"At least I wouldn't have a problem with it."
"Fine," I replied a little flippantly.
"Good."
So silence returned, and I turned back onto my back to stare at the ceiling. Maybe time would pass more quickly if I closed my eyes and tried to sleep some more. The morning had been short and Dario had sapped my strength.
The memory of it made it uncomfortable to be in proximity to Casimiro, because I suddenly felt a pleasant throbbing between my legs.
Before he could look at me like that, I turned back onto my stomach. "Whatcanyou tell me?"
He made an amused sound. "The more important question is, what do you want to know?"
"We've been over this!"
"Dario is my boss, so I have a lot to do with the club. Nothing illegal happens in the club itself. Sometimes Dario plays, but that doesn't count. In the parking lot, the situation is a little different, but We can't afford any stress with the police."
I was relieved to see that he responded.
"Of course not. You are opponents."
"In most cases, yes."
"Are there exceptions to that?"
"There are exceptions to everything. Sometimes it's necessary to work together or bribe them so they avert their eyes for a moment."
"And what other areas are you active in? Apart from drugs and the club scene?"
He shook his head. "Not my job to fill you in."
"And the hierarchy?"
"Emilio is the boss. Nothing happens without his knowledge. Dario is the youngest brother. Vincenzo the oldest. There are numerous families that work for Emilio and have their own hierarchies within them. We have some hitmen and thugs among us, but also bigwigs who sit in politics or in other important positions. For example, in business."
Had Dario allowed him to tell me so much? Was it a test?
My stare became more intense the longer I thought about how it could be that I had noticed nothing about the mafia in my city until now. Either they were keeping themselves well hidden or I was just blind as hell. Whatever it was, both options did not arouse my enthusiasm.
7
Dario
Vincenzo was leaning against the yellow-painted facade with his arms folded, staring at us with a frown. Emilio had driven fast, and yet it seemed as if our brother had waited a few minutes for us. And that alone was enough to evoke a certain form of bad mood in him.
"What is this neighborhood? Driving here, I could have sworn the curtains rustled at every house I passed," Vince grumbled as I greeted him.
"Dario directed us here," Emilio clarified, stroking his suit. His gaze glided over our immediate surroundings, as if there was something interesting to discover there. This was not the case; after all, most of the houses in the area were abandoned. Some storefronts were boarded up and sprayed with graffiti. On the streets themselves, one could see the occasional youth, but they would rather wear a hostile expression on their face than talk to us.
"The woman who almost got blown up lives here," I said, pointing up. According to her, her apartment was on the second floor and could be reached via the side entrance.
Out of sheer caution, I put a hand to my gun as I went in search of the door. If there was one thing I didn't trust, it was unfamiliar neighborhoods where you couldn't be sure there wasn't a street gang that thought they were more important than the mafia.
"Why is that relevant?" Vincenzo wanted to know, following right on my heels, thus demoting Emilio to last.
"When the guy finds out she's alive, he'll want to hunt her down and make her feel his wrath."
"So we could find him," my oldest brother murmured, and I nodded.