Mafia's Redemption: Terzo - Chapter 74: Chapter 74

TERZO
“I don’t. You betrayed me, but I’m not capable of doing what you think I can. I’m here in prison, am I?” He looked around. This is impenetrable than Fort Knox or a Gulag.”
“Or you’re more capable here than people might think you can outside.”
He sighed. “People betrayed me, but yours is the greatest betrayal someone has done to me. Do I want you dead? Maybe. Am I going to kill you? Maybe, but this.” He looked down again at the image of the black dahlia and shook his head. “I’m the type of person who’s proud of my own work. That’s not me. Someone sent you to make it look like it’s me. Maybe you can do me a favor and find this copycat.”
I studied him for a moment. Ruslan was not the type of person who denied his own work. He even boasted about it. Somehow, I believed this monster sitting before me.
I pulled out a cigar from my pocket and placed it on the table. His eyes literally lit up, even if he preferred cigarettes.
Everyone had a monster deep inside them. His own was already out. So, who would fake it and make it look like he did? And why? To play games with me? To set him up and make it look like he was still operating his business.
“So you get married,” he said calmly, too calmly, it made my blood boil. He inhaled as he ran the cigar through his nostrils.
“How the fuck did you know that?” I was only married a few weeks ago. Who was feeding him this kind of information? Son of a bitch.
The rage that I suppressed for weeks bubbled to the surface. I usually knew how to mask my emotions, but he quickly saw my reaction.
“I’m not gonna hurt your wife. My word may not mean anything to you, but you have my word. So why are you here, Siciliano?”
“You expect me to take your word for it?” My jaw locked hard. I wanted to break his nose, but he seemed to know about what was going on in my life while he was here behind these thick walls.
“Like I said, your wife is off-limits.”
“I don’t fucking trust you.”
“You shouldn’t. I trusted you like a brother, but look what you did to me.”
I rested my back against the chair. I should not feel mercy for him after the lives he took, but so did I. I killed for him to do the job, to prove my loyalty and what I was capable of. Although they were not innocent, they still haunted me, and I paid them to save my father and me from going to prison. Everyone would have done the same when there were not many options.
I believed no matter how powerful you were, when your time was over, you could lose everything and everyone around you, like Ruslan before me. I didn’t want that to happen to my father.
“I believe you don’t have enough time. Talk, my friend.” He linked his fingers together.
“We’re not friends. If you were not the one who sent me that black dahlia, then who?”
“I’m afraid my information here is insufficient, but who wanted you dead?”
“Yet, you know I got married.” I snorted, making his lips curve into a smile.
“Your father-in-law, maybe?” His smile widened through his thick beard.
What the fuck?
“Why do you always make your life complicated? You can just run your empire and get rich. Why did you work for someone like these people? They may look clean, but they are dirtier than I, arkadaşım.”
“I was betrayed and sold to the Europol and Interpol. So I had to make a deal. Stop wasting my time.”
“Huh. You’ve been in my situation. You know how I feel right now. I’m sorry, Siciliano. You’ve wasted your time coming all the way here for nothing. I’m sure you have an important question you want to ask me. You have one minute left.”
“Do you know Francesco Giordani?”
“The real one or the chameleon?” He knew. “He’s not what you think he is. He came to see me before you even came into my life, asking for an alliance. I refused. So he agreed to work for me and run my business in Italy. He had aimed to take down competitors. At that time just the Siciliano and Conti, but he underestimated your father. You never reached my radar, Terzo. You’re a jaguar.” I didn’t know if I were to be offended or flattered calling me jaguar.
“Was he involved with the Conti?”
“Yes. When your father tore down Conti’s operation, he came to you next. Why do you think you’ve never heard about him before? Because he is a nobody. That’s why I call him a chameleon. What his doing right now has nothing to do with you killing his son. He doesn’t care about his son. He wants power. He’s greedy, and if you won’t be careful, your empire will crumble, and you don’t even realize it.” His words struck terror into my reality.
I was right about Francesco. He’s calm like an ocean, and cruel and deadly at the same time.
“Was Tomas even his son?”
“He adopted that boy. He had no backbone, though. At that time, our objective was aligned. I paid him to kill you, but he was scared your father would retaliate, so he betrayed me and took over my business. Now he’s only using the death of his son to take you down. You’re not the only reason why I am here, Siciliano. A word of advice. Keep your wife away from him. He’s dangerous. He’s a snake, and he will bite you. If he could betray me, he could do worse to you and use your woman to get to you.”
“Do you know who he was before you did business with him?”
He smirked and leaned forward, causing the guard to be alarmed.
I raised my hand to stop them. “It’s fine.”
“I will tell you everything about him, about the girl, and I heard you’re looking for the book?”
My eyes narrowed. “How the fuck did you know that?”
“Kill Yvor Orosov, and I will tell you where to find the answer you’re looking for.”
“I won’t kill for you.”
“Then this visit is over. Time is up.” He stood up. “I would know if you did your job, my friend. You’ll hear from me soon once it’s done. And Siciliano?”
I did not respond.
“It’s time for you to reevaluate the women in your life, my friend. She’s been betraying you, and you didn’t even know it.”