Page 21 of Twisted Throne
Alec nodded stiffly, then bolted out the door.
Carlos and I started to follow, then Angelo spoke up.
“Paul, a word?”
I stopped and turned back to the table. Carlos moved past me into the hall, shutting the door behind him, and left us alone.
“I know you’re convinced that Alec is the leak,” he said. “I am still not entirely certain. But I can’t deny it as a possibility, unfortunately. Continue to watch him, especially in regards to the upcoming work.”
Hmmm… so apparently Angelo was starting to have doubts of his own, despite informing Alec that we’re aware someone has turned to work with Sabitino.
“There are three different deliveries coming in on the same day. It would be interesting to see what would happen if we switched targets last minute, no?” Angelo asked, giving me a meaningful look.
“Understood,” I answered with a nod.
This lined up with my plan as well. We tell Alec the hit is going to happen in one place, then change to another. If Sabitino was tipped off to the incorrect location, it would be all the proof I’d need to bury his ass.
Chapter Twelve
Gia
How can he act like nothing happened?
I knew exactly what would have happened had Alec not called and interrupted us, and Paul did as well. But now he was treating me as if it never happened. Pawning me off on anyone else that he could find just to get away from me. What the hell was his problem?
Lucky for me, Elena came up to us, with what I had now decided was her default personality. She was one of those bubbly girls that I’d envied in high school. Those girls that everyone loved. The girls that everyone wanted, while I always just seemed to be observing things from the sidelines.
Elena snatched me up in a warm hug. It was practically impossible to be sad or upset around her. I smiled in spite of myself.
“Hey, good to see you too,” I said to her.
I watched Paul stalk off, then turned to Elena.
“This might be a weird question, but how do you deal with… all of this?” I asked her as I waved my hand around vaguely.
She looked at me sympathetically.
“I forget sometimes that ‘all of this’ is new to you,” she said. “My father has been friends with Angelo since before I was born. It’s just a… family quirk if you will. Every family has their thing, right?”
“Uh, yeah. I guess so,” I answered her. “But most families’thingsaren’t generally as intense as this.”
“You won’t even think about things like that after a while, I promise,” she assured me. “And therearecompensations. The best of furniture and clothing, dining at places like La Vilette, a certain… standing in society. Resources to follow your ambitions, so long as the family is preserved.”
I stifled a chuckle—my ambitions weren’t much, but they weren’t what you’d call suited for the mafia life. Elena caught the laugh I hadn’t suppressed enough and raised her eyebrows at me. “Truly. Studies, art, technology… as Angelo’s daughter, very few paths are closed to you.”
“Really, the only path I’ve ever thought about is finding a family. By the time I got good enough at dance to be taken seriously, Mom was… sick… and I stopped. I used to daydream about teaching classes, but–” I shrugged.
“Well, you have plenty of time to think once you’ve settled in. Women like you and me pay a price, but we are also safe.” Her nose wrinkled. “Pampered, even.”
Maybe she was right, but I didn’t know how reliable the “safety” she praised truly was. Violence had come so easily to Paul tonight. I’d found my father, and my family, yes. But I had also found the world that Mom gave up everything to keep me away from.
“Would you rather go straight to your room and rest?” Elena asked. “Or would you like to see some of the house first?”
I looked around at the marble floor, the winding double staircases, and the huge, glittering crystal chandelier above us, trying not to gawk at everything. My entire apartment could have fit in just the entrance hall.
“A tour would be great. This place is so huge!” I was never going to get used to the luxury or the sheer size.
“You’ll learn your way around here soon enough. It seems intimidating at first, but you’ll grow accustomed to it. When I first moved in here, I was absolutely at a loss. If Alec and I hadn’t had an en suite, I believe I’d have gotten lost on my way to the bathroom.” Her brows pulled together in an almost invisible frown, but then she smiled warmly at me. “We’ll just leave your bags here for now, then. Ricky will probably move them for you, but if he doesn’t get to them first, we’ll grab them on our way back through.”