Chapter Twenty Four
Gio
There are times when I hate being who and what I was. For the last three days, instead of getting to go into Dangerous Curves to see Carly, I’d been stuck dealing with the backlash from Deo’s fuck up. Naz had to question him and I had to oversee it. Then it turned up that the cleaners missed a single fucking finger print. It was only a partial but our contact in the NOPD indicated it might be just enough to point the finger in our direction.
“This isn’t good, Gio.”
“You think I don’t fucking know that, Naz? The print is either mine or Deo’s. Either way, if they’re able to connect the death tola famigliawe’re both fucked.” I glared over at my younger brother. He was slouched in the chair opposite me.
“How many times do I have to say I’m sorry, Gio?”
“You don’t fucking get it, Amadeo. Your fuck up could have just signed our death warrants.La Famigliawill not let this come back on them. Pop won’t be able to protect us. He won’t be able to save us.”
I watched as it seemed to finally sink into my brother’s head just how serious this was. He paled and sat up straighter. “It’s not your fault. You shouldn’t pay for my screw up.”
“That’s not how it works, Deo. I was the one who left you in charge. Ultimately, the fault is mine.”
“So why don’t we just make the evidence disappear?”
I turned my attention to Rosalia. She and Amadeo were twins and sometimes, like now, she proved to be the more insightful one of the two.
“How would you suggest we do that, Rosa?” I wanted to hear her thoughts.
“Simple. We get our contact to get us access to the evidence room. Things go missing all the time from evidence lockers, right?”
I got up from my seat, went to her, and took her face in my hands. “That, dear sister, is why you’re my favorite. That wicked mind of yours is always looking for solutions to problems.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead then let her go.
“You better fucking hope like hell we’re able to get the evidence before they’re able to link it to us, Deo.” I turned my attention to Naz. “Let’s go. We’ve got work to do.”
Another fucking night without my fix. I needed to see Carly again, soon. I needed to know she wasn’t going to push me away. I had a feeling if I was gone too long she’d find an excuse to keep me at arm’s length and that wasn’t acceptable.
Two days later, my bank account was considerably lighter than it had been but the partial print was ‘lost’ and the only thing connecting the body tola famigliawas gone. If it kept me from getting a bullet in my skull, it was worth it. Naz had left that morning to head back to Chicago and I was heading out to Dangerous Curves when my phone rang. “Ciao, Mama.”
“Ciao, mio figlio. I want to remind you what Saturday is. You have been so busy with business, I feared you may have forgotten.”
“I haven’t forgotten, Mama. I’ll be there.”
“Bene, bene. Is it too much to hope that you’ll be bringing a nice girl with you?”
I chuckled. That was Mama. She couldn’t help but ask. ”Perhaps you’ll get your wish, Mama. I have to go. I will see you Saturday.”
I hung up as I pulled into the employee parking behind the club and parked. The club was packed once I got inside. The changes we’d already made were having a positive impact in the club. The busier it was, the more money the club and dancers made, the happier everyone was.
My gaze instantly went to the bar. Carly sat at it with a tall glass of something green. I watched her a moment before I made my way to her side. “I thought you didn’t like fruity drinks,Bella.”
I slid onto the barstool beside her just as Tony set a glass of bourbon in front of me.
