Page 66 of Caged Bliss

The entryway leads to a big, modern living area next to an open kitchen. It’s spacious and clean, immaculately clean, with only a few magazines on the coffee table, all of them gossip rags. The kitchen looks like it’s never used. A pack of cigarettes on an end table. Nice paintings hang on the walls. I recognize Degas, Van Gogh. There must be a few million worth of art in the foyer alone.

But it’s quiet. The men spill inside and start clearing the rooms. Tommy’s nowhere, not upstairs, not in the gym, not on the balcony.

Frustration bubbles through my guts. I start flipping through shit in Tommy’s bedroom. We take a laptop, a few phones, and find some cash wrapped up in a scarf in his closet.

“Nothing,” Davide grunts at me. “He got another place?”

“Not that I know about.” I’m tempted to punch the fucking wall. “Search the place. Grab anything useful.”

“Will do.” Davide squeezes my shoulder. “It’ll be okay, brother. We’ll find him.”

I nod and walk away, too pissed to stick around. Seamus looks like he wants to follow, but a look lets him know that I’m not in the mood for company. I take the elevator down alone and storm back to the car, already exhausted and on edge, and all I want is to find Tommy so I can put a bullet in his fucking head.

But he knew we’d be coming for him. The second Skinny didn’t come back out from that alley, he knew. I’m guessing he’s holed up with Serena somewhere, maybe under the protection of his Serbian business partners, or maybe already on the run to another country. Davide’s right—we’ll find him. But I’m impatient, and I want him now.

There’s a tap at the window. I look over, about to tell whoever it is to fuck off, and find the barrel of a gun pointing at my face.

Roc’s standing at the other end, frowning at me. He gestures with his free hand: open up.

I unlock the doors. Slowly, he climbs into the back seat, the gun aimed at me the whole time.

“How’d you know I’d be here?” I ask, watching him in the rearview.

“Tommy had me keeping an eye on the place. I saw you guys roll up, and I was about to leave when you came back out alone. I figured I’d take the opportunity.”

Fuck. Stupid. I should’ve been more careful. I’m not thinking clearly—my head’s still cloudy from nearly getting choked to death.

“What do you want? Ready to finally put the knife in my back like you tried five years ago?”

His jaw flexes. “Tommy made promises. You don’t understand.”

“I took care of all of you. I paid you well, got you good jobs, made sure you all rose through the ranks like I did. I was a good fucking boss.”

“Yeah, maybe, you were pretty good, but you’re still a Bianco. Tommy, he’s like us, he’s from nothing. I can trust a guy like that. But you? No offense, Angelo, but we were always miles apart.”

I stare at him and resist the urge to rage. We were fucking friends. No, we were brothers-in-arms. We killed together, fought together, bled together. I led them through hell and back, and I made sure they got rich. They were drowning in jewelry, pussy, and respect.

And they tried to take me out because I was born rich.

Fuck them.

“I don’t know what Tommy told you, but he was wrong. You guys made the wrong call.”

He laughs softly. “No shit. After it all went down, exactly one of us reaped the rewards, and it sure as fuck wasn’t me.”

“Then why are you still working for him?”

“Because what other option did I have? You came storming back into my life without so much as a conversation and I didn’t have a choice. You think I wanted to be anywhere near fucking Tommy? The piece of shit had my balls in a vice because of what we did.”

I move slowly and keep my hands low. My gun’s in my waistband, and he can’t see as I grip it tightly. “Why don’t you just kill me, Roc? Since I’m a rich prick and I’m not worth shit. End it now.”

“I want to make a deal.” He says it through his teeth like it’s hurting him. “Tommy’s going to get everyone killed. I’m done with that prick.”

“Now you’re seeing the light, Roc? You regret your mistakes?”

“Fuck you. I’m trying to save my ass. You want Tommy? I can tell you where he is, but first I want some assurances. After this conversation, I’m leaving Chicago. I’m taking a bus somewhere far from here, and I want you to swear you won’t follow me.”

I look at him in the rearview and hold his gaze. This bastard never gave me this chance, not back in the day. “Tell me where Tommy is and you’re as good as gone.”

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