. She had been taking her meds and visiting her therapist and now, I feared she was going to spiral again.
“I heard you refused my proposal,” Romeo Ferraro stated. He meant the arranged marriage between his cousin and me.
“I’m afraid I’m taken,” I said simply.
Romeo looked at me with those disconcerting blue eyes, as though he was trying to get a read on me. “Good, Livia refused you as well.”
I couldn’t help myself, I chuckled. “Probably a wise choice.”
“That’s what I said,” he deadpanned. I was a stone-cold bastard, but Romeo Ferraro was something else.
“I believe a marriage is not needed for our alliance,” I pointed out. “I’d say our friendship would be enough.” I extended my hand.
Romeo stared at it for a while and took it, shaking it hard. “To our alliance,” he remarked. “To new friends.” He said the word as though it was bitter. He looked like a man of few friends if he even had any. In that aspect we weren’t so different. Maybe that was why this alliance between the Outfit and the Cosa Nostrawould work out.
My phone rang and I sighed in frustration. Although our meeting was at an end, I disliked being interrupted. I picked up my phone because it might be Francesca, but when I saw my brother’s number on the screen, I cursed.
I ended it without picking it up. Vitelli and Apollo were outside since Romeo, and I had decided to meet Capo-to-Capo. A few moments later, Apollo Ferraro came into the room, my brother pushing him aside.
“I need to talk to you.” He tried to mask his emotions, but I saw concern shimmering in his eyes.
“Can’t this wait?” I glared at him despite the hairs on the back of my neck rising. He shook his head.
I excused myself and headed outside with him. We were in a small restaurant in Little Italy, New York. Once I stepped out, the scent of trash, pollution, and piss hit my nose. I couldn’t wait to go back.
“Vitelli, I swear to God,” I warned him.
“The cargo from Mexico was stolen just now,” he said. “Luciano just called, said he was going to move the product as you ordered them to do, but the Russians intercepted us before we could make the move.”
My chest inflated and I tried to breathe out slowly, but the air didn’t come out. I turned around and stared at the brick wall of the alley. “How many dead?”
“Three,” Vitelli said angrily. I began to pace, worrying at the pavement. “That’s the cargo you told Donato about.” Vitelli reminded me. “The one you used as bait?—”
“I know,” I interrupted him.
“Cassio, this means…”
“I know, Vitelli,” I snapped. “I fucking know it.”
A few months ago, I had given my underbosses a time and place where our cargo would be taken from and transported to a new location to be distributed and sold. Each of them received unique information. As time had passed and no cargo had been stolen, I almost forgot about it, but now…now I had my answer. Now I knew who the spy was, who the conniving little fox was. I had a gut feeling and it never left me hanging, but even if I had suspected it, a betrayal was a betrayal, and I felt the blade in my back being twisted.
“What now?” Vitelli inquired.
“We’ll use the fox to catch Grigori.” I answered simply.
“And how are you going to do that, Cassio?” He threw his hands in the air.
I was thinking about it. “We’ll have to tread carefully,” I said. “Donato Manci cannot suspect we are on to him.”
“He fucking betrayed us,” Vitelli said in disbelief. “All those years serving Father and then you, and he betrayed us.”
“He’s going to pay for what he’s done,” I said, my vision turning red.
This was all I needed to make him pay. All I needed was a reason to put him six feet under. “Call Marie, I want her and Francesca out of Chicago as soon as possible.”
When I entered the restaurant again, I mustn’t have hidden my emotions because Romeo said, “Trouble?”
“One of my men betrayed me,” I confessed. If we were to be friends, and if this alliance was going to work, then I needed to learn to trust others.
Romeo’s blue eyes turned dark. “You can have as many of my men you need.”
“I appreciate it, but I’d rather deal with him on my own.”
A terrifying smile ghosted the Capo’s face. “Then I bid you good hunting,” Romeo said extending his hand. “I’ll have you escorted to your jet.”
“Thank you,” I said and meant it.
“That’s what friends do,” he said and although there was no emotion in his voice, I could tell he meant it.
Three hours later when I arrived at my apartment, Francesca was lying in bed, her hands tucked underneath her cheeks. She was so goddamned beautiful it hurt.
Gently, I tucked a few strands of hair from her face. “Principessa.” I tried to wake her up. “Love.” I kissed her cheek.
Francesca stirred and looked at me, her eyes were red-rimmed. She had been crying. I understood what it was to lose someone you loved, and I wished I could take that pain away.
“You have to wake up.” I smiled when she shook her head.
“I want to sleep.”
“Principessa, this is important,” I said trying to keep my anxiety at bay. I needed her out of this city as fast as possible.
If I was going to act against Donato, I needed to be sure Francesca was okay. That she was safe.
“What is it? Has something happened?” She sat up, her back against the headboard.
I took a deep breath. “Actually, yes,” I admitted. Her blue eyes went wide. “Your father betrayed us.”
She was in shock for a few seconds and said nothing, I wondered what was going on in her head. “Cassio,” she blanched. “A few weeks ago, Marco came to me with a few pictures of Donato and some men. I think they were Russians.”
I sat back. “Why are you only telling me now?” I snapped.
“Because Donato threatened you and everyone I care about. He said he was going to kill you all.”
“Francesca.” I shook my head. “You should have told me either way.”
“I’m sorry.” She came to sit on her haunches. “I couldn’t risk it.” She threw her hands in the air. “If something happened and it was my fault…Cassio, I couldn’t.”
I understood her fear, her father was a powerful and cruel man who had hurt her countless times. He had given Francesca reason to believe him. I couldn’t blame her for trying to protect those she loved. For protecting me.
“What is going to happen now? What about my brother?”
“What about him?” I questioned.
“He’s my father’s son.”
Yes, but he was also Francesca’s brother and a victim of the same man who had given her so much pain. “Marco will be safe,” I assured her. “Now get ready and pack a small bag,” I told her. “You and Marie are leaving for the lake house.”
“What about you?” She stood and came toward me. “Cassio, what about you?”
“I’ll meet you later, right now I have to clean this up.”
“Are you going to kill him?” I nodded.
Without any remorse, she said, “Good, make sure he suffers for what he has done.”
I stood there impatiently as Francesca quickly packed a bag, shoving in everything she could in such a short period of time. When she was done, I held her by her shoulders.
“Vince is going to take you to Marie and Vitelli’s place and from there you two are going to the lake house. No detours, no stops, do you understand?”
She nodded, eyes overflowing with fear. I took her hand and we both headed down toward the parking lot. Once there, I stared at my car and the one that was going to take her away from me.
“I don’t want to leave you,” she said as she held Reggie in her arms.
“You have to, Principessa.”
“Promise me you’ll come back.”
I hesitated, but for her, I would fight till the very end. Until there was nothing left but the dust of my bones. I would come back for her, even if the world ceased to exist.
“Promise.” And with that, I brought her in for a kiss, and not just any kiss—like the ones we had shared over these months—there were a million words I wished to say to her but didn’t have the time to express them all. It was all my love for her.
“I’ll be waiting for you,” she said.
My heart constricted in the oddest of manners, like it was being torn out of my chest, but made whole at the same time.
“This isn’t goodbye,” I promised.
“I love you,” she touched my heart. “Never forget that.” Then she turned around and got into the car, leaving me behind with that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I was doing the wrong thing in sending her away.
The hairs on the back of my neck rose when my car left the garage, taking Francesca away from me. I tried to shut up the voices, but they wouldn’t let me be.
I had to; Francesca is safer this way.