Page 79 of Arranged

“I didn’t like that Javi was making you go on the run, and you didn’t want me going with you, so we followed you.”

“You followed me the entire way to Philly to make sure nothing went wrong?”

“Yes.”

“Then something went wrong.”

“Yeah.” Emilio takes the chair that’s already next to the bed while Albie drags the other one over to sit beside him. “We couldn’t get to you until the door was opened. I’m sorry, San.” He rubs his hand over his cheek.

“I’m glad you were there,” I tell him. “Thank you for saving me.” I look between my younger brothers and take in their tired appearances. “Have you guys slept at all?”

“No. We’ve been out cleaning everything up and tracking down the truck.”

“Tell me everything.”

“After we got you in the car, I saw how much blood you were losing and knew you needed a hospital ASAP, and didn’t have time to find an alternative kind of medical treatment. We got you here and then called Leo to let him know what happened. He got in his helicopter with Nico and Dante and flew down here. Vinny and Alec drove over from Atlantic City, and once they were allhere, we went into action. Leo had his cousin track the phone of the Melcciona guy you had in the back of the truck and found it in a warehouse nearby that they moved the truck to.”

“Wait, what about Darren and Caleb?”

Emilio shakes his head. “Sorry, San, they were found dead. So was the guy in the back of the truck. We killed everyone in the warehouse where we tracked the phone, took the truck back, and then Dante blew that shit up.”

“He loves blowing shit up,” Albie says with a laugh. “He blew up the other warehouse too, to get rid of that mess as well.”

“The truck was driven back up to the Newark warehouse to be kept safe, and all the other lifelesspackageswere brought to the Port of Newark. Leo’s men handled it.” Ah, good. I know the Carfanos have disposal sites all over, but the Port of Newark was probably easiest.

I nod my approval and try to adjust my sitting position, but wince and freeze. “Fuck,” I say through clenched teeth.

“You okay? Do you need me to get a nurse?”

“No, I’m fine,” I grit out. “I just need to not move. Keep going. Did you find out who ambushed me?”

“We did,” Al says.

“Javi was contacted by the Aleksanyan guy trying to bring Leo down. He has eyes everywhere and knew you and Leo went to meet him. The only thing Javi told the guy was that you married into the Carfano family and were now merging businesses, so of course the Albanian took that as a threat to his plans he had for Leo. Javi didn’t know that the information he conveyed was going to be used to try and kill you and steal his shipment. He’s pissed.”

“He’spissed?” I seethe.

“He didn’t realize who he was talking to. Leo has it taken care of. You’re family to him now apparently, and he doesn’t take well to attacks on his family.”

“No, I don’t,” Leo says, walking into the room. “It’s good to see you’re alive and awake, Santino.”

“Thanks. What are we doing about Javi and…I don’t even know his name?”

“It’s Burim. Javi gave me the phone number he used to call him and Stefano found out it was a burner and untraceable, but he used the serial number to find the batch it was bought with and where. The dumbass used his dead cousin’s credit card. He’s been living here under Hovan’s identity since he arrived from Albania. It was easy to track him from there.”

“You found him?”

“Yes, we found him. He was hiding out in some little cabin in the woods in North Jersey. I sent five men to take care of him and the two men he had with him, and they cleared the house of everything they had on us and what he was able to gather on you this week.”

“You work fast.”

“I do.”

I clear my throat and wince when I move the wrong way. I hold my hand out to Leo. “Thank you. I’m sorry I couldn’t help in the takedown.”

“I’m sorry you were almost killed because of a vendetta against me. And I’m sorry about your man, too.” I nod my head solemnly. “Javi has agreed to dissolve your contract without any ill will and the Melccionas have still agreed to move forward despite losing two men tonight.”

“Thank fuck.” In a rare moment of his stone features cracking, Leo smiles at my response.

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