Yet my blood for him had run cold.
“Mario, I’m positive now that love runs deeper than blood.” I shifted the phone so I could cradle it between my shoulder and neck. “I’m on my way to get you from the airport.”
“Rome, I’ll get one of the units to send me someone. I want you to keep working on tracking down those who need to be cleaned up.”
“Nah. I’m already on my way, Mario. Keep me company. I’m tired of being on the job today, you know what I mean?”
The line crackled, and I pictured him switching ears, something he did when he was a bit nervous. Mario knew I never really cared for company. Or maybe he just knew by my tone. He hadn’t stayed alive so long as the head of the family by being unaware.
“How far out are you?” he asked.
“I’ll be there in five.” I paused and turned onto the airport exit. “It’s good you came home, Mario.”
“You know I love Katie as a daughter. I heard some things.”
“Oh, I know, Mario, I know.”
I pressed the red phone icon on the screen to end the call. Maybe he’d run, get back on the plane, and set up in New York. He had to know that it was the smart thing to do.
Mario held himself to a standard, though. Every plan he’d ever implemented, he stood behind.
As I drove up to him on the tarmac, he stood tall, the inner silk of his navy suit flashing in the wind. The gold buttons on his cuffs glinted in the light of the setting sun. For all he’d been through, for all the years he'd endured as the head of the family, Mario looked well.
I rolled down my window as I pulled up to him, and he started lugging his suitcase toward the back. “Should I throw them in for you?”
“You’re our monster, not our valet, Rome.” He chuckled, but I wondered if he knew about the last two men I’d killed.
Was the rage building in me the monster we all thought we could control?
He got in and turned his mud brown eyes on me. “Bastian wants us to meet at the facility.”
“That he does.” Itching to crack my neck, I tightened my grip on the steering wheel instead. Then I adjusted the air, trying to cool the temperature within the vehicle.
The weather was gloomy, raining on and off, so there wasn’t a need for air conditioning. Still, it cooled down the heated temper flowing through me. Cade had continued to text me, call me, send me more information on Mario.
Mario had dug his own grave. Even his sons had turned on him. I knew from the texts. They’d started with:
Cade:I found a few things about Dad.
Then it’d progressed to:
Cade:I don’t know what the fuck Mario was thinking.
Then even his name was dropped:
Cade:This fucker needs to explain.
From there, Cade hadn’t even added his own commentary. He’d just send encrypted files for me to look over. Billing statements, phone calls he’d found within the phone service system. Nothing was off limits for Cade. He could break into anything, which had me confident that he’d continually been able to block our own lines.
Technology was dangerous in our field, but we had one of the best hackers to cover our asses. The only thing that could save you was him or the trust of the family. Unfortunately, Mario had lost him and our trust. We scoured everything we could for intel on him.
“What’s this all about?” He chuckled, but I saw him squirm in his seat. Mario hadn’t been called home by his son for nothing. Bastian didn’t exert his power over his father ever, nor did he want to sit down for a meal with the old man. Their problems ran deep, and this had made them near impossible to overcome.
“I’m the monster and the valet today, Mario. Not the explainer. I won’t be the one doing that today.”
“Come on, Rome.” He clapped a hand on my shoulder.
I dipped it so he quickly lost his grip. Connecting through a familial touch wouldn’t work, not when it felt like a snake’s.