Page 54 of Virtuous Lies
“Vin.”
I look up at the boss.
“You okay?” He closes the computer.
“What happened?” I lift my chin to the closed laptop.
“They arrested him without cause. I’ve texted the lawyer, and he’ll meet Leonardo at the station. He’ll be out within the hour,” he explains quietly. “Answer my question.”
I stand, cracking my knuckles individually.
“I can—” he starts.
“No,” I cut him off. “Don’t insult me like that. It’s my duty and mine alone.”
“I would never ask that of you.” His voice strains.
Lorenzo Caruso is ruthless. He has to be. He came into power too young to be anythingbutformidable. Any weakness would have had us hunted down and killed, one by one. Enzo wouldn’t allow that. He knew the cost of his father’s death wasn’t merely emotional. He forfeited his grief at the cost of his soul. A debt he paid graciously, content in the power it offered him in return. But beneath the cage of callousness, he remains my best friend, the brother I deserve. Holding that position, he should know me well enough to know the death of my traitorous brother will cause me no regret.
I bite my lip hard enough to make it bleed. “I’ll never forgive you if you take this away from me. His life is mine.”
Enzo nods once, picking up his cell.
“Berto,” he says into the phone. “Call me back. Leo’s been arrested. Need you on deck.” He ends the call, throwing his cell onto his desk.
Business as usual. Roberto needs to think he’s in the clear, that Lorenzo remains oblivious to his betrayal.
“I fucking hate that you were right about him.” Enzo palms his eye sockets. “I knew he was a cunt, but I didn’t realize he was a treacherous one.”
Staring out at the city from the full glass window in Enzo’s office, I shrug. “I thought by keeping him close, we’d stop him from abusing power and causing shit for the family. I never imagined he’d be so fucked in the head that he’d cross us.”
I turn. Dragging my thumb across my bottom lip, I inhale sharply. “Enzo.”
“Don’t you fucking dare,” he bites out. “Don’t you dare apologize for that piece of shit. He might share your blood, Vin, but you don’t take ownership of his sins.”
His phone rings, and he retrieves it lazily, waiting until I nod before answering it through the speakerphone. “Cosimo.”
“One of my runners has been arrested,” he greets.
“I’m aware,” Enzo responds. “So has Leo.”
“Leo? What the fuck was he doing at a drop?” Cosimo struggles to hold on to his respect. The bite in his tone makes Enzo smirk.
“You weren’t overlooked, Cosimo. Leo was fed information at the last minute that the FBI was gonna make an appearance.”
“Fuck,” Cosimo spits.
“Nothing to worry about. The bags were empty; your product is safe. Feds have nothing on Leo or your guy.”
Cosimo harrumphs into the line.
The older capo respects Lorenzo enough, but he’s made it clear on more than one occasion that he struggles with taking orders from a boss who’s younger than his own son. Cosimo Greco has headed up our drug business since he was thirty. He knew the business inside out once upon a time, but times change, and he’s losing his touch. He’s a geriatric in a young man’s game, and it’s no secret that Enzo is pushing for Cosimo’s son, Diego, to take the reins.
“Leads me to my next question, Cosimo. Your runner, how trustworthy is he? You know the feds will feed him lies to have him turn. Is he stupid enough to fall for it?”
Cosimo sighs. “Yeah, he’s stupid enough to turn.”
“I’ll speak to my guys on the inside. He’ll be hanging from a rope within the hour. Choose your runners better next time, or I’ll have Diego do it for you.” He ends the call without another word.