Page 28 of Surprise Twins for the Mafia Heir

I turn my attention to one of the few sources the Montoya men use — Sue Hardon. She used to work for my family until she got caught and spent ten years in prison. After she got out, my dad cut ties with her and she’s been under the radar ever since. She’s the only person I can trust to help me locate Nick.

Thankfully, she stays in the same beat-down neighborhood in Staten Island. After catching a ferry and three taxis, I knock on her door. The door swings open and I’m greeted by the same sharp, owl-like eyes with more wrinkles. She scans me up and down like I’m a threat.

“He’s not with me,” I say.

“What makes you think I’d trust anything that comes out of your mouth?” Sue asks sharply. I raise my shirt to show my fresh wounds.

“Because I’m on the run,” I answer.

She starts to slam the door but I catch it with my foot. “I wouldn’t have come here if I wasn’t desperate,” I say.

“I spent ten years in a filthy prison getting my ass handed to me by the lowlifes I put in there. What makes you think I’m willing to take that risk again?” she snaps. I see scars along Sue’s neck that drag down to her collarbone. Her mousy brown hair is thinning and she smells like cigarettes.

“I’m sick of the pull my dad has. The Montoyas have terrorized people enough,” I say. “Besides, I have someone who’s in trouble if I can’t reach her—”

“Why should I care, Vinny? You Montoyas can’t be trusted,” Sue says.

“Please, just hear me out,” I beg. Sue stalls for a few more moments before groaning and letting me inside. I follow her down a narrow hallway with a green carpet and family photos on the walls. She leads me into a small den where an older woman with a breathing tube sits in front of the TV. I almost want to ask if she’s still alive until the old woman wheezes loudly.

“We got company, Ma,” Sue says loudly. She sits down on a couch covered in plastic and gestures for me to do the same. The old woman doesn’t make another move as I cautiously sit down.

“You’ve got five minutes,” Sue says.

“I’m looking for an old friend of mine. His name is Nick and he’s been working for my father. I am convinced that he’s a mole and I need to know what his intentions are,” I say quickly.

Sue cracks a smile as she takes a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket. “So, the legacy continues.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, suddenly feeling like a joke.

Sue takes a minute to light her cigarette, letting a thick cloud puff in front of her. “There’s always someone who falls from grace because they don’t like the way things are

being run. This has happened to your family more times than they’d like to admit, hence why they’d ask for my help.” Sue shakes her head and crosses her legs.

“I used to make a real living from your dad’s mess.” Sue looks around the shabby den and draws in a deep breath.

“I used to live like a queen. I got my family out of the dumps and for a while, we lived a really good life. But then it all came crashing in my face. All it took was one slip up and your dad didn’t want any ties to his mess.” She points her cigarette at me as a scowl takes over her face. “Hopefully you can see why I have no reason to help you.”

I lean forward already, knowing that the odds are against me. Technically she’s right. Sue has no reason to trust me or whatever I have up my sleeve.

“My dad was willing to take me out because I didn’t do what he wanted me to do. If that’s not a sign enough of him needing to fall from his tower, then I don’t know what is,” I say with a sigh. “I fell in love with one of the daughters of the men he was supposed to take out. It was stupid and I shouldn’t have done it, but I did. And now her life is on the line and I just wanna make sure she’s safe. If I don’t figure out where Nick is, I’m afraid that it might be too late.”

Sue is quiet and stares down at the pack of cigarettes in her hands. She shuffles them back-and-forth, occasionally looking back at her mother who takes quick feeble breaths.

“My mom had a stroke when I was in prison, and when I got out, she wasn’t the same. The last conversation I had with her, she had asked me where I put the vacuum cleaner,” Sue finally says.

“But I suppose I can’t keep blaming your dad for all the time I lost. I was the one who agreed to help with his mess in the first place.” She rises from the couch and walks over to a vanity closer to the kitchen. She opens a small drawer and pulls out a box.

“I don’t know if it’ll help much, but when it comes to tracking someone down, I have a very old way of finding them.” When she walks back over to me, she hands the box to me, then sits next to me on the same couch.

“I hope you know that when I help you, I’m only helping you, not your dad, and I can’t guarantee that this will work.”

The box feels like a boulder in my lap, and I slowly nod my head. I run my fingers over it, noticing all of those tiny scratches and grooves on the sides. I already made peace with the fact that I was no longer part of my family. It’s best that I don’t fully allow myself to feel the weight of it just yet.

“I’m ready,” I say.

Sue purses her lips and takes the box from me. “Usually, this would be the time I’d demand $10,000, but I can tell by your, eh, attire, you don’t have much to offer.”

I reach into my back pocket and pull out one of the wallets I found in the side door. It was my cousin Joey’s and had at least $600 in it.

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