“I know you’re awake and I can sense you can hear my voice. As you might imagine, Russo, I’m not in the mood to hear any bullshit. But we are going to talk.”
He pretended to be sleeping.
Daring to ignore me.
Sighing, I tried to remind myself that I was exhausted from the last few days, including watching over my guest. The pep talk didn’t seem to be doing any good. I had little time for this bullshit. I pinched the air supply. I had no clue just how necessary the air intake was, but I just didn’t care. He was going to talk to me whether he liked it or not.
As expected, he gasped but opened his eyes. There was a hint of fear in them, but he tried his best to harden his look whilekeeping his composure. He obviously knew since I was standing in the room, that I held the fate of his miserable life in my hands.
I upped the game, covering his mouth and pinching his nose. The rage I felt was strangely easily able to control. Maybe just by looking at him my gut told me he’d embraced his mortality.
He was older than my father, the incident leaving him appearing frail. Maybe with age came wisdom or at least a desire to live out his miserable life. He was pleading with his eyes, slapping at my arm.
Still, I waited to allow him any additional air. However, this wasn’t getting me the answers I needed.
By the time I backed off, the monitors were beeping. Interference I wouldn’t tolerate. As he coughed, I took a step away, shoving my hands into my pockets.
“I assume you know who I am and if so, you’re fully aware of what I can do. Now, we are going to talk, Vitelli. You were the last person to see my father alive and as you might imagine, I’m eager to learn what the two of you were discussing right before he died. Now, we can simply have a frank discussion and I’ll leave, or I can become your worst nightmare. It’s entirely up to you.”
He stared at me for a few seconds, studying me as if trying to determine whether or not to have that discussion.
“Of course… I know who… you are.” He coughed again, the redness in his face finally diminishing even as he tried to sit up. “You remind me of your father, Alexander, who spoke so highly of you.”
I held my accusations as the past had no real place here. Yet the same intense emotions that had plagued me for years threatened to force my hand. I hungered for revenge, something my father should have done. Or my grandmother. Why she hadn’t placed some curse on the man was beyond me.
His first words weren’t what I’d expected.
“If you’re trying to lay the groundwork for a friendship, I assure you that won’t work. I’m not in the business of forgiveness.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. As you might imagine, I feel the same.” He was searching my eyes for the same answers I was seeking.
“If you’re trying to insinuate I had anything to do with Lorenzo’s death, you’re wrong. Given you know my reputation, you should know my act of revenge would have begun from the top down.”
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe you.” He certainly hadn’t been so out of it with his injuries he hadn’t been told about his son’s murder. That meant he could have been cognizant enough to order a hit on me.
“Which is why you had me attacked at the courthouse.”
He seemed genuinely surprised. “I wasn’t aware. You’ll have to forgive me for not keeping up with current events. Between the haze of painkillers and mourning the murder of my son, I’ve had little energy to handle business.”
There was a hint of sincerity. “So you’re suggesting one of your other sons didn’t seek their own retaliation?”
His huff was followed by a wince, the monitors reflecting an increase in his blood pressure. “My sons know better than to go against my orders.”
Even his phrasing seemed off. I shook my head. This wasn’t going to be easy. “Let’s just cut to the chase, Vitelli. You’re suggesting you didn’t have my father murdered?”
“Contrary to what you might have heard, I did not consider your father our enemy. Mind you, I will do what’s necessary to protect my family.” A look of despair crossed his face.
“Do you know who shot you?”
“The list of enemies is long as I’m certain so was your father’s.”
Was he truly suggesting he had no clue? I found that hard to believe.
“Why were you engaged in a conversation with my father? You had absolutely nothing to discuss. Unless this was about Emmeline, trying to convince him to enter an unholy alliance. That won’t be allowed.”
“There is value in creating alliances, Alexander. Your father should have taught you that.” He was annoyed with me.
Too bad.
