Mafia's Redemption: Terzo - Chapter 24: Chapter 24

TERZO
“Easy now, Dani.” I looked closely at the monitor and listened to the conversation between her and her asshole piece of ass father.
“She’s good,” Jaques Lynx looked up at me. “Are you sure she’s not done before?”
“I don’t know.” I couldn’t look away. One wrong move was all it took before this operation would blow up in our faces. And I was more worried about her than anyone, including myself.
Dani was in the lion’s den with the hungry lion himself. He was maybe her father, but he tried to sell her to the rabid wolf for connection and power.
I couldn’t think of anything else than the old barbaric Alonzo Moretti who had been accused of rape and murder of young women working in his retail shop and restaurant but got away with it because he had cops under his payroll. His men should be guilty of gang rape, instead of spending their lives in prison, he executed them and buried their bodies God knew where no one could find them.
But I had a feeling someone like Francesco Giordani didn’t believe in that kind of crime as long as money and power still ran this world.
“What’s in your head?” Lynx asked. I hadn’t replied, so he pressed the comm in his ear. “What is it, Memphis? Shit.”
“What’s wrong?” I was already on my feet, waiting for him to answer me. I had been on edge since she left the hotel, and I couldn’t shake off the idea that Francesco had been aware of his daughter’s whereabouts because if I were her father, I would have done the same thing, paid people to watch her.
“Two men just entered the restaurant, and they don’t look like a couple on a fancy dinner date.”
“I can’t wait for something to happen. I need to go.”
He grabbed my arm and glared at me. “Are you trying to blow up my operation? You hired me to do this job because you knew that my team was capable. My men can do the job. Patience, Siciliano.”
My nose flared as I jerked off his grip around my arm. “Fine.” I hadn’t gotten back to my seat, I was already cursing out that fucker. “Motherfucker.”
“Did you?” Lynx asked the obvious.
“I need to get her out of there. Now!” I double-checked my gun, ready to save my wife.
“Give her a minute.”
“And then what?” I growled at Lynx, blocking the door of the van. “I knew it. I knew it. He knew what had been going on in Dani’s life for months. He played her. He played us. That motherfucker.”
“No. He’s trying to catch her and make her admit it. She can do it.”
“I always got a bad feeling about this, but I couldn’t stop her because that’s what she wanted. She wanted closure.”
“Look, Siciliano. I know you care about that woman, but Giordani will not harm his daughter in front of people inside the restaurant. He won’t stir up a ruckus.”
“Then you don’t know that piece of shit more than I do. He sold her daughter for marriage for fucking money and power. Do you think he cares about a little ruckus? And she’s not just some random woman. She’s my wife.”
Lynx’s eyes widened, holding his gaze. “Oh, sorry, mate. I don’t know.”
“Dinner is delicious, Francesco. Thank you for meeting me,” she just said her cue.
“Let’s go!” Lynx said to his team.
“Sit down,” Francesco said to Dani.
“Wait,” I told Lynx. “I wanna hear this.”
“Abort. Abort. Stay put. Copy?” Lynx said to the comm. “False alarm.”
Dani remained standing while Francesco was still in his seat. “I’ve told you a lot, but you never answered my questions. What exactly do you want from me, Francesco? Why all of a sudden do you want to be a part of my life when you were never present all my life? You’ve known I existed, but you never showed your face to me until I finished college. Who’s the man you wanted me to marry? Why are you so interested in my life that you want to control me, even my relationships?”
“Where’s the book?”
“What?” Dani asked in shock. Confusion edged out in her eyes. “What book?” What kind of book was he talking about? A ledger?
Lynx and I shared a look in confusion.
“You know what I’m talking about.”
“I’m afraid I don’t, Francesco,” she said warily.
“You took the book when you escaped. I want it back.”
“Or what?” Easy, Dani.
“I will make your friends and the people you care about a living hell. I’m losing my patience, Danielle. I’ve waited for months for you to come back and return what you stole from me. You bring it to me tomorrow at nine in the morning, or I will have your friend’s fingers send it to you one by one. What’s her name? Serena.”
“I don’t know anything about the book. I swear. I’ve never seen the book you’re talking about.”
“Shit.” I ran my fingers through my hair. I wanted to punch something— maybe Francesco’s face would ease my rage.
My mind leaped to another possibility that Dani might not be telling the truth.
“Don’t play with me. You can ask your boyfriend if I joke about something important. And I will get what I want one way or another.”
“So you will hurt an innocent woman for something I don’t have?”
“Leave now, Dani.”
Dani was still standing in fear when Francesco rose to his feet and walked away.
“Fuck.” I squeezed my eyes shut.
Dani left the premises, confirmed by Lynx’s men, and was on the way back to the hotel.
We got back to the hotel with everyone. Dani was already there, pacing in our hotel room. The moment she saw me, she ran in my direction.
I expected her to throw herself at me. Instead, what I got was a slap. Not just a slap, it was a strike, it snapped my head to the side. I didn’t realize what she did until my face flamed, stung, and the strike echoed in the room.
The room went silent. Everyone didn’t say a word, not even make a move, but were stunned in their places.
“You, asshole! You killed my brother, you fucking heartless murderer!” It didn’t end with one slap. She did it again and began punching me on the chest.
My wound was still healing, and it started to hurt. I took all the pain, accepted every punch and slap she gave because I knew I deserved it.
She didn’t stop until she grew exhausted, and her body shook. I held her arms, but she pushed me away.
“Don’t touch me. You lied to me, Terzo. I asked you once, and you lied to my face, you piece of shit! You’re a monster!” She began panting. Her eyes filled with rage. Her face was red from anger. “I trusted you could keep me safe. I entrusted my life to you, and I thought you were an honest man. All of that because of what? To manipulate me and play along with your twisted mafia games? I will never forgive you!”
I dropped my gaze. I couldn’t look at her anymore, not from the guilt of killing her brother, but for lying to her and for hurting her.
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry? You lying bastard!” She slapped and pushed me again.
I never hurt women. I never raised a hand at them. That was the line I would never cross. I had sisters that I loved very much, and I wanted men to respect them the way I did. That was why I would never want to hurt Dani intentionally, but our lives collided in such cruel circumstances.
If only our situation were different and I were a good man, I would never want to see her cry the same way right now.
“I married you. Was that all part of the plan to manipulate me, or what? Continue lying to my face?” She shook her head in disgust. “Oh, my God. You’re the cruelest, most heartless man I’ve ever met. I don’t ever wanna see you again.” When she stepped back, I held my breath. I didn’t know it hurt more than the words she threw at me.
I never knew what real heartbreak was until I watched the pain in my wife’s eyes as she walked away.
“Dani.”