Page 5 of Deception

There are flaws to torture, though it’s absolutely necessary. The problem is, it doesn't always get you the answers you want, but it gets yousomething.

Thing is, when they start begging to stop, when they start promising to tell you answers; it usually means that they're full of shit. They're not really at their breaking point yet. So that’s when I step out of the room for an hour or two. Smoke a cigarette. Take a walk.

“Take your time, get him to come around. Adriano, with me. You two, keep working him over when he’s up. But donotkill him, understood?”

“Yes, Don Alessandro,” Ciro mocks, saluting me. Ero just stares at me.

“I need to know who killed Giancarlo.Tonight.”

I take a deep breath as soon as we reach the top of the stairs to the old, stone basement.

Fresh air clears my head. The docks this time of night are chilly, refreshing. My breath fogs as I light a cigarette.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do even if we get a name? We get revenge, sure. Still leaves us looking weak for not protecting our own, for allowing a hit on an elder.”

“The family wants reassurances. With intel, you can take action. Or at least say you’re going to.” Adriano is all facts. Useful. Sometimes annoyingly frank.

“Emptypromises so far.”

“Everyone trusts you, Alessandro.” Adriano is a solid second. He’s always been levelheaded. Not to say he’s above putting his fist through some guy’s teeth for mouthing off.

He’s no Dom, though. Not that I hold that against him. Adriano didn’t want his job any more than I wanted mine, initially.

Giancarlo chose me, though. And Domenico accepted it.

At first.

It never sat well with him getting second prize. I guess that’s why he left. Just up and vanished one day, a few months after Eva’s funeral. Heard he was last seen in Italy, near his family’s old estate in Veneto a few months back.

Only recently has it started to itch at me, all these coincidences.

But Dom is family, practically my own blood.

Another muffled scream echoes up from the basement of the warehouse. Again, I’m tempted to go down there and do the work myself. I’ve never been afraid of getting my hands dirty. God knows Dom and I did our fair share of ruthless shit to get answers.

Adriano would say that I need to project authority, let my people do their jobs. Like I don’t know that.

But they’re still my little brothers.

Fucking sentimental bullshit.

“Call Tomas and see if they released the body. We need to hold the funeral. Make a show of family unity.”

“Already on it. The wives have the preparations for the reception in hand.” Adriano ticks his head to the right, cracking his neck.

“Sorry,” I chuckle at his discomfort.

“For what?”

“For having to deal with that rabble. No doubt they let you have it about how you don’t have a wife yet yourself. Who’d they promise to set you up with this time?” I smirk, imagining him facing down the wives’ club.

“Giuseppe's youngest daughter. And her older sister, for you!” Adriano spits, shaking his head.

“Fuck me.” The girl is a neurotic nightmare. Just like her dad. Good accountant, though.

“The family’s a lot more worried about you taking a bride and cranking out some bambinos than me, you know.” Adriano’s sly smile makes me want to punch him.

“Don’t fucking remind me. Come on. If he’s not talking by now, I’m going to end this.” I snuff the embers of my cigarette on the ground and head back in.

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