Page 45 of Brando

“So he didn’t even have the money he purportedly took,” Mason breathes, as though in relief.

Merchado shakes his head. “We were negotiating with Tommy about how best to return the money. Then Falcone comes out of nowhere and presents a solution to our problem. A solution we knocked back, by the way.” He looks pointedly at Mason, driving his point home. To the Maltese, Tommy Corsica was more an asset than a liability. “Tommy agreed to do a couple more jobs to pay off the debt, so that was sorted. Next minute, he turns up dead and Falcone is knocking at our door again, offering us the girls.”

“So you agreed to take the girls?” I ask him.

“No.” He shakes his head again, emphatic. “Tommy may have been dead, but we knew the rules. We don’t deal in the skin trade.” In a strange way, I believe him. It’s all starting to make sense now. Every little step that Falcone took was part of one whole picture meant to drive discord between the families. “He orchestrated the whole thing,” Javier says, his face a hard mask as he says the man’s name. “Falcone is the one who came up with the plan to take the girls and sell them. Beforeandafter Tommy’s death.”

Mason’ expression hardens. “You’re saying Falcone had Tommy killed?”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” Javier replies, his tone serious.

Brando leans forward, intrigued despite himself. “So, he’s effectively playing all sides, hoping to start a war.”

“Precisely,” Javier continues, his voice steady. “Frank is a man unhinged. Tried to do business with us, but he proved he couldn’t be trusted, so we booted him out. That’s where his enmity for us comes from. But you…,” he gives Brando a hard look “I don’t know why he has such a hard on for you, Gatti.”

Brando exchanges a glance with Mason, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to fit together.

“And you’re telling us this now because…?” My voice is hoarse as I shoot him down with my eyes. There will come a day when the Maltese have reached their use by date and they will pay for entertaining even the thought of going up against us. For that’s what they’ve essentially done by not coming to us with what they knew of Falcone’s plans.

“Because we’re not interested in going to war with you,” Javier says, his tone earnest. “Frank has put us in a precarious position; if he can kill Tommy without a second thought, what’s stopping him from turning on either of us next?”

I nod slowly, the realization sinking in. “You want a deal.” It’s a statement more than it is a question. It’s in the Maltese’s best interests to align with us. Falcone is one man, but he’s ruthless and he cannot be trusted. They know we’ll come for them after we annihilate Falcone. They’ll want to avoid that at all costs.

“We have access to Falcone. If we find him, which I have no doubt we will, I’ll hand him to you on a silver platter myself, if I have to.”

The room falls silent for a moment as the weight of the situation settles over us. I glance at Brando, who nods slightly, a silent agreement forming between us. The Maltese want to work with us. Falcone has obviously spooked them, and they’re willing to take their chances on us instead of him. He’s a loose cannon, after all, one they can’t afford to have in their arsenal.

“What do you have in mind?” I ask the man. He settles back in his chair with a sigh of relief, glad for the reprieve I’ve offered him.

The tension in the room eases slightly as Javier smiles. “Falcone’s recruiting some of my best men. The defections were the first sign that something wasn’t right.”

I roll my wrist, telling him to hurry it along. I agreed to a meeting, but I really don’t have all day.

“My cousin Jayson. He’s one of the recruits. And he’s been reporting back to me on a daily basis.”

My eyes meet Brando’s across the table. Mason Ironside sits so still, he looks like he’s been cast in marble. A collective silence breezes through the room while we all hold our breaths as we reach the same conclusion. We’re now one step closer to finding Falcone’s location.

“He’s holdingthe girls at another location.”

Jayson Caluna is the sort of man I’d want on my team. He’s a young gun, no more than twenty-eight years, his tall frame towering over me, with a moral compass that makes him too good to be part of our world. He’s Javier Merchado’s maternal cousin, a little-known fact amongst the Maltese, which worked well in Javier’s favor because he ended up planting him in just the right place at just the right time, and we now have a source close to Falcone who’s willing to work with us. Things could not have turned out better if I’d planned them myself.

Jayson has no problem giving us what we want. If his willingness to share such crucial information with us is anything to go by, I’d say he’s harboring a serious dislike for the man who now calls himself his boss.

Brando's lips tighten, a silent curse forming on them. “Do we know where?” The room feels colder, the dim light casting long shadows that seem to echo his growing frustration.

Jayson shakes his head, his expression resolute. “Not yet. But I'm working on it. Falcone is cautious, moves them frequently.”

“What about Mia?” he asks.

I cross my arms, leaning against the dark wood paneling of the restaurant's private back room as I watch my brother carefully. I can sense him fraying at the edges. The hitch in his voice when he says her name tells me everything I need to know – Brando is in love with Mia, even if he doesn’t know it yet.

“She clawed his eyes out,” Jayson says, his voice holding a considerable amount of pride. “They got into a fight and all I know is she attacked him. Got a few good shots in; scratches tracking down his face will definitely scar.”

I beam with pride. Only a woman like Mia Andrade would be worthy of my brother. But Brando still stands stoic, refusing to let any emotion cross his face.

“What were they fighting about?” I ask him.

He shrugs and shakes his head in defeat. “Your guess is as good as mine. But she hasn’t left her room since.”

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