28. Claudia

Chapter 28

Claudia

I 'm hustled into an office that's about the size of my apartment. It's fancy with rich furniture and bookshelves holding leather-bound volumes, but it isn't like the rest of the house we just walked through. This place feels lived-in; the fireplace has ash around the bottom and there are papers piled up on one end of a couch in the corner. The drink cart is half-empty, and there's a pair of shoes kicked under a chair.

Simon stands when we enter. He looks a lot like his brother, only older and slightly taller, with a head of dark hair and light eyes. I hang back as the two men greet each other and I sense more than a little tension between them—which Angelo neglected to mention.

"This is Claudia." I'm presented to the Don like I'm a birthday present. "Claudia, this is my brother, Simon."

"Nice to meet you." He looks from me back to Angelo. "You didn't mention there was a guest."

"Claudia's sister is deeply involved with Tommy." Angelo steers me to a chair and sits me down. He takes the seat next to mine. Simon stays on his feet for a few seconds before sinking back with a sigh.

"And I'm guessing she's here to corroborate the story you're about to tell." Simon glances at me again thoughtfully. "I haven't heard of you or your sister."

"I've been working at Cage for about eight months now, uh, Don Bianco," I say sheepishly.

"Call me Simon." His eyes narrow, but he's got a good smile. Jesus, Bianco men are both attractive and absurdly intimidating. "I'm listening. What do you want me to know?"

Angelo starts from the top: his suspicions, my involvement, our deal. He mentions names I don't know and some I recognize. Vito, Roc, Paulie. Foreign names too, like the guys that Tommy was messaging with over Telegram.

"She knew his fucking password?" Simon asks, incredulous.

"No, my sister did, and she told me one time when she was high." I chew my lip, shifting my chair. "I know it's crazy, but it's true."

"Fucking Tommy." Simon looks more amused than angry. "Pretty damn sloppy."

"It gets worse." Angelo talks about the documents I took for him and all the gaps in the accounting. He talks about the blackmail, about the cameras all over. "Even with that scheme running, it's not enough." He nudges me gently. "Tell him about the party."

I talk about Tommy's meeting with those foreign guys. "I can't be sure, but they definitely sounded Russian or some kind of Eastern European."

"Which could be Serbian," Angelo points out. "I know what you're thinking, but Tommy's got another game running, and I think he's been doing it since I went to prison. Hell, I think that's the reason he took me down, so I wouldn't find out about this shit. And now that I'm out and I've been picking off my former crew?—"

"Something we'll talk about later," Simon says, sounding very unhappy.

Angelo ignores it. "—I think he's scrambling and trying to make new deals. I think he knows he's fucked, and all I need is to smoke him out."

Simon watches his younger brother. I can't get a read on him, but he's definitely not happy about all this. I keep my mouth shut unless Angelo asks me to mention something, and it's like I've faded into the background for these two men.

I can't imagine what it's like growing up in a family like this. They seem friendlyish, but Angelo did wait all this time to tell his brother exactly what he's been up to for a reason. They have a history I can't begin to understand.

"You're right that whatever Tommy's been doing has to be handled." Simon leans back further, folding his hands over his stomach. I notice black bags under his eyes, and there's a picture of an extremely beautiful woman holding a little baby on his desk. I wonder if he's a new father.

"I need resources." Angelo tilts his head in my direction. "Claudia's been risking herself for me, and I need to make sure she's protected and taken care of. I want a security detail?—"

My eyes go wide. "We didn't discuss that," I blurt out.

Both men ignore me. "—Plus eyes on Cage and on everyone that works there. Especially on Serena, Claudia's sister. I need money and as many guns as you can spare."

Simon's shaking his head. "That's too much."

"Then give me the men. At the very least, enough to keep Claudia and Serena safe while I handle Tommy."

The Don rubs his face and holds up a hand. Angelo looks like he wants to say more, but he shuts his mouth, his jaw working in frustration. I don't think I've ever seen Angelo back down since I've met him, and I can tell some very complicated dynamics are working themselves out.

"I'm not happy you didn't tell me about this from the start." Simon keeps his hand raised, forestalling a response. "However, you were right, Tommy's a fucking snake. I'll give you what you need to find out what he's been up to, but I want him alive. Do you understand me, Angelo? I want him alive , because he's no fucking good to me dead. Figure out what he did, then bring him in."

Angelo leans forward. "He betrayed me." The words come out like sandpaper. Every inch of his body is angled toward his brother, and all his muscles are flexed. I swear, the chair is about to buckle beneath him. "I want to be the one that finishes him off."

A silent staring contest. Simon blinks first. "Fine. I still want him alive. But when it's time to put him down, you can pull the trigger."

"Alright. And Roc?"

"Do with him what you want." Simon makes a dismissive gesture. "Now, we need to talk about some other things." He looks at me and it takes a second before I understand what he's talking about.

"There's a sitting room right outside," Angelo says gently and walks me to the door. His hand is on my lower back and I'm shaking like a stinking leaf.

"Did that go well?" I whisper, getting on my toes to kiss his cheek.

"You did great." He squeezes my hand. "Thank you."

Then I'm outside of the office and the door shuts behind me. I stand there feeling like an idiot, not sure where to go or what to do, when one of those black-suited guard guys gestures for me to follow him and deposits me in what looks like a fancy waiting room. I'm there for ten seconds before another man brings me tea, and I have to admit, the service in this mafia Don's office is really top notch.