“Absolutely.”
Santino kept his eyes on Dario’s profile, on the tension in Dario’s grip on the wheel and the muscles in his jaw, while he spoke in measured words. “You were with us at the zoo today. You saw. Youheard. And what I need to know is simple. If someone, anyone at all, approached you—maybe they didn’t call it a ‘flip’, maybe they called it something nicer, like a ‘transition’, because it’s still more or less staying in the family—how would you respond?” He only waited a beat before softening the implication in his question. “This is hypothetical, of course, so if there’s any scenario you can think of where you’d hear them out, now’s the time to tell me. If I’m underpaying you, or you don’tlike your hours, or you’re not progressing to your satisfaction—all that shit.”
He phrased it suggestively on purpose. If Dario had disappointed him, he wanted the man to slip and come clean while he thought he had the opportunity. More importantly, if Dario had heard anything he was afraid to speak up about, this was the perfect chance to mention it—a chance so good, he’d get himself hooked if were to be found later having withheld information. And if Dario knew nothing, had nothing of relevance to share, then his response would be more honest. There was never harm in that.
Dario flexed his fingers over the wheel, flicked on the blinker, and eased them smoothly into the appropriate turn lane as he spoke. His tone was somewhere between calm and tight, but didn’t reach a level that qualified as anger. “Since you asked me to be straight with you, Boss … I’d shoot out the fucker’s knees on the spot. Leave him alive at least long enough to call you, or Armando if you were unreachable, and get instructions. I don’t have experience running interrogations, but I’d toss his bleeding ass into his own car and drive him somewhere decidedly uncomfortable for someone better qualified to do the job if that was the order. Or I’d toss him off a high-rise.”
Santino felt his eyebrows climb up his forehead as he bit down on a smile. “A high-rise?” They certainly weren’t lacking for those in the city, but it was an awfully public choice.
“So that the rest of the traitorous bastards could see what’s coming.”
The smile broke free and Santino turned his gaze to the opposite side, catching Armando’s eye through the SUV’s side mirror.
Armando gave a subtle dip of his chin. Armando liked Dario. Well, that was also something.
“Okay.” Santino tapped another app on his phone. “I appreciate your honesty, Dario. And your loyalty.” His thumb hovered over the green button. “I’m going to make a call, because unless one of you has suddenly become an expert investigator, we need to utilize more resources. Don’t interrupt me unless it’s urgent. Don’t repeat a word of anything you hear or infer, ever.”
They chorused their understanding and Santino tapped the button. This wasn’t how or when he’d wanted to call in the favor he was due. But circumstances were what they were.
The line rang twice before it connected and Dante De Salvo’s familiar baritone rumbled in his ear. “Santino, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you.”
Santino leaned back in his seat and hooked one leg over the other restlessly. “Hope I didn’t interrupt dinner,” he said. “I recognize it hasn’t been too long, but interesting things are developing and it seems I need to call in my favor.”
Something that sounded like a squeal cut through whatever Dante started to say in response.
Amusement eased the frustration in Santino’s chest. “Was that the little prince? He king of the household yet?”
A feminine murmur drifted through the line, fabric rustled, and finally Dante replied, “From the day he was born. Now that’s he’s started crawling, I’m convinced he’s going to terrorize the entire state when he hits puberty.”
Santino laughed. “Sounds about right.”
“I would have pegged that for your son, when you have one.”
“I’m working on that.” He let the words hang in the air, because of course that would be news. “And no, that is not what I need assistance with. But once we choose a date, I promise you’re invited to the wedding.”
Dante was quiet a moment. “Finally blackmailed some poor woman into marrying you?”
“I don’t know what you mean. Everyone loves me.” He bit back a sigh. “Except for whichever asshole is trying to build a mutiny in my own fucking house.”
“Mutinies are for pirates. Last time I checked, St. Louis was not a boat.”
Santino whistled. “Someone’s in a mood.”
“Take advantage of it. Tell me what you need, specifically.”
Santino took a breath and explained the situation with Nico, the Segreti name-drop, and his concerns with Danilo. He added in the less likely but relevant angles of Danilo’s older sister, Adele, who basically slaved away as caretaker for her mother, and their missing younger sister, Noemi. “So, you understand why I can’t make my own guys do this digging. I couldn’t trust the information they’d bring back to me if I tried.”
Dante’s voice had lost the rare, lightened edge when he spoke again. The Dragon was back in full control. “You could not. I’ll have Mikey get a team on each member of the Segreti line and we’ll run you a full workup. It might take a few days, but one of us will get the information to you as soon as it’s compiled. In the meantime, keep your guard up, and be careful of who you trust.”
“Yeah,” Santino said, casting his gaze out the tinted window toward the building they were parked in front of. “That I planned on.”
“And you mentioned a new woman in your life?”
Santino straightened. “I did.”
“You’re sure she’s not connected?”
Anger sparked in his chest. It was objectively a rational question, but the accusation upset him anyway. “Yes, I’m fucking sure. She threw herself in front of Nico’s gun thinking she was saving me and nearly took a fucking bullet.”
