Page 89 of Twisted Obsession

‘That’s correct. Bruno and some of his men have questioned several.’ I had an idea just what that said questioning would have involved from one of Salvatore’s most trusted men. ‘He and I believe that many of them are innocent, whether it’s all of them remains to be seen. But they know that they are no longer beneath our radar. One step out of line and what has always been a strong hold of our family will be brought crashing to the ground and they know it.’

‘He also said Alessio is critical?’ I knew that a man like Salvatore would have no problem telling me exactly how it was and would answer truthfully without fear of upsetting me.

‘Correct.Ifhe survives, he won’t be the man he once was. He’s had an operation to remove a couple of the lodged bullets, one of which entered through his cheekbone, embedding in the skull and grazing his brain.’ Instinctively, I touched a hand to the small cut Giovanna had created a few hours before on my cheekbone as he carried on, ‘Alessio has lost a lot of blood, and they have since found that he is still bleeding internally. Serafina has seen him and has spoken to the doctors at the hospital.’

‘Is she still with him?’ I questioned.

‘No, my wife is here at our home with our children, where I can keep her and them safe.’

‘Of course.’ I nodded my agreement, even though I knew he couldn’t see me.

‘They will be taking him back to theatre in…’ I heard him pause as though he was checking the time, ‘twenty minutes time. I’ll get your papa to update you when there is news.’

‘My papa is an old man.’

‘He is, and this has weakened him further,’ Salvatore added.

It was as I feared.

‘I’m coming home,’ I stated.

Completely ignoring me, he carried on his chosen path.

‘I received the email containing the books in the early hours of the morning. It made interesting reading, but it’s far from the concrete evidence I would need to go against a man who has worked tirelessly for my family for nearly three decades.’

‘I agree,’ I concurred, knowing he was talking about the false accounting I had asked Marco to send over. ‘But in the early hours of this morning something else came into my possession.’ My mind couldn’t help but picture Giovanna beneath me, eventhough I was talking about something else entirely. ‘Which I believe completes the jigsaw you asked for.’

‘Interesting, and that is?’

‘A recording.’

‘A recording of?’

‘You need to hear the evidence I have. I trust no one else but me with it. Something is going down; and I believe our conjoined family is at risk. We need to move fast and as one. My family need me, and our family need us together—I’m coming home.’ I played my hand, and I believed I’d played it well.

Silence came back at me down the line, before a deep roar of laughter.

‘Finally, Dante… you might just have grown a pair of fucking balls. You have put others safety and needs before your own anger. You have your Don’s permission to return. Come home, your family are waiting for you. Calabria and your Don will welcome you with open arms.’

‘I’ll be there in a few hours.’

The call ended abruptly, just as I knew it would.

I took the shower I knew I needed, and reluctantly washed the scent of her off my skin. Leaving the ensuite, with a towel around my waist and one in my hand rubbing at my hair, I caught sight of the hideous engagement ring and the phone she’d smashed by dropping it and sighed loudly.

‘How the hell do I keep in contact now?’ I questioned, just before an idea formed. Quickly, knowing time was of the essence I crossed the floor and picked up the ring, before searching in a drawer beside my bed. Finding exactly what I was looking for, I coated one side of the tracking device in the wax I’d left out to put through my towel dried hair and pressed the small disc up and underneath the set gemstone. Holding the offensive object between my thumb and forefinger I shook it a few timesand smiled when the tracker didn’t move. Luckily, it was such a perfect, tight fit, I understood it would stay where I’d put it.

‘Elio.’ I almost shouted into the intercom next to where I stood, as the whole of my hand leant on the button.

‘Boss.’

‘Come down.’

‘But, Dante—the boat?’

‘I’ll take the risk.’ I hated pulling his eyes away from her ticket home, but knew it was necessary.

I listened as his footsteps grew closer and finally a knock sounded at my door.

---