Page 59 of End It All

"What do you do?"

"I stick to the IT department and help run our computer systems. Paolo just started working and he's now head of marketing."

"I hate it," Paolo said.

"What is he going to be stuck with?" Gin asked.

"Me? I don't need?—"

"Security, since he took it upon himself to slip into my office." Benito stared at me. "You take anything?"

I shrugged and reached into my pockets. I passed over the cufflinks, fountain pen, and a few other knickknacks.

"Damn, I didn't even notice," Gin said. He sounded proud.

"I thought there was something wrong with the bookshelf," Enzo said.

I nodded. "I got close but I couldn't think of a code. One, two, three, four seemed too simple."

"And idiotic," Enzo added.

"There is nothing wrong with simple," Benito grumbled as the elevator hit the ground floor.

I stared at him in shock as he got off the elevator and Tony followed. He stopped short and looked over his shoulder at me, fixing me with a glare. "Never do it again. You don't ever steal from your family. You'll learn the rules we all abide by."

Nodding felt like the only correct reply.

We headed out, and Gin was all smiles. "Hey, you can come to my son's name day."

"Name day?" I asked.

"Yeah, Gin stole a baby so instead of a baby shower he's doing a name day," Enzo informed me.

"I didn't steal him. I got him at a fair price."

Paolo nodded as if the words coming out of his brother's mouth weren't complete insanity.

"Sure, I'll be there. Hopefully the cops won't come," I joked.

"They wouldn't try anything. The last thing they want is to leave the city undefended," Gin said with the biggest grin. As if he wasn't threatening the very lives of every officer in the city.

"Gin, fuck off already," Benito grumbled.

I looked around and Enzo was already gone.

"Don't feel any type of way about him. He prefers to be at home with Tex," Paolo said. He grabbed Gin and headed toward a classic black 1978 Monte Carlo without a dent or scratch in sight. "See ya."

I watched them for a bit before I headed out the parking garage and onto the streets of New York. They were terrible people, but I wasn't all that great myself. Being with my brothersgave me the sense of family I hadn't had growing up, one that an only child like me could have only wished for.

The phone Quincy gave me vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, feeling the familiar guilt that plagued me every time I looked at it. I still hadn't called my mom. I was worried, but at the same time, I knew it would be a terrible move.

Benito: I want whatever information you can get on these two men. Let me know what you find.

He’d included two names and some short data on them. Information gathering wasn't easy but I was guessing he wanted info that anyone with a computer couldn't tell him. Another text came through, contact information for Chelsea Bennet and a note to call her for details on where to go.

I sent back an okay. I had no clue what I was going to do, but I had a feeling Benito Vitale wasn't a man used to being disappointed.

My brain foughtitself as guilt and the need to flee warred inside of me. The door was right there, I could get out. Instead, I stayed planted to the spot.