Page 96 of Conquering Oz

What? She could count on one hand the number of times she’d been alone with Chris. Even then it was usually her showing up early to meet Madalyn, who was running late.

“Whyam Ihere, Chris?”

“Like I said. Madalyn told me I needed to take Monday night off. She said you and your new boyfriend are coming over for dinner. Oz? He owns the X-Lounge club downtown?” His tone was sharp and accusatory. His jaw squared and the corners of his eyes crinkled.

She knitted her brows and folded her arms. “I haven’t finalized the plans with Oz yet but...”

“For fuck’s sake!” Chris shouted and his face turned a bright shade of red. The lines on his forehead creased and he was outraged. She’d seen Chris angry but not to this degree.

Elodie held up her hands. “Chris, I don’t….

?“First your interest in Sal Caruso, and now you’reseeingOz? What the fuck are you doing, Elle?”

What?

“What does Caruso have to do with Oz?”

Chris flinched as if she’d struck him. He grasped his hips, staring intently at her.

It was impossible keeping up with this conversation. His line of questioning was all over the place and hard to follow. First Oz, and now Sal Caruso? She was confused.

“You have no idea, do you?”

Elodie widened her eyes. “About what you’re referring to? Not a clue, Chris.”

“Fuck,” he muttered, cupping his mouth.

Chris drew in a breath and grabbed a folder on the small desk in the corner. He tossed it on the coffee table.

“Wanted to know about Sal Caruso, right?” He pointed at the table. “There’s a list miles long of crimes with a suspectedconnection to Sal Caruso. Not one charge. No convictions, no prison time. It’s like you said ‘where there’s smoke, there’s fire.’ Unless, of course, you’re Sal Caruso. He spent his whole life living behind a smoke screen. On paper, he’s a retired entrepreneur.” His lips twisted. It was easy to read the disgust on his features and in his tone. “An old guy who’s living out his life in a nondescript old folks home spending his days playing pickle ball, helping his buddy organize social events, and hitting on seventy-year-old women at the lunch table.” Chris lifted his chin, gesturing to the folder in front of her. “Wanna know what you won’t find in there? The truth. Sal Caruso ran this state for decades. Every single illegal operation, he had his hands in. He profited off all of it. Enough to pay off everyone. And those he couldn’t? Those people with a moral compass who refused to be a pawn in his business? Well, let’s just say, nobody talks about them.”

Elodie felt a tight knot forming in her throat.

“Sal built his empire from the ground up. There wasn’t anyone before him. He’s the mastermind behind the Underground. That’s what it’s called. But when people mention the Underground, they usually whisper.” Chris paused. “Gotta give Sal credit though. He made connections, brought in outsiders, and created this huge army that spans not only this state but others too. He had all these people working under him but only kept a select few close. His brother Jimmy being one of them. As they expanded, Jimmy wanted more power, to run his own state. Only fair, right? You put in the time, you want a promotion. But there can only be one king in the Underground, and Sal wasn’t gonna step down. Jimmy decided if he wasn’t given the power, he’d take it. Confided in his second in command that he was planning on taking out Sal. Two days later, the police are called to an abandoned warehouse. They find Jimmy with a bullet to the back of his head. Executionstyle.” Chris sighed. “They never did find the killer, and yet somehow, it’s a closed case.”

“How do you know all this?”

“Other guys on the force, though everything is alwaysoff the record. You won’t find any of that in the files.”

Elodie slowly nodded. “Well, I appreciate you sharing with me.”

She wasn’t exactly sure why though. Chris had never been this forthcoming.

“There’s more.”

Elodie raised her brows.

“Sal ran the Underground for decades. Most thought of him as invincible, but he wasn’t. Eventually, even he knew he’d have to walk away. With organizations like the Underground, there’s a hierarchy. Next in line kind of thing. There were several guys who’d been with Sal from the beginning. Natural process would have them stepping into Sal’s role. But he went off script. Sal had this young guy, a protégé. Been with Sal for a long time and completely loyal. Some think he was the one who took Jimmy out on Sal’s orders, but it’s never been confirmed. From what I understand, this kid became like a son to Sal, something he’d never had. When he stepped down, he named Lorenzo Scavo as his replacement.” Chris paused, scanning her face. “Sound familiar?”

Elodie knitted her brows and shook her head. She’d never heard of him.

“You know him as Oz.”

What?No, that couldn’t be right. Impossible. If what Chris was saying had any merit, that meant Oz not only knew Sal, but was close to him. So close he named Oz as his replacement? No, this didn’t make any sense.

“Wait.” Elodie held up her hands, shaking her head. Oz was the owner of the X-Lounge. He’d mentioned a few othercompanies and property. He was an entrepreneur not a criminal. “He’s a club owner, Chris.”

“Yeah, he is, among other things. Oz runs the biggest illegal criminal organization in the state. And he learned everything he knows from Caruso. You asked me why Sal never saw the inside of a courtroom? It’s the same reason Oz hasn’t, and probably never will. They got a lot of people on their payroll. And the ones they don’t are too scared to dig deeper or to go after them.” He paused, and his eyes softened. “Even I know better than to ask questions.”

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