Chapter Twenty-Six
Salvatore
Snake taps his knuckles against the car window, slightly off beat to the rain that’s just beginning to fall. The disjointed rhythm echoes in my skull while my thoughts dwell on Molly and her tightened, emotionless expression. I don’t know what I expected, for her to recognize me as her savior before jumping into my arms? For her to cradle my face, smile softly, and say that all is forgiven?
What I got was her continued distrust. No matter what I say, she doesn’t believe it. I’m trying to save her life here, but she had the crazed eyes of someone marching to their death. It’s like she thinks I’m going to kill her.
“Could you stop that?” I snap at Snake.
He stops tapping his knuckles. “Sorry,” he says, begrudgingly. “So, what’s the game plan here?”
“We get Anthony on our side,” I say with a shrug.
Snake folds his hands in front of his face, nodding. “We need to ease into it with Anthony. He’s still pretty jumpy after his kidnapping and all.”
I harden my jaw. I don’t have time to handle Anthony’s nerves with kid gloves. This isn’t a long con any more. What Snake doesn’t know, is that I have enough on Anthony to demand a lifetime of favors from him. Anthony was my main contact, and source of information on the Mariano family during my extended hiatus. He’s given me documents so secret that Snake, a capo, doesn’t even know they exist. I plan to use that leverage if I have to.
We arrive at Anthony’s house. Snake texted him that we were coming, so Anthony opens the front door as soon as we pull up, and invites us to sit at his kitchen table. He keeps his maimed hand in his pocket, while the other one shakes nervously on the table in front of him.
“What’s this about?” he asks, trying, and failing, to act casually.
Snake straightens his back, preparing to speak, but I beat him to it.
“I need to see the books,” I say bluntly.
Anthony’s face turns increasingly brighter shades of red. He laughs nervously. “You come to my house at this hour because of an accounting matter?”
I can feel Snake’s confused stare boring into me. He has no idea about my secret dealings with Anthony. I’d worry that this new information could harm our newly healed friendship if protecting Molly wasn’t infinitely more important.
I give Anthony a sideways look. “You know what I mean.”
“Sorry, I don’t,” Anthony says with a dumb look.
“Sal, what the fuck are you talking about?” Snake asks. “If you’re joking, it’s not landing.”
I keep my stare aimed at Anthony. He squirms under the intensity.
“I’m not joking,” I say. “I need to see the books, the real books. I need to know who else in the family Franco is screwing over.”
Anthony’s mouth flattens as he drops the act. “Why?”
A bright fire burns in my chest, causing me to smile. What I say next fills me with such sweet satisfaction. “We’re going to kill Franco.”
Anthony takes his maimed hand out of his pocket, and slams it on the table. “You’re crazy. You can’t.” He turns to Snake with pleading eyes. “Franco will go after you and Jess. Just follow orders. Stay loyal. Everything will be fine.”
My smile turns into a grimace. “Listen to you, giving lectures about loyalty.”
“Tell me what the fuck is going on,” Snake demands. “What’s this about real books?”
Anthony goes quiet and still. Luckily, I thought to bring receipts. I reach into my jacket, removing a copy of the last financial documents Anthony gave me. I throw them on the table in front of Snake.
“Exhibit A,” I say, as Snake picks them up. “Bet you never saw those before. You see, Franco has two sets of books, one real, one fake.” I tap my finger on the table next to the documents. “These are real. You’re making a real fortune off of your cyber racket, Snake. Congratulations.”
Snake’s eyes dart from side to side as he scans the documents. “These numbers are off.”
“They’re right on,” I say. “Franco’s stealing from you. And I’d bet money you’re not the only one. We could get more Mariano’s on our side if they know the truth.”
Snake drops the documents on the table, turning to Anthony. “You gave him these?”
“Yes,” Anthony hisses, lowering his voice. “He offered money I didn’t have. Franco barely pays me anything now that I’m stuck behind a desk. Jaimie and I were behind on our mortgage. I couldn’t say no.”
