Chapter 67: A Test For Loyalty

Chapter 67: A Test For Loyalty
Dante.

"I would I know you aren't working with your brother." Padrino was no longer in the room. If I was going to do something to this man I didn't want any interference. Marco was locked in the box where he was transferred to. Bellini was furious. I could see what that anger was doing to him. No Made Man would develop such attachments to his subjects.

"Antonio isn't just one of your men." He averted his gaze. "How did he die?"

"Acid bath. But bad enough for us to recognize him."
"Look, old man. I am sorry for your loss but I need to interrogate him."
"Not a chance."
"He isn't going to talk if you keep him here and looking like this." I gritted watching him as he gets was hesitant in his decision. Bellini withheld his words. A sharp glance went across his eyes, I knew how angry he was but his pride was too shallow for him to admit. It.

"How am I sure you are going to get the information out of him?"
"Padrino won't be in the other room, if you didn't trust I could do this." He stepped aside as his guards brought Marco out, bruised, half way to meet his maker. His guards stepped aside, as Bellini walked forward. My eyes didn't leave Marcos closed eyes, still couldn't believe that he was sitting right across from me. I held the click of a gun. Bellini pointed his gun, if I wasn't paying attention, I would say me. Marcos eyes twitched in fear, looking up to me to save him.

"Or maybe you are in on the plan all along?" He began. "How would I know you aren't scheming with your brother and this asshole sitting here is one of your footstools you Garcia's use to do your dirty bidding."

I married my eyes. "I don't understand is this supposed to be a loyalty test? If it is then I don't understand."

"This man saw your brother the night Antonio died."

I scoffed. "How do you know he's telling the truth?" My eyes pointed at Marco, whose mouth was watering with curses and pleas.
"I wasn't lying. I know where Rafael might be and his plans. You kill me now, you will never get to know?" I shook my head, words spoken out if fear. Marco was a selfish man, he didn't know how to play ball unless he was benefitting from it.

"You have to choose, Dante." Bellini dropped the gun to the ground. It was a test, to see if truly I am what he thinks. A traitor and not fit to rule Cosa nostra. "It's either family or family." Family by blood or family by code. Any man sworn into the secrecy of Cosa nostra, was automatically adopted inyi the family. Bellini lived his family but not enough to give up his place in Cosa nostra. It was trust in all the dirty ways.

"I will honor the code even if my life depends on it. No, I won't pick up the gun until I talk to the bastard. My decision stands." I paused. "I am already a traitor to my brother because I put a bullet in him years ago and he refused to stay dead. So eliminating him is something only I can do. I know how he thinks and operates. If you don't want revenge for your precious son, then I can't say anything to convince you other wise can I?" My eyes were already telling him to stop this foolish game of his.

I picked up the gun as Bellini stepped aside, again.
I sat opposite Marco as his body relaxed a bit. "I just postponed putting a bullet in your head. I can't say I appreciate you putting me in the position to either safe you or end your life."

"You swore you'd protect each and everyone of us who pledge allegiance towards you." He force out of his throat, a high followed after. Struggling while still bound to a chair.

"That as before you bailed on us. You and Zurich. I thought Zurich a lesson and trust me in years to come, hr wouldn't even know the sound of his own name. Everyone under me have been protected by the affluence I provided. The wealth that have channeled? Oooff! It would set them up for life. You were stupid."

"I was looking out for myself."
I scoffed. "That I expected from you. But reducing yourself to be a puppet for Rafael? Trust me, I didn't see it coming." A sting in my heart folded my veins. It seemed everyone had one agenda for the year, betrayal. First, it was Lucia, Zurich and him. I had a notion the list was going to get longer with time. If I wasn't careful, Isla's fear might come to pass. Me ending up dead in an alley somewhere. I could already picture the headlines for the news.

"What can I say? I leave quite the impression." He burst into laughter. His laughter was becoming distorted as he coughed more blood in between his amusement.

"Where is Rafael? How did that poor man die?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." He shrugged, feigning ignorance. It was quite the game he was playing. Too bad I was ready to play too.
I unclogged the gun in my hand, removed the bullets. "You know I love Russian roulette as a kid. Imagine how your tiny life is hanging on the balance of only one bullet." I breathed, fixing the one bullet in a random bullet hole. "Just one move and your brains are all over the floor." Marco being a selfish bastard loved his life too much to play games.
His eyes widened, trying to set himself loose. He jumped rigorously trying to break the metal chair. The chair he was sitting on was too strong, the kind they use for electrocution. I pinned the gun on his head. I fired, the empty air swallowed his painted skin. Two fires and he shrieked.

"You know I have a kid. I wouldn't want to die without that child knowing his father."
"Oh, is that a plea I hear?" I smirked. "Are you going to tell me what I know? I don't care about your fatherly excuses."

I fired the fourth bullet. I knew it was close, I hesitated as I applied pressure on the trigger. This was going to be it. "Yes! He killed Antonio."

"Why? What is he planning?"

"Your demise. That's only half of it. He wants to control the Parliament, hence ruining you in the process. He is a strategic thinker, he has set traps allover the city. The territories..." He paused, seeing as I have dropped the gun. "I know you've developed a heart ever since you met that lady." Isla. I wanted to rip his tongue out of his mouth but it was only going to prove to Bellini that I had a weakness. No one needed to know that. My head turned to one of the guards on standby to subdue him. "How's the electricity here? I need to get the answers quicker." It was always a fastest way to get answers off your enemies.

Marco shifted in his seat. "He has someone in the Romano circle doing his bidding too. He is building an army. So he is taking the strongest foot soldiers off gangs and disrupting the system of territories all over Italy. Actually you think you dragged him here, the truth is he was rooting for you to come here and get hit for one of the traps he had set for you. The greatest trap is the seat you want so much, he is going to have it. Antonio wasn't willing to give up Bellini, so he soaked him in an acid bath. That's all I know."

"There has to be more!" Bellini cried out from behind me, moving forward trying to punch him. I stopped him before he decided other wise.

"There's nothing more to give. Rafael keeps a tight inner circle, you both are more alike than you realize." He confirmed with a lazy smile painted on his face. "You have kept me alive this far. You have to let me go, if not Rafael would sense to you have sensitive information." I grabbed the gun from the table, laying it flat on my palms. I stared at it before looking up.

"You know, I never really liked you. You shouldn't have double crossed us." I pull the trigger, all that was left of him was the mortification as his last prayer.

"I wanted him to suffer." Bellini stared at the corpse with red eyes. The cleaners were busy dissolving his body in acid to leave no traces behind.

"He did." I paused, feeling his grief. "I'm sorry for your son."
He nodded. "Thank you. Your technique is a bit simple to get out elaborate details from him. You are indeed feared."

"And respected."

"How did you meet this scumbag anyways."

"Killed his boss from stealing from me and made him the boss. He has been indebted to me ever since. Well not anymore."
Bellini paused staring at padrino who was already waiting in the car. "The girl he spoked
about, is anything of concern?"

"Nothing to worry about." I assured him, grabbing my keys from the deep of my pocket.

"Then you have my vote. You should come by the club sometime tomorrow, there's a business proposal I want to present."

I ignored him as I hopped into the SUV.