They all saw a car pulling up to it and a hand reaching out to punch in the code that only family knew.
Leon gasped at the sight of the hand reaching out to work the code.He saw the ring the man wore...a signet ring that he, himself also wore.His heart nearly stopped as the person leaned out the window to stare at the camera.
It was Calderone, looking a little worse for wear but it was his face.
Leon reached out and pressed the button for the gate to open.He then looked up at John.
His son-in-law was grinning in relief.“Thank God, he’s home,” John said softly.
Leon couldn’t smile as he had to keep himself in check.He turned and walked to the back entrance where he unlocked the door and threw it open.He strode out and several men followed him.They all waited while the car holding Calderone and several others pulled up to the back.
Calderone stepped out of the car.
Leon hurried toward him.When he finally reached his son, he grabbed him into a hard hug.
Calderone groaned as he laughed.
Leon stepped back while looking him over carefully.
Calderone looked a bit disheveled, which was not like him.Usually, every hair was in place and his suits were never wrinkled, he always looked neat as a pin.His hair was all over the place, he had a bruise on his jaw and another one on his cheek.There were stains on his clothing and his shirt was partially untucked.Not his normal well put together look at all.
Leon didn’t care about any of that.He only cared that his son was home and safely behind their security.“What the hell happened over there?”
Calderone carefully reached into the vehicle and assisted Willow out.
She looked bruised up as well and her face looked pale.
“My dear,” Leon spoke softly and stepped over to gently hug her.
Willow tried hard not to cry but she failed.“It was so frightening, Leon.So frightening.”
He patted her on the back.“There, there mi bambina,” he tried to soothe her.“Jack and Mickey are with Evelyn and Meena in a safe house.Nick and Jelly are also there.I didn’t think they should be here as we didn’t know what all was coming.I am going to send you there as soon as you are ready.You have clothes there already and the place is supplied up.”
Willow looked troubled as she shook her head.“I don’t know about leaving Calderone.”
“My dear Willow, it is for the best.”Calderone came over to take her hand.
“Please come with me?”she pleaded.
Calderone shook his head.“I cannot leave when we have a battle to wage.”
“I agree with her son,” Leon stated.“You and Jordy.You are all beaten down and Jordy is injured.I can have the copter take you there.I have a virtual army here.Our team of two dozen.Then Bane and his brothers are here.Along with those two badass Jessin women.Twenty of the Sinners are here as well as Sam, Deke, Mountain and Hound.”
The back door of the limo opened and two men got out of the back seat.Alfredo Grimadli, then his wounded son, Juno.
Lucas also exited the car then he went around the back of the vehicle and opened the front passenger door, reaching inside to assist Jordy out.
Leon just stared at them all with a measured look.“Come inside everyone, it seems we have much to talk about.”He turned, grabbing Willow’s hand and gently ushered her inside.
Bane moved forward and grabbed Jordy on the other side to assist Lucas with the wounded man.
Everyone settled in the kitchen, where John poured coffee or bourbon for them whichever they wanted.
Alfredo searched Leon’s face for a moment then said, “I am so very sorry for what is happening.I never thought my son would do this nor my grandson.Maledizione!The Don isn’t blaming me for this but I blame myself.Fredo has always been a little hotheaded but this?”He spread his hands out.“This is la demenza...insanity itself.”Shaking his head he looked at his grandson Juno and his son Lucas.“I cannot even comprehend what is going on inside his mind.To attack his own family and try to kill the Don in order to step into his shoes?It just doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Leon shook his head.“You know Fredo always had hopes that one day he would earn a chance to gain power within the family.But because he did things the way he did, by any means necessarily, good or bad, the Don shot him down even before he could gain that seat.”
“Si, I know this.”Alfredo stared down into his coffee cup.“He heard the old stories, the stories of how the mob was run a hundred years ago and he wanted that kind of power to rise again.”He looked up and said, “He never realized the organization wasn’t what it was back then, that time moves everything forward not backwards.The old ways taught us lessons we needed to learn the hard way and we had to change.”Then Alfredo looked at Leon and said, “I’m very glad to see you alive and well old friend.I was worried Giovano had done damage to you and I hoped you would fight like it was the old days.”