I lean back in my seat, stroking my chin. “Anthony’s nearly homeless, Snake’s being robbed blind, all while Franco has garden parties at his Beverly Hills mansion, and we’re arguing about who the bad guy is?”
Anthony leans towards Snake urgently. “He’s had a scheme from the beginning. Don’t trust him.”
Snake glances at me, then quickly looks away. He picks up the documents and rifles through them silently. “This is what you wanted,” he says, idly. “To weasel your way back into the family, then turn us against each other.”
“And you’re playing into his hand,” Anthony says.
Snake raises an eyebrow, looking at me directly. “Molly’s a pawn, isn’t she? You used her, and her charity, to gain Franco’s trust. You don’t care about her-“
He suddenly stops talking. Only then do I realize that I’ve lurched across the table, and am now gripping Snake’s shirt collar.
“You don’t have a fucking clue,” I say, gruffly.
Snake grabs my hands, prying my fingers away from him. After straightening his tie, he stares solemnly into the distance, the muscles in his jaw flexed. “You were going to kill me earlier, weren’t you? I thought you were just trying to scare me. But that’s been your plan all along. To get your pathetic revenge.”
I have to clench my hands into fists, because I’m seriously considering wrapping them around Snake’s neck. “You think avenging my father’s murder is pathetic?”
Snake stands slowly. He places his hand over the gun on his hip. He stares down at me coldly. “Maybe you should disappear again.”
I look down at my hands folded in front of me. “You’re right, Snake. I was going to kill you. I’ve wanted your blood on my hands for so long now.”
“What stopped you?” Snake asks.
I turn to look at my old friend. “Do you really need to ask?”
We stare at each other, a loaded gaze that feels like it lasts for hours. I break the silence.
“I don’t blame you any more, Snake. I know who the real enemy is. That’s Franco. You can help me get rid of him, or you can take that gun and shoot me.”
Snake’s hand tightens around the handle of the gun, but in his eyes, I can see he doesn’t have it in him. While we’re measuring our dicks, Anthony escapes my focus. That all changes when I hear a whoosh sound. I turn to see Anthony clutching his phone. I reach forward, snatching the phone from him, and read the text he just sent to Franco.
Sal’s a traitor.
I throw the phone with my full strength into Anthony’s chest. “You fucking shit head,” I bark at him. The old Sal would’ve shot him in cold blood in his own kitchen, but there’s no time for that. I have to get to Molly. Before Snake or Anthony can react, I’m out the front door, and starting the engine of my car.
*
Molly
Bruno places a styrofoam plate on the table in front of me. When I open it, the steam of freshly baked lasagna rises up to my nostrils. My kind captor had left me alone here, but not without locking three gigantic locks on the door, to get me dinner from the grocer below. The hunger that pangs in my belly is soon pushed aside by anxious nausea. I smile at him, shaking my head.
“Not hungry?” Bruno says, understandingly. “This must be a stressful situation.”
That’s an understatement, I think. I’m still not clear on what’s going on here. Sal said he was going to take care of Franco. Has he gone to kill him now? Is Sal walking into his own bloody end? Of course, these questions are irrelevant, since Sal was probably lying. But this doesn’t stop me from constantly glancing at the door, hoping he comes back unscathed, and hoping that everything he said about his feelings being real is the truth. My heart flutters at the prospect. I fiddle with the plastic fork, reminding myself not to get swept away in Sal’s lies.
I watch Bruno closely, waiting for him to drop the nice guy act and attack me. There’s so much I don’t know, so I concentrate on what I do know. Franco wants me dead. That, I believe. I was an idiot for canceling his pending donation. I should’ve waited until I was out of LA, but by then, the payment would’ve gone through. Still, it was an impulsive action done at a time of emotional upheaval. But I’m not dead yet. My flight to Kansas leaves tomorrow. I still have time.
“What about you?” I ask Bruno, gesturing to the lasagna. “Are you hungry?”
