Page 11 of Dangerous Contract: Part 2

He dialed his own number. A part of him hoped that his phone would ring in the room, revealing its hiding place. But the sound never came, fueling his frustration and driving a wedge deeper between him and his father. His father had to have his phone or at least know where it was.

“Where is she?” Orazio demanded as he slammed the phone back onto its cradle.

“Orazio, I told you,” Don Cattaneo started, but Raz cut him off.

“Enough!” His eyes blazed with fury, his hands trembling at his sides. “I can’t sit here doing nothing while she’s out there, suffering!”

“Having a tantrum won’t help Monique,” his father retorted coldly, meeting Orazio’s glare. “We are doing everything we can to find her.”

“Are you?” Orazio challenged. “Or are you just trying to keep me in the dark?”

His dad cocked his head to the side. “Is this how a future don should behave?”

“What?” Orazio frowned.

“You’re not acting like a future don right now. You’re not acting like a Cattaneo right now.”

“How the fuck am I supposed to be acting in this situation?” Orazio yelled.

“A don always keeps his cool and never lets emotions cloud his judgment or deter him from the task at hand. You’ve known this woman for a few days. A week at best, yet you’re yelling at me, yelling at Leo, like this woman is more important to you than us.”

“She’s very important to me. So are you. So is Leo. If you were missing, I’d move heaven and hell to find you. The same goes for her.”

“But you’ve only just met her and...”

“And I’ll kill anyone who tries to take her from me. No questions asked. On sight,” Raz snarled.

“Is that so?” his dad asked.

“I wouldn’t have said it if it wasn’t.”

Don Cattaneo raised an eyebrow, studying his son’s face. “Who were you just trying to call?” The don asked, changing the subject.

“Rome,” Raz lied smoothly. “He should be back in the States by now, right?”

“Rome is watching over your mother and grandmother in case the Tatums try something,” his father replied with a knowing look.

“Stepmom and step-grandmother,” Raz corrected him.

Ignoring that statement, his father continued. “Your brother knows what he needs to be doing at a time like this. It’s you who is worrying me. You should be resting, Orazio.”

“Rest is overrated,” Raz muttered.

“Fine,” his father seethed, shaking his head in disapproval. “I’m going to check on Cas. Maybe with me gone, you’ll rest better.” With that said, Don Cattaneo stood and left the room, leaving his son alone with his thoughts.

As soon as the door closed, Raz grabbed the phone again and dialed Rome’s number for real this time, his fingers shaking slightly as he did so. His brother picked up on the third ring.

“Tell me what’s going on, Rome. And don’t lie to me,” Raz demanded, his voice low and urgent.

“Relax, Raz,” Rome replied. “I’m at the hospital, heading to your room right now. I called Bryceson to watch over dad’s wife and her mother. Is dad with you?”

“No. He left to check on Cas,” Raz confirmed, his impatience growing by the second.

“Good. That means we may have enough time to get this done. Listen,” Rome began cautiously. “I overheard a conversation between dad and Leo. They’re trying to keep Monique away until this war with the Tatums ends.”

“Dad has Monique?” Raz snarled.That lying motherfucker!

“No. But he has something to do with her disappearance. Like I said, he wanted her out of the way until this war with the Tatums was over.”

---