“And knowing what you think you know about how snitches could be handled, why are you talking to Elena or the other woman in the family?”
“Like I said, I was trying to protect Elena?—”
“And Isabella? Were you protecting her when you went looking for information about me?”
She looks truly shocked that I know about that.
“Were you concerned when your snitch kidnapped her right in front of a child?”
She picks up her glass of wine again, taking a large sip.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know about that?”
She shakes her head.
For the first time, I wonder if Olivia isn’t as honest or squeaky clean as she tries to come off as. “Come on, Olivia. You’re smarter than this.”
Her eyes flash with heat, but she can’t argue.
"Your moral high ground is built on quicksand.” I’m disappointed in her that her morality has limits.
That she can so easily ignore the red flags waving around her. “You condemn me for violence while your actions indirectly cause it. You criticize my businesses while your pension fund probably invests in companies doing worse. You judge me for bending rules while working for an organization that rewrites them when convenient and doesn’t give a shit about collateral damage."
She takes a deep breath. "So, what? We're all corrupt? That's your defense?"
"No. My point is that the world isn't divided into good guys and bad guys. It's just people making choices with the power they have." I lower my voice. "What’s interesting is how society deems it okay in some circumstances but not others. It’s okay for you to break the law, but no one else.”
I consider telling her about her father and how he worked for my father, a fact that I’m one-hundred percent sure she’s unaware of.
I decide to hold on to that tidbit.
I could become more handy at a later time.
I see the conflict in her eyes. Professional certainty in a tug-of-war with personal doubt.
“The world isn’t perfect.”
“Really?” I shake my head, not hiding my disappointment. “That’s your answer?”
She turns away as if she knows her response is lame.
For a moment I think I’ll let her off the hook, but then I change my mind. She wouldn’t let me off, so why should I ease up?
"Let me ask you something else." I keep my voice casual. "Did you kill Gio Sarto?"
Her expression shifts from defensive to genuinely shocked. "What?"
"Gio Sarto. Used to work for me." I step closer, watching her reaction carefully. "Did you take Rocco thinking you could turn his mother against me or maybe Luca? Expected Gio to take the fall because of the tension between our families?"
She backs away, shaking her head. "That's insane."
"Is it? When Luca didn't kill Gio like you expected, because contrary to FBI belief, we don't go around murdering people.” Well, we do sometimes, but there’s a damn good reason.
Luca knew Gio wanted him dead, but my order prevented that from happening.
Luca also knew Gio didn’t take Rocco, so he had no reason to kill Gio, even if I wondered for a moment if he had. “The plan for Luca to kill Gio failed so someone had to silence him." I keep my voice steady. "Was that you, Olivia?"
"You're out of your mind." Her voice rises. "I had nothing to do with any kidnapping or murder."
