Chapter 41: Massimo

“How are you feeling?” Pa asks “Like shit,” I answer. “Pa. How did you do it? How did you manage to take care of the family when we had so much shit happen to us? We’re grown men now, and it’s bad, but it must have been worse when we were kids.”

He gives me a little smile. It’s not one of humor, though. It’s the kind that attempts to reassure. There is nothing to smile about today.

“I had your mother. Always, even when she was no longer living. I carried her in my heart knowing what she’d say and do when I needed her,” he answers and holds my gaze, studying me.

He loved my mother dearly, never remarried, never even got close to anyone. It was maybe five years after Ma died that I saw him with a woman, and it was just a date. She seemed nice, but it didn’t last. Nothing ever lasted. He always stopped anything from getting past that mark where anybody could get as close as my mother.

“Pa, everything is shit.”

“I know.”

“I’m worried as hell about all of this. I wish we’d killed Riccardo,” I say. Of course, the fucker is nowhere to be found.

We got the update from Phillipe this morning. My guess is someone knew we got Yev and knew he’d talk. Riccardo would have gotten the heads up and headed for the hills. Add the failure of yesterday into the mix, and he would know for sure we want his head on a spike.

“Me too. I fear that our greed to watch him suffer meant that we didn’t treat him the way we would if he were anyone else.”

“Pa, I’m going to hunt those bastards down.”

“I don’t doubt you, son,” he says. “But take some time to think about strategy. Maybe take the day to cool off from yesterday and regroup. The worst thing you can do is go after people like Vlad and Riccardo when you can’t think straight.”

Maybe he’s right. I’m too hyped up on emotion to concentrate.

“Yeah maybe I do need to regroup,” I agree. “We don’t know what will happen next.”

“No, we don’t. Get the men on the streets and have some downtime. I’m certain the Syndicate will summon us tomorrow at some point, one way or the other, for the next steps. Whatever that might be.”

I nod. I’m expecting a meeting too.

The door opens, and Andreas walks in. I’m relieved to see him. He’s been holding down the fort for me at work.

“You guys okay?” he asks.

“Yeah, son. I’m gonna leave you two to talk,” Pa says with a nod. “Call me if you need me.”

“I will.”

Pa walks toward Andreas, gives him a pat on his shoulder, and leaves us.

Andreas sighs and looks me over in that big brotherly way that used to get on my nerves when we were kids.

“I’m pissed at you for not calling me,” he says, coming close to give me a one-shoulder hug, and I hold on for a little longer.

“I’m sorry. Too much shit has happened, Andreas.”

“That’s why I should have been here, not pushing paper in the office. We have extra men. We have eyes everywhere, so try to relax,” he assures me.

“Thanks, Andreas, thanks for having my back.”

“That’s what brothers are for. Do you need me to do anything else?”

An idea comes to my mind.

I do need a break. I think Emelia does too.

It’s early enough to get away from here for the day.

“Could you be boss for the day? Just be boss. I just want to be Massimo D’Agostino.”

“Massimo D’Agostino is boss,” he replies.

“No, not that guy. I just want to be myself for today. Take a break from shit and return to the days when we used to appreciate the simple things in life.”

I think he knows what I mean when he nods.

“Well, I’m starting in here. You have better bourbon than me, and Cheetos,” he jokes and ruffles my hair the way he used to when we were kids and I was much shorter than him.

“Knock yourself out.”

He chuckles, and I head out to go back upstairs to Emelia.

I get to the base of the stairs and stop when I see Candace. She has a packed bag in her hands.

Nerves fill her expression when she sees me, and when I walk up to her, her breathing stills.

“What are you doing?” I ask, looking at the bag.

“I’m…leaving,” she replies nervously. “I thought I should leave. I know you won’t ask me to, so I’m taking the awkward decision out of your hands.”

“No,” I tell her before she can continue. “I don’t want you to leave.”

“Massimo, I…betrayed you. We both know if I were someone else, I’d be very dead. Manni’s alive because of me. You showed compassion because you knew what it would do to me. I really hurt you, and my actions could have resulted in much worse. I think I just need some time away. A break.”

She’s never been away from me.

“Where?”

“Well, knowing me, my anxiety will make sure I don’t go that far. I don’t really know where I’m going yet. I just think I need to get gone for a while.”

“For how long?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know. Good luck with everything. I saw you. The way you were with Emelia yesterday. You proved me wrong. Take care of her. She’s come to be a friend to me.”

She releases a little breath, stands on the tips of her toes, and plants a kiss on my cheek.

I watch her leave, knowing she’s right. We do need a break. I’ll worry about her, but maybe it’s best if she’s away from the shit that’s happening. I’ll send someone to watch over her, just to be sure.

I head to the bedroom. To Emelia. She’s sitting by the window, gazing out.

She gives me a little smile when she sees me, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Finding out the truth yesterday definitely took its toll on her.

Everything she knew was a lie.

Everything she knew about her father was a lie.

We keep finding out more shit. I can’t help but feel there’s still more. There always is.

Not today, though.

I walk over to her, pull the chair from the dresser and sit on it backwards.

“You alright?” I ask.

“No…but I’m trying to be.”

“I will protect you.”

“Thank you. I feel like I need more than just protection, though. My world fell apart in one breath when I saw that contract. What’s happening now? I know you say you can’t tell me certain things, but I need to know.”

We always keep women out of business, but as I look at her, I feel I can’t honor that. She does need to know.

“Vlad is working with your father to bring down the Syndicate. That was the danger Jacob was trying to warn us about, but he didn’t know specifics. He didn’t know about your father, or that the two were working together. I don’t know what happened after I let Jacob go, but the other night, when I went out, I got the confirmation they were working together.”

I don’t need to elaborate. Her face goes ghostly pale. She’s a clever girl. I can almost see her mind working. She’ll think the same as me that the reason Jacob died was he probably saw too much. Maybe he saw Vlad and Riccardo together and learned about the plan. That’s what got him killed.

She releases a sharp sigh. “Oh my God… Massimo, do you think my father had anything to do with Jacob’s death?”

“Emelia, I don’t know.” It’s best to say that. Best to leave unconfirmed shit speculative and not cause more stress. She’s already had too much shit happen. “What I do know is that I have to take precautions and protect what’s mine.”

That means her as a priority, and anybody else who relies on me.

“What about the Syndicate? You told them about my father’s plan.”

I nod. She knows that means death.

She’s an angel. A being of purity. So I expect the look of remorse that flickers in her eyes. I can’t even be angry at her for it because that’s who she is.

I reach out for her hands, and she gives them to me.

“Things are going to be hard. I think we have some difficult times to face, some tough things to come our way, but…we have each other. I want to take you away today.”

A slight twinkle returns to her eyes. “Away?”

“Yes, you know, like a normal couple. We’re gonna go out, and we’ll be gone for the night. Just you and me.”

“Really, Massimo?” She smiles.

“Yes, Princess.”

“Where are we going?”

“Stormy Creek…” I say the words. She smiles, but I get that wave of apprehension that always fills me when I think of the place I grew up.

After Ma’s death, I never wanted to go back there. I wanted to leave the first chance we got, and when Pa was able to, we did. It was a long time after, though. I was a year away from college.

I hated the place because of what it represented, and I only visit to tend to my mother’s grave, yet it was home because she made it home.

If there’s anywhere I’m going to find strength today, it’s there.

“I’ve never been there.”

“You’ll like it. It feels like home. Pack a bag. Let’s leave as soon as possible.”