Connecting the call, I said nothing as Sal began. “Lo, you really stepped in it this time. Gio is on the warpath. Apparently, you disobeyed a direct order and to make matters worse, you took off with a young girl the family promised to protect? Gio has the boys gearing up for war and somehow, you’ve managed to piss off Illyria. What the hell is going on?”
Salvatore was the second oldest. The runner-up in case something ever happened to Giovanni. When the crap with Layla settled down, Salvatore took off back to Las Vegas where he ran a gentleman’s club for high-end rollers and the wealthy. He preferred his life there in Vegas, Chicago being second best. Though he lived miles away, he still stayed in contact with the family.
“I can hear you breathing Lorenzo. Do you need my help?”
He was also my only brother who didn’t treat me like an outcast.
He got me.
He was my only brother who understood what it felt like to be me. Sal was the second born. I was the second twin. Sal would always come in second to Gio. I was just there. I held no real importance in the family and never would. That’s why I went my own way. I never really cared about anything but my own wants and needs. Yes, that made me a selfish prick but I owned it. Only now, I was second-guessing everything. Maybe I should have stayed in Chicago and let Gio handle everything. Donatella would be safer there. She didn’t need to be around this mess and yet, here we both were about to attend a birthday party of a notorious criminal just to see if we could get information on her family.
What the fuck was I doing?
“Lo?”
“I’m here.” I muttered, then added, “Sal, I think I made a mistake.”
“How big?”
“Big. Donatella and I are in Florida. I had planned on taking her to attend the birthday party of Luca Costa.”
“Ugh. That stupid prick. Why are you going to his party? He and his family are nothing but two-bit hustlers. You know that Luca’s father has been after Gio for years to form an alliance.”
“Yeah, I know. Luca mentions it all the time when he sees me at Club Valentine. He is relentless. Anyway, you remember that private investigator you put me in contact with a while ago?”
“Yeah, Mr. Gregory. What about him?”
“He’s dead. I had him look into Penny’s parents’ accident. I just recently found out that he was killed.”
“Wait a minute. Mr. Gregory is dead? What the hell is going on Lorenzo. I thought this was all about Penny and her death.”
“It is. But then Donatella showed up and Gio put me in charge of her.”
“Who is Donatella?”
“Penny’s sister.”
“And what does Luca Costa have to do with all of this?”
“Penny’s father was a broker for Miguel Costa. Since I was invited to Luca’s birthday party, I thought I could talk to him and find out what is going on.”
“No. You need to keep your ass in whatever five-star hotel suite you are in until I get there. Where are you?”
“It doesn’t matter. Donatella and I will be on the next flight back to Chicago. I shouldn’t have brought her. I won’t be able to live with myself if something happens to her. She’s different Sal. Nothing like Penny. She hates me. Like really hates me. She isn’t like the others. She sees the real me.”
“Lorenzo. Listen to me brother. I don’t know what you are saying but this mess is bigger than you. I need you to stay put until I can get to you. Can you do that for me? I am on my way.”
“Sure Sal. I won’t go anywhere.”
“Good. You at the Derringer?”
“How did you know?”
Sal chuckled. “You’re my baby brother. Did you honestly think since I wasn’t living in Chicago, I wouldn’t keep tabs on you? I will be there shortly. Don’t leave the suite.” With that, Sal hung up.
This whole mess was turning out to be a cluster fuck. All because I didn’t listen to Giovanni. I may be the family’s fuck-up but I could at least put a stop to this crazy adventure. Donatella wasn’t going to be happy with me but what else was new.
No one ever was.