"Yeah," Jo-Jo whispered.
"Then let's begin. What did you tell them?" The question was simple, his hesitation unacceptable. I backhanded him without thinking, the force toppling the chair. Hissing, I took a step back, waiting until Angelo and another soldier righted his chair. "We're going to try this again. What. Did. You. Tell. Them?"
"I told them about the shipment, but no details. They already knew anyway." Jo-Jo's words were muffled, his bottom lip split.
"What about the shipment?" Angelo asked as he folded his arms.
"The drop date. I didn't know anything else."
This was true enough. "And Marco?"
"I had nothing to do with that. Nothing!" Sweat slithered down both sides of Jo-Jo's face.
"And Bruno?" I asked in a guttural voice.
His eyes gave him away. I'd had enough. "We are finished here. Take care of him and make certain the body isn't found. You fucked up, Jo-Jo. You could have come to me or to my father, but you chose to betray everyone. May God rest your soul."
I walked out, not bothering to let the others know where I was going. What I had to do first would take a hell of a lot out of me but was necessary.
The rest would come within twenty-four hours.
The drive was without incident, although I had no doubt that Drummand had summoned various police officers and that they were preparing for a raid. The ammunition I had should be enough to cease the brazen activity. I laughed at the concept. If what I suspected was about to happen did occur, there would be ripples from here to Chicago, a shift in the operation of both the Feds and the two local police departments.
There were numerous cars located in my father's driveway, several of which I didn't recognize. I didn't bother to wait for the housekeeper, letting myself inside and immediately heading to my father's office. The door was closed, and I could hear loud voices, angry tones. Within seconds, I was able to recognize the second voice.
Carmine Francesco.
My father had called him. To have a meeting here and now meant a culmination of betrayals on several levels. I threw open the door, the box under my arm.
"You have to stop this madness, Gio," Carmine exclaimed. "You have no proof."
"No proof? I protected Margaret for years, her honor and her love for you," Giordano half whispered. He shot me an angry look, his chest heaving.
Carmine sagged against the desk, extreme sadness crossing his face. "You don't know what it was like. She was everything to me but refused to stay with me. I would have given her the world."
"She didn't want to be your mistress, Carmine. Just like she wanted nothing to do with the life I led. She was a truly sweet and amazing young girl, manipulated by her family. They wanted to get her far away from anything having to do with organized crime or bad influences."
"Then what about Caroline?" I issued the words with no inflection, only a knowledge that the secret had nearly destroyed her life and had her mother's.
Both men looked in my direction, a questioning look only on Carmine's face.
"Caroline?" Carmine finally asked.
"Your daughter."
The silence was telling and as the information settled into Carmine's mind, his entire face went slack.
"You didn't know?" I asked, moving closer.
"No. I had no idea I had a daughter. Margaret was..." Carmine exhaled then walked toward the window, planting his palm on the glass. "She was the true love of my life."
I noticed the way my father's eyes flickered. The reason he hadn't trusted Carmine was that he actually believed the man knew about his daughter, but he refused to care about or acknowledge her. I had to admire Giordano on several levels. There was a code of honor, even for the damned.
"We both loved her," Giordano said quietly. Sighing, he took the box out of my hand, taking his time as he glanced through the papers. "Margaret was terrified that something would happen to her. My guess is that Drummand forbid Margaret from saying anything." He looked through the information and I could see how much the news affected him.
"You knew all along?" I asked my father, still attempting to accept the news.
He nodded. "I knew she had a daughter, but I never knew anything about her or who Margaret ended up marrying. We met before she was even engaged, but we were just friends then. I fell in love with her over time, her gentle demeanor chipping away at the hardened man I'd already become. By then, I knew your mother and I loved her as well. Anyway, Margaret's parents arranged a marriage, something she never wanted in the first place, but they were from cultures similar to mine. Arranged marriages still occurred even twenty-five years ago. By then she was pushing me out of her life. I wished I would have kept in touch with her. I just..."
"Then how did this happen if she was already taken?"
"Margaret just happened to be in Chicago, purchasing her wedding dress. I shouldn't have touched her, but she was so young and beautiful that I had to have her. I was obsessed with her, refusing to allow her to say no. She fell for my charm, not having any idea who I was. For one glorious weekend I was allowed to be a man and not a mob leader." Carmine clenched his fist. "Does Caroline know?"
Exhaling, I finally shook my head. "She knows nothing yet since she was in an accident."
"What? I have to go to her!" Carmine came closer. "Is she all right?"
"She had some internal bleeding, but she will be fine in time." My answer was succinct, even though I didn't know the full prognosis.
"Did you find out who rolled Bruno's car?" Giordano lifted a single eyebrow.
"Jo-Jo, but I have no doubt ordered by Drummand. Plus, there are other... issues that must be dealt with sooner versus later."
His face turned beet red, his mouth pursing. "Cocksucker. Did you take care of the problem?"
"Being handled now. What about Drummand? From the information left by Margaret, it seems Drummand found out about Caroline a few years ago. That's when he truly made both their lives miserable."
"He knew long before that, son," my father managed.