Chapter 27 Cassian
CASSIAN
My uncle watches Allegra go.
I watch my uncle.
“I heard she’s married to Lombardi,” he says as he turns to face me.
“What do you know about that?” I ask.
He pauses, a frown furrowing his brow. “What everyone knows, I suppose. It was the talk in here. Which was, by the way, awkward. The contract could have waited. Why did you need me to drop everything and come here?”
I shrug a shoulder robotically, my brain working. “This is as good a place as any. It’ll be mine soon. Once Allegra and I are married.”
He glances past me, peering out the window. “That man?” he asks.
I turn my head to look. Joseph is being escorted into the woods behind the property.
“Simple, Uncle.” I turn to face him. “You’re either with me or you’re against me. That man is against me. He is my enemy.”
He studies me. “Not all things are so clear cut.”
“This is.”
“Does she know what you’re going to do to him?”
“Why would she need to know?”
“Because he’s her family.”
“Blood betrayal is the worst kind,” I say, my blood cooling by degrees at the realization. “That the contract?” I ask, gesturing to the folder he’s holding.
He looks at it like he’d forgotten it was there. He nods. “I have no idea why you’d give that land back to the Blackstones. We took it legitimately. It is ours.”
“Let’s talk in the study.” I point out the way and follow my uncle who glances over his shoulder twice, eyeing me and the soldier at my back.
Once we’re inside, I dismiss the soldier and watch as my uncle takes in the bloodstained carpet, the blotter on the desk. He turns to me. “Another enemy?”
“Same one.” Angelo Trevino has been a fixture in my life for as long as I have memories. He is my father’s brother. He was the man who loved me when my father would not.
I trusted him. I have always trusted him.
“What’s going on, Cassian?”
“Whiskey?” I ask, breaking eye contact and crossing the room to pour two glasses. I need a drink.
“Sure. Heard Moretti had some decent cigars.”
“If he did, I haven’t looked for them.” I hand him one of the glasses and take the seat behind the desk.
If he finds it odd, he doesn’t let on. Instead, he pulls one of the chairs from the semicircle to the front of the desk and has a seat.
“I’m not here to loot the place. I’ll close it up once we’re done today. ”
“You worried Malek will return?”
“I’m not worried. I hope he will. Hell, it’ll make it easier to kill him. Made a promise, after all.”
“What promise?” he asks, and I hear how strange I must sound.
“I have promised to deliver her enemies to her in pieces.”
He’s bringing his glass to his lips, but stops halfway. I sip mine, watching him. Taking everything in.
“There are men who are loyal to him,” my Uncle says.
“I realize that.”
“This is a hostile takeover, Cassian. As your consigliere, I think we should discuss and strategize. You’re emotional right now.”
“Yeah, I think it makes sense that I’m emotional considering my enemy kidnapped the woman I will make my wife, terrorized her, cut off her finger and forced her into a marriage with him. Yeah. I’m emotional.”
He sets his drink down and leans back in his seat, studying me openly. “It’s an unnecessary risk. You could have coexisted.”
“No. That was never an option. I think you know that. Who gave Michael the money to pay me back? I haven’t heard any updates.”
“That’s because there aren’t any. Crypto. Is there a problem, Cassian? I’m getting the feeing there’s a problem.”
“Yeah, there is. Why didn’t Allegra shake your hand?”
He raises his eyebrows like that’s the last thing he was expecting. “I have no idea. I suppose you’d have to ask her. She’s in mourning and if she witnessed whatever you did in here…” He waves his hands around. “Well, I suppose she’s a little traumatized.”
“Let’s have a look at the contract.”
He sighs, pulls his chair closer and sets the folder on the desk. He opens it and begins to talk me through it while I read. It’s a clear-cut contract. Returns the deed to the Atlantic City property to the Blackstone’s.
“Any red flags? Anything in the fine print?” I’ll check it for myself, but I’m not ready for the next part just yet, because if he’s my enemy, what I do will be irreversible. If I’m wrong, well, I can’t be wrong.
“You won’t be handing them your first-born or anything,” he chuckles then must see my face. “Sorry, poor taste.”
I nod, tuck the contract back into the folder and decide I’ll read it over at home.
“Uncle,” I say, setting my arms on the desk. “Do you know where Malek Lombardi is?”
