74. Dante

Chapter 74

Dante

S he was reaching for a chocolate when my phone began to ring and the sound was so jarring she froze midway, her head swinging around in my direction.

“It’s okay,” I whispered. “It’s okay.”

But the enchantment was gone.

I pulled out my phone, and I almost couldn’t believe the name flashing on my screen.

“Tommy,” I said.

“Can we meet and talk?”

I was instantly suspicious. “It can't be done over the phone?”

“Sure, it can, but I'm not exactly sure how to hand over all the evidence I have against Ugo over the phone. If you have a way, then let me know.”

I wanted to believe he had turned on Ugo, but I wondered what had made him turn when he was so against it only a few hours ago. I had to make sure this wasn't some sort of trap.

“You know where all of my family is located. You can go hold them as hostages if that's the proof you want.”

“No, no need for that. Even if you betray me, Ugo will never trust you again and kill you. Whether you take me out or not you’re dead if Ugo lives,” I said. “Where do you want to meet?”

“That place Joey took us to for his thirtieth birthday party.”

“Yup, I remember.”

“Just be on time,” he said. “50 minutes.”

“I’m an hour and a half away,” I said, and he ended the call.

Zola had her full attention on me.

“Tommy seems ready to turn evidence in. I have to meet up with him to find out what kind of evidence he has."

She nodded, but nothing could take away the terrible fear I saw in her eyes.

“I’ll be careful,” I lifted my hand to gently stroke her cheek.

“What if it’s a trap?” she whispered.

“It might be, but Tommy’s no fool. He knows he’s burned his bridges with Ugo. This is his only option. So it’s a risk I’m willing to take. Please don't worry, all will be fine.”

She stared at me anxiously, and I knew no matter how much I tried to reassure her, she would be afraid. Not wanting to waste any more time I turned to leave, but before I could, she held onto my hand and reached up slightly to place a kiss on my cheek.

I relished it for a second.

Then I grabbed my jacket and hurried out of the house.

I made for the restaurant’s back room and I didn't have to wait long for him. The moment he walked in and saw my men, he gave me a dirty look. He began to head to the table I was sitting at but was stopped and searched before he neared me.

“This is a private meeting, kid,” he said.

“It is. They’ll be leaving in a minute,” I said with a smile. I was leaning casually against the chair, but there was nothing casual about the gun I had underneath the table and aimed directly at his crotch.

“You've nothing to worry about. I’ve made my decision. I’ve chosen a side.”

I saw the deep frustration and devastation on his face, and suddenly, I understood.

"He set you up to take the fall, didn't he?"

"Yeah,” he muttered quietly.

"Again."

Tommy smiled bitterly. "Yeah. He wants to make a deal with you. In exchange for his son, he will drop all charges against you. He wants me to confess to the murder. To admit that I set up the whole thing, staged the crime to implicate you, and everything afterward. It’s actually very impressive how thoroughly he has covered all his tracks. He’s thought of everything. My name was used in everything, signed on every transaction made. In exchange, he will not murder my family.”

“Unbelievable,” I marveled. The way Ugo treated his men never ceased to amaze me. It was almost as if he was running a cult of gullible, brainwashed followers.

“For a man so astute and with so much experience, it’s pretty astonishing that he is unable to understand the very basis of human nature. What man in his right mind dies twice for the man who betrayed him?"

I lifted my hand from underneath the table, uncocked the gun, emptied the bullets in it, and placed it on the table.

"He does understand human nature," I said. "Which is why he chose you."

Tommy's ears perked up. "What do you mean by that?"

"You came back to work for him, didn't you?"

"Of course, I did. What else was I supposed to do?"

"You haven't shown any rebellion. You've been as calm as the sea on a hot day. So he's kept you cooling your heels, knowing that you can be used again."

"But this time he got it wrong … so fucking wrong.” He smiled. "Over the years, I've cleaned up everything for him, even his shit when he was sick. As a result, I've earned many friends along the way, many who have now become his enemies, though he doesn't know it. He will never truly understand how much I've shielded him from, but he's about to."

We needed a drink. I pulled the cord by the table, and almost immediately, a waiter opened the door and came into the room. I ordered a bottle of whiskey. When one was set on the table, I poured a large measure into two glasses.

Tommy lifted his glass. “Here’s to Ugo! Let’s see how he does without a moron to act as his buffer.”

We drank and I refilled our glasses.

He looked at me with rage in his eyes. “I can’t believe him. The audacity to sign my life away over and over again and give nothing in return. You were right to leave as early as you did. I wished I’d had half the guts.”

“Don’t beat yourself up. I had nothing to lose. You had a family to take care of.”

“A family that I’ve lost. My sons are strangers to me and my daughter is ashamed of me. That's what this life does. It lures you in with all the promises of honor and brotherhood and while you’re not looking it takes away everything that means anything to you and rips it apart.” He wiped his mouth with disgust. “Anyway, this meeting has gone on long enough. What steps do we need to take now?”

“Let me talk to my lawyer and we’ll take it from there. I won’t let you down. You have my word.”

He shook his head. “I can’t believe it. In the end, I had to turn to a fucking kid for help.”

Then he rose to his feet and walked away quickly. Giotto came in as soon as he left.

“He wasn't followed, was he?” I asked.

“No, Boss.”