Page 40 of Tortured Hearts
“Ah yes, the inconvenient friendship.” Lifting my glass, I tip it toward him. “You’re a respected guy, Benny. You speak your mind, honor your oath, and take no shit. Are you really sticking with that weak excuse?”
“Gianni…” Anton warns from behind.
The Boston boss smacks the table. “Listen here, you little shit…”
Benito raises his hand, instantly silencing him. I’ll admit, the power he wields is impressive, especially when old Boston Mario folds like a scolded puppy. “What other purpose would I have to see you, Gianni?”
“Curiosity, and the fact you’re a smart man. I had a cushy new life in Providence—a new name, newidentity, permanent immunity. You know there’d have to be a damn good reason for me to give that up.”
The corner of his mouth twitches. “You know what they say: curiosity killed the cat.”
“Or it helps him catch a bigger rat.”
I hear feet shuffling behind me as Benito’s cool smile fades. Anton’s getting nervous, and I can’t blame him. I’m winging the shit out of this. One bad swerve down the wrong road and it’ll be over before it starts. Still, our best defense is a strong offense.
“Of course, I’m sure you’re wondering why I came to Staten Island to discuss this when I could’ve easily done it tomorrow at my father’s emergency meeting,” I continue.
There’s a muted flicker of surprise in Toscano’s narrowed gaze, his eyebrows drifting toward his gelled gray hairline.
Wait. It gets better.
Carmine’s chair flies backward, his feet hitting the floor. “All’anima di chi t’è morto.”Turning, he glares at Toscano. “Why are we listening to thiscazzate?”
You can tell how much you’ve gotten under an Italian’s skin by the complexity of his insult. Considering the Connecticut boss just requested that I go fuck the souls of my dead family members, I’d say I drove pretty damn deep.
“Because thisbullshitaffects your bottom line. You’re all being played, so if I were you, I’d stop worrying about how I’ve wronged the ‘family’ and focus on pulling the much bigger knife from your back.”
That gets their attention.
“Silence.” Toscano’s sharp command mutes the room. Reclaiming control, he turns that iron stare my way, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening. “Explain yourself.”
Now that I have control, I pump the brakes, taking time to refill my glass and let the anticipation build. “I’m not the worst traitor here; my father is, and unless you want this whole operation to fold like a cheap accordion, you’ll grant me permission to take him out.”
A request that’s met with the sound of three cocked guns.
However, once again, Toscano merely raises his hand, chuckling as all three trigger fingers relax. “Are you that fucking arrogant to think you can walk in here and make demands after what you’ve done?”
I shrug. “I know my father has been a thorn in the Authority’s side for years. He’s skirted that sacred line just enough to piss you off, but not enough for you to have cause to do something about it.” I hold each of their eyes. “I have cause.”
“Retaliation against you doesn’t count.”
“What about againstyou?” I take a moment to soak in the shock plastered across their faces, then grip the bat and swing. “I’m sure you’ve heard rumors of shipments being run out of Providence. Well, its origin is buried in your own backyard. Marcello has been overseeing those shipments for over two decades, as well as underground trade deals with Alejandro Carrera.”
“The fucking cartel?” The Philly boss explodes.
Toscano tips his chin with a sharp side-eye. “Those are serious accusations, Gianni. Do you have proof to back them up?”
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.” Turning to Anton, I give a slight nod. Usually, I don’t care for theatrics, but the smooth way he slides his phone from the inside of his jacket and hits send deserves an Oscar. Within seconds, all four bosses’ phones chime, and I watch in silent satisfaction as my father’s dirty financial records flash before their eyes.
Toscano looks up from his death grip. “Where did you get these?”
Anton clears his throat. “I stumbled onto a loose thread in Marcello’s finances. One pull unraveled another thread, and so on… Eventually, I found three shell corporations, two that were making deposits into four encrypted offshore accounts, with another funneling money in.”
“And you didn’t think to tell us?”
“What would I have said? That Marcello was shifting money around in secret companies no one had access to? Is that a foreign concept to any of you?”
Nobody says shit.
