Page 115 of Pietro
The phone rings.
Everyone freezes. I hit the speaker button.
"Yeah?" Tony's voice fills the room, perfectly casual.
"You are late on giving me something this week." Declan's Irish accent cuts through the speaker, suspicious already. "I hope you have something be worth my time, old man."
"I have." Tony clears his throat. "I know Connor O'Sullivan's daughter is working for Pietro Sartori."
Silence stretches for three heartbeats. Nora's hand clenches into a fist.
"Why the fuck would I care about that?" Declan's voice sharpens. "O'Sullivan's family drama isn't my problem."
"I thought..." Tony pauses, playing it perfectly. "You've been hitting the Sartoris for months. Figured this was a good opportunity to hit O'Sullivan too. Two birds, one stone."
"And how exactly would you know about Connor's daughter?"
"I see things. Hear things. The red hair, the accent she tries to hide. Connor being in Chicago asking for her gave me the pieces to the puzzle. She's been working as Sartori's secretary for weeks."
Another pause. I can practically hear Declan thinking through the speaker.
"I want to talk to Michael," Tony says suddenly. "Before I tell you anything else."
"The boy's fine."
"I want to hear his voice."
There's rustling, footsteps. Then a small voice: "Grandpa?"
Tony's composure cracks. "Michael. Are you okay?"
"I'm scared. When can I come home?"
"Soon, buddy. Real soon. Be brave for me, okay?"
More rustling. Declan's back. "Satisfied? Now tell me what you know."
Tony takes a shaky breath. "The Sartoris are looking for their leak. They know someone's been feeding information to the Irish. It's only a matter of time before they figure out it's me."
"Then you better make this worth my while before they do."
"I can bring you the girl."
Nico stops pacing. Lorenzo sits forward. Nora doesn't move.
"You can deliver Nora O'Sullivan?" Declan's interest sharpens like a blade.
"For an exchange. The girl for my grandson."
"And how exactly would you manage that?"
"She trusts me. Thinks I'm just a harmless old man who's worked for the family forever. I can get her alone, tell her there's an emergency at one of the warehouses." Tony's voice drops. "But I need Michael back. That's the deal."
The silence stretches so long I wonder if the connection's been cut.
"Interesting," Declan finally says. "Very interesting." His laugh is cold. "Imagine his face when I'm the one who has her again."
Beside me, Nora's gone pale.
