Page 35 of Unbreakable Connection (Connections Duet)

“It does not because the ghosts of the past are long gone, as I stated the last time we talked.”

“Yeah, about that, did you forget what twenty-four hours mean? To my recollection, you were supposed to be in touch with the information I requested. Where have you been, Gio?”

“I’ve been right here as the boss of the Santoro Family, and I don’t take orders from you,”

“Yeah, but you take them from Oleg Volkov, so stop fucking around before my guy here decides to smack you around a little, and he will start with your pretty face.”

“Just say when,” Patch said as he balled his fists and was ready to pounce.

“I don’t have any information for you because my men are loyal, and they know if they ever crossed me, it would result in their deaths.”

“Are you sure about that?” I asked as Patch handed me the laptop to show proof to Gio that he didn’t know shit about the members of his new and improved crime family. I pulled up the photo and enlarged the shot so he could see for himself.

“Do you recognize the young male on the left?”

“Of course I do, but who is he to you?”

“He’s a dead man walking to me, but the bigger question is, what’s his connection to you? You all appear to be the best of friends.”

“Once upon a time, we were, but as I said earlier, that was the past, and this photo is part of it.”

“Tell me the name of the boy Lucas has his arm around?”

“Why? You already know, so why must I confirm it?”

“Tell me the name, or I swear I will fucking kill you where you stand,” he swallowed hard and downed his drink.

“Paolo Sabato,”

“Exactly, Gio, the very one who works at my woman’s clinic and moonlights for the Santoro Family as what?” I looked over my shoulder to Patch, who was happy to answer the rest.

“An enforcer in training since his brother has gone off the grid, and no one seems to know where he is. Do you care to shed some light on where he might be?” He practically fell back into his chair and ran his hands through his hair before answering.

“The man standing next to me is Anthony and Paolo with Lucas. The brothers were very close, as I was with Lucas. Anthony was a part of our family, but he lived in the shadows and did our bidding discreetly. Paolo idolized him as younger siblings usually tend to do; all they had was each other after their parents died. Anthony was up and coming then, earning his way through the ranks. When he had to take Paolo in, he became a part of the family, but for protection only and nothing more. The photo you have there is a celebration of sorts because it was the day Lucas appointed Anthony to a higher position in the family with a crew of his own to lead and oversee hand-picked interests from Lucas. The senior Santoro, Marco, was very fond of Anthony and took the photo.”

“When was this?”

“About a month before Lucas and I traveled to America to retrieve Sabina.”

“Did Sabina ever meet Anthony or Paolo?”

“You already know the answer, Edric; no, she didn’t. By bringing Sabina home to Italy, Lucas believed it would be a new beginning since he was head of the family and was making changes. But, as you know, good intentions were usually paved on the road to hell. This home was a prison for Sabina, and she was completely isolated from everything around her. The day she remembered the bloody carnage was the beginning of her new life.” He said through gritted teeth.

“Aren’t you leaving one important detail out? It also marked the beginning of the end for Lucas, right Gio?”

“Yes, you can say that,”

“I did say that, and now look who is sitting on the throne reaping the benefits from his death.”

“Fuck you, Edric; I am still grieving his loss, and do not fault me for picking up the pieces and moving forward in the direction he wanted for us.” I leaned forward, placed my hands on his desk, and looked Gio right in the eye as I asked him the one plaguing question troubling me.

“If Sabina didn’t run that night and all was well when Lucas returned, what was to follow for the state of the family? You were his best friend and closest ally, whom he trusted more than anyone else. He trusted you with his sister; if he didn’t, he would never have left that night for his trip. He was in the dark regarding his father and his duplicitous side, but were you, Gio?”

“I never betrayed Lucas nor anyone else in this family. On the contrary, I would have died for him,” he slammed his hand down to the desk in a fury.

“And, Sabina? You would have died for her, too, right?”

“A thousand times, yes, I would have given my life for the woman I loved, who I still love. But I wanted Sabina, and I was the one who convinced Lucas to go to America and bring her home. He didn’t want to at first, and you know Marco wouldhave been more than happy if he never cast eyes on his daughter again, but I was the one who put it all in motion. I told him her place was beside him, her birthright to claim. It took some time to change his mind. Lucas struggled between his loyalty to the family he reigned over and his love for his sister. He chose Marco a long time ago, but Lucas believed that things would be different once he was in charge.”

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