moment he does I know I’ve lost the game. I shoot, doing the only thing I can, knowing it counts for shit because he has the upper hand.
He leaps off the roof and I’m left standing there with the gun in my hand.
Fuck. He fucking got away.
Falcone got away and he’s working with cops.
Shit.
Chapter Thirteen
Christian
I head back with Vincent and Salvatore to Giordanos Inc. While Gabe and Nick take the men on the street to continue the hunt.
It was Georgiou who sent them.
We took files from the warehouse that need to be looked over and I managed to download more files from the computers but the fact that we’ve gathered in Vincent’s office first is a tell that he’s going to wail on me.
“Sit your ass down Christian,” Vincent says giving me a hard stare.
I’m quick to be the defiant one when it comes to my father and Georgiou, but Vincent is a man I respect at the deepest level. Even when he’s getting ready to chew me out. So, when he tells me to do something I do it.
Grabbing the nearest chair, I lower to sit and focus on him.
He remains standing while Salvatore does his habitual thing by leaning against the wall with his foot pressed against it, head tilted to the side.
“Christian, you fucking know what you did right?” Vincent says.
I’ve done so many wrong things over the last few days that were always considered no nos. Today was just another wrong. It all boils down to going to enemy territory without the right amount of back up.
“Yeah,” I answer.
“Great. Glad you know. So, tell me why the fuck it took Georgiou’s phone call asking me to watch your back, and another from Tony alerting me that shit was going down at the warehouse? Why was there no call from you?” A line etches at the edge of his jaw and the hardness in his face looks more pronounced the longer he stares.
I look from him to Salvatore and see they both share the same expression. They both know what could have gone down today and that my end nearly came once again. They already lost Frankie, and everybody has been on high alert since. I would be no different to them. I’m their cousin, but they treat me the same as a brother. That’s why I’ve always been close to them. That’s why I’m gonna be real with them now.
“I wanted to sort it out myself. Me and my guys. I didn’t want to involve you. The shit that’s happened is my fault and I don’t want the reason for losing business from clients who have trusted us for decades,” I answer. That’s the honest truth.
“Christian, I’m glad you wanted to take matters into your own hands to fix the shit, but I’m fairly certain I told you to contact me at the first sign of trouble. At no time did I tell you to go into enemy territory guns blazing. I never told you to put your fucking life on the line,” Vincent snarls.
“No, you didn’t, but… my father did,” I say. I didn’t actually mean to say that and show any form of weakness.
Weakness is not a work associated with Christian Giordano.
I hate weakness of any kind and I hate accepting that my father actually got to me. Truth be told his words cut me deep. They actually did. I won’t lie, I haven’t been thinking straight since.
Vincent’s face softens and he glances at Salvatore who looks enraged. Both know what my father can be like. In one sentence they know he’s not like theirs. Their father was one ruthless boss, but he valued his each of his sons. Not one of them have ever come to me and said shit about him.
Vincent runs a hand over his graying temples and sighs.
“Christian, you can’t allow your father to get to you,” he says.
I straighten up in the chair and give him a small smile. Not of humor.
“It’s okay. I’m not looking for sympathy. I know how things work and I should have called you. I just wanted to see if I could have a handle on the problem. clearly I couldn’t.”
“You listen to me.” Vincent points at me. “Your father is not in charge of the business. I am. I say what goes and if people don’t like it, they can go fuck themselves. I don’t give a fuck who it is, my thoughts are the fucking same. When we’re dealing with a bastard