“I don’t think so, Blondie. This could take a while.”
She pouted. “Well, if you want some company later, I could always leave my number.”
“Yeah, you do that.” I motioned to the notepad by the telephone. “I gotta go.”
She flopped back with an exasperated breath, but I didn’t wait around to hear her complaints. I’d stay away long enough to hope she was gone when I got back, and if she wasn’t, I’d give it to her straight.
I wasn’t interested in anything more than she gave me last night.
Gino was already waiting in reception. The grim expression on his face told me all I needed to know. He suspected Alejandro. Which meant whoever he was working with, or for, they were upping the ante and this time it was personal.
It couldn’t have been a coincidence we were drinking at DiMarco’s last night, right before it was hit.
They were watching us, taunting us… which changed everything.
“What’s the plan?” I asked, noting it was just the two of us.
“We go check it out before the cops arrive. I already spoke with Toni. We keep this between us for now, just you and me, okay?”
My brows furrowed. “What aren’t you telling me?”
He gave me a sympathetic look and said, “Let’s go.”
DiMarco’s was a mess. Whoever had been here had caused thousands of dollars worth of damage, smashing the mirrored walls and glass shelves housing Zander’s impressive range of liquor. Chairs lay overturned and tables were at strange angles. It looked like a herd of wild animals had stormed right through the place.
“Jesus Christ.” Glass crunched under Gino’s boots as we made our way toward the back office. “Zander?” he called.
“In here.” He sounded pissed.
We found him in his office, standing in the middle of the room with his back to us. “I think it’s for you.” His eyes caught mine over his shoulder.
“Say what?” I frowned.
“That.” He jabbed his finger toward the far wall. I stepped closer, certain my eyes were deceiving me. But sure enough, there scrawled in blood red were the words, ‘like father, like son.’
“This is what you wanted me to see?” I pinned Gino with a hard look.
“I wanted you to see it before we scrub it.”
“Fuck.” I ran a hand down my head and cupped my neck. This was bad, very fucking bad.
“You think this has something to do with my—” I hesitated, glancing at Zander.
“Seriously? My place just got fucking trashed because of yo—”
“Basta!” Gino hissed. “This is not Enzo’s doing, and you’d do well to remember who he is.”
“Yeah, yeah, my bad.” Zander held up his hands in defense. “As long as the insurance covers it, it’s all good.”
Gino tsked, moving closer. “Give us the room for a second,” he said with an air of authority.
“Come on, Gino, this is my fucking—”
“I said, give us the room.”
“Yeah, whatever. I’ll be out front.” He took off, but Gino called after him, “And don’t fucking touch anything.”
“You good, kid?” He asked, the second Zander was gone.
“They know,” I said, disbelief coating my words. “How the fuck do they know?”
Only a handful of people knew about my father’s betrayal. In years gone by, if a man betrayed omertà, his death would be broadcast across the Family as a reminder of what happened to traitors. But times were different, and Uncle Toni tried to rule with respect instead of fear.
“They’re clearly more connected than we first thought.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “That or—”
“No, don’t say it.” My eyes finally tore away from the scrawl and slid to Gino. “Don’t you fucking say it.”
“We have to consider it, kid.”
“My father.” This could all be his doing.
Fuck.
My boot flew out connecting with the leg of the chair. Pain shot through my big toe and skittered up my leg but it barely registered.
“Better?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“We’ll get them, Enzo. Whoever is behind this, we’ll get them. And when we do—”
“I put a bullet between their fucking eyes.”
“Rein it in, kid. Harness all that anger and frustration, because something tells me you’re gonna need it. Let’s get this cleaned up before the cops get here. The last thing we need is them sticking their nose in where it doesn’t belong.”
Gino scanned the office before strolling toward Zander’s drinks cabinet. He grabbed a wad of tissue paper out of the box and poured expensive whisky over it before moving to the mirror and scrubbing away all evidence of the message.