Page 20 of Twisted Throne
“Oh my god, this place is huge!” Gia exclaimed as Frank buzzed us through the front gate and we pulled up to the house.
It was an impressive sight, especially the first time you saw it. Angelo had paid a small fortune to fully customize it. It resembled a large manor house, with arched doorways and windows. It was landscaped to perfection, with stone fountains and flowers winding throughout the back of the property. An additional benefit of having the house custom built is that it had a number of… extras that weren’t the norm in most houses. Hidden exits, armories, soundproof and bulletproof rooms, everything the modern criminal needs. I had practically grown up here as a teenager, and I still doubted that I knew all of the secrets this house held. Angelo was no fool, regardless of his blind spot toward Alec. He made certain he was prepared for any and all situations.
Alec rushed to us before we had fully made it through the front door. He looked pissed off—he always looked pissed off—but there was genuine worry in his expression as well.
“What the fuck took you so long?” he sniped at me. “Angelo is waiting in the den with Carlos.”
He gave Gia a quick glance and then immediately dismissed her as unimportant. My jaw clenched. But before I could answer, Elena popped out of one of the side rooms with a smile.
“Gia! I’m so glad you’re here! I hate it when it’s just me and the boys here, I need some girl time every now and then.” She laughed as she gave Gia a hug. “Alec and I are staying here for a few days too, so the two of us will be able to get to know each other better, while the guys are busy.”
Gia gave her an awkward smile back, then she snuck a quick glance at me. I pretended that I didn’t notice. The less she thought I mattered, the better for both of us.
“I’ll have Ricky come carry your bags to your room,” I said briefly then I left to follow Alec to the den, not looking back.
“Paul!” she called out. I stopped but didn’t turn around.
“What?” I said, more sharply than I had intended.
There was a beat of silence before she answered me.
“You can run away if you want, but we are going to talk,” she said, her eyes burning a hole through me.
I said nothing and continued to walk away.
***
“What the fuck do you mean we have a leak? There’s a goddamn rat in our fucking house and you didn’t think to tell me?” Alec was livid. Although I would have preferred that Angelo would choose to continue to keep the information from him, I was working on a plan that would catch him out. For now, I kept my face neutral.
Angelo stood, slamming his hands down upon the table. The sharp sound echoed around the room.
“You question me,nipote?” he snapped, with fire in his eyes.
I had only very rarely heard him raise his voice. Typically, people knew better than to test him. Alec had finally taken his arrogance too far. Blood or not, Angelo was not a man to be questioned.
“So you know better than me,si?” Angelo said, walking ever so slowly around his desk to where Alec stood.
“I apologize,zio. I mean no disrespect, but I do take offense to being under suspicion for this! You doubt my loyalty after all this time?” Alec responded, making an obvious effort to lower his voice as Angelo circled around the table to stand directly in front of him.
Without a word, Angelo backhanded him across the face hard enough to make him stumble. I remained where I was, leaning up against the bookshelf. Carlos shot me a look from across the room, eyebrows raised. I shrugged my shoulders slightly. When I finally got solid proof of his actions he’d receive far worse than that. Nothing more than what the bastard deserves.
Alec regained his balance, raising a hand to his face. When he lowered it, it showed blood from his rapidly swelling lip that had been apparently cut by Angelo’s ring. Angelo pulled out a white linen handkerchief and handed it to Alec, then returned to his seat.
“And now you have the information. From here we move forward,” he said calmly as if the incident with Alec a moment ago had never happened.
“He took from us, we take from him. Tenfold,” I say, standing up straighter. The plan was coming together in my head.
“Agreed,” Alec says begrudgingly, still dabbing at his lip with the handkerchief, significantly more subdued.
“We know when his next deliveries are due to arrive, correct?” Angelo asks.
“Yeah, we got that from the guys from Customs. There are three loads arriving at port in four days,” Carlos answered.
“Fine. Paul, make certain nothing for Sabatino makes it out of the docks. Take as many men as you need,” Angelo instructed.
“Consider it done,” I responded.
“We are through here. Inform me when the plans are in place,” Angelo said.