He studies me. He’s not a stupid man, my uncle. “Why would I know that? And if I did, why would I keep it from you?”
“I don’t know the answers to those questions. I wish I did.” I stand up. He follows suit.
“I saw your father earlier,” he says, smoothing down his tie.
“How was he?” I ask as I open the door and gesture for him to go ahead.
“He asked about Seth.”
That wounds me. He knows well that wounds me.
He waits for me to walk alongside him. I keep just a pace behind.
“And what did you answer?” I ask as we approach the front door.
“Oh, you know. Just talked like it was ten years ago.” He turns to me. A soldier opens the front door. I hear the sound of tires on the gravel as his driver pulls up. “You’ll tell me what’s on your mind soon, I hope, Cassian.”
He extends his hand.
I look at it. Am I being insane?
The driver sets the car to idle and steps out to open the back door for my uncle. He’s whistling a tune. One I recognize.
I close my eyes for a long, long minute.
“Severin has surveillance at the houses of all his men. Did you know that?” I say.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about or why I’d care,” he says, taking a step toward his waiting car.
I block him.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” I ask.
The driver stops his whistling.
“It was you who sent the gun to a two-year-old child. To Seth’s child.”
“Cassian, of course not, why would I ever do that? Why would you think I did? Think I could?”
“It was you who met with Malek when he held Allegra in that cellar room. Did you know there was a window? Small, busted, something for ventilation, I guess. But there all the same. Allegra and her mother heard people when they were held there. This time, Allegra heard you, didn’t she?
That’s why she got like she did because although she never saw your face, she recognized your voice. ”
“You’re being fucking crazy. I’m your godfather, for Christ’s sake. I held you when your father wouldn’t look at you,” he says, eyes bright and wild. He knows what’s coming. What I have to do. But this betrayal, it hurts. It fucking hurts and I hate him for it.
“Severin’s footage, do you know what it showed? Man on a motorcycle, black helmet, completely unrecognizable. Except for one thing.” I turn to the driver. “He was whistling that tune. Exactly that tune.”
“What?” Uncle Angelo asks. I have to give it to him. He’s a great actor.
I reach into my jacket to take the Glock out of its holster. I hold it at my side, and I close my eyes as I process this pain in my chest. I don’t normally feel pain when I beat a man who deserves beating. When I kill a man who deserves killing. But right now, all I feel is pain.
“Cassian. You’re wrong. Think. For God’s sake, think.”
“Why did you betray me?” I ask, my voice low and heavy, quiet enough that only Angelo will hear it.
“You’re making a mistake,” he says.
I look up, meet his eyes, see the desperation inside them.
I turn to the driver and, in the blink of an eye, I raise my weapon and shoot him between the eyes. He drops before he even registers what’s happened.
Angelo exhales an audible breath, mouth falling open as he stumbles backward.
“Cassian,” he starts, turning to me. “Please. Think.” He’s backing away as he speaks.
One of my men steps behind him and when he’s near enough, he punches him in the kidney.
My uncle stumbles forward, the air knocked out of him.
He drops to his hands and knees. He’s never been one for violence.
Not committing it himself at least. Ordering it, well, that’s a different story.
I walk toward him, my brain going about a thousand miles an hour. He pushes himself to sit on his heels, one hand on his back, panting for breath.
“Tell me why,” I say again. “Tell me why you would betray me, Uncle.” My heart twists in my chest.
“I didn’t betray you. I swear. You are like my own son. You know this. You fucking know it.”
“Your son.” I shake my head.
“All your life long, Cassian, you’ve known me. Just think. It’s all I’m asking. Just think. One day. Two days. Please. Please.”
“Cassian!” It’s Allegra. She’s come running. They probably heard the bullet upstairs. Jet’s got her though. He’s holding her back.
I crouch down so we’re at eye level. I press the barrel of my gun to his stomach.
“Oh, God. Cassian.” His face is wet now.
“You want me to think. One day. Two.”
“Please. God. Please.”
“Okay, Uncle.” I nod. Because this can’t go too easy to for him. Like Rami, who died too soon. Who didn’t suffer enough. “Okay. I’m going to give you those two days. And you’re going to regret ever asking for them,” I say, shifting my gun to his thigh and pulling the trigger.