Bruno shakes his head. “Shockingly, no.”
“I guess this is a stressful situation for you too.”
He sits in a chair nearby, resting his elbows are his knees. “I live in a constant state of stress. Look-“ He pulls his phone out of his back pocket, swipes it open, and passes it to me. It’s a photo of his wife, Olivia, who I met at Franco’s barbecue, and a baby wearing a hat shaped like bear ears. “My wife and kid,” Bruno continues. “I never know if I’ll live to see them at the end of the day. That’s what it’s like when your boss is a mad man. Nothing’s ever enough for him. Franco’s always pushing us further and further into dangerous situations. For what? Money? I think it’s more than that. It’s for control. For the power of playing with a another man’s life.”
“With all due respect,” I say, carefully. “You’re a member of the mafia. Doesn’t being a mad man qualify you for the job?”
Bruno gives me a sideways smile. “You’ve got a point there. But believe me, Franco’s different, even by mob standards. Every problem is solved with a bullet to the head. Like with you, he could’ve bought you a bus ticket and sent you on your way. But no, you have to die. I think he wants to stick it to Sal too.”
A shock shoots up my spine when I realize how close I am to death. I wipe my sweating palms on my black jeans.
“You’re planning a mutiny?” I ask.
Bruno nods. “And long overdue.”
Heat rises to my face as my blood pressure drops. Has this been Sal’s plan all along, to overthrow Franco, and gain control of the mob family? Is that why he wanted me to pretend to be his girlfriend, to gain Franco’s trust? I withdraw into myself, stewing with renewed anger. I can never forget who Sal really is.
“Sal told you to watch me, right?” I ask. “To keep me safe? I have a flight leaving for Kansas in the morning. Let me get on that plane, and your job will be done.”
Bruno shrugs. “I’ll give you a ride to the airport if that’s what you want. But Sal wouldn’t want that.”
I scoff, crossing my arms over my chest. “I’m tired of doing what Sal wants. I’m tired of being used.”
He leans forward, squinting at me in confusion. “Sal doesn’t have a use for you any more.”
I close my eyes, absorbing the blow. “Ouch,” I say, sarcastically.
Bruno swings out his arms, palms facing the ceiling, as he shrugs his huge shoulders. “So why does he want me to protect you? He doesn’t need you. Once Franco’s dead, this will all be over. It seems to me that he wants you.”
I roll my eyes up to the ceiling, refusing to believe Bruno’s bullshit. “I want to get on that plane, and I’m going to.”
“Then go. Nothing’s stopping you. But it won’t do any good. I know Sal. If he wants you, he’ll find you.”
Bruno rests his head back, closing his eyes in respite. I consider his points. It’s true. If Sal was using me, then my part in his plan is over. Maybe he just doesn’t want to see me get killed. But that would mean that a tiny fraction of him is an actual human.
Before I can dwell on these thoughts for too long, there’s a loud banging at the door. Bruno jumps up and tells me to get into the bedroom. I do as he says, but leave the door open, watching as the beast unlocks the door. Sal bursts in, scanning the apartment frantically.
“Where is she?” Sal asks.
“She’s in the bedroom,” Bruno says. “She’s fine. What’s going on?”
“Shit’s gone sideways,” Sal says while rushing to me. He swings the bedroom door open, and without hesitation, wraps me in his arm. I exhale for the first time since he knocked on the door, my body relaxing against him. I can’t deny I’m relieved to see him, and not someone else.
“What the fuck do you mean?” Bruno asks.
Sal turns to him. “Anthony ratted us out.”
My body trembles violently. Everything I’ve feared is crashing up against me. The pain of losing the center is nothing compared to the possibility of being murdered. I grab Sal’s face, making him look at me.
“Take me to the airport,” I plead. “My flight’s in a few hours. Franco won’t be able to get past security.”
It takes Sal a fraction of a second to agree. “Let’s go.”
He grabs my arm, pulling me towards the door. Bruno stands in our way.
“You said we’d take Franco down,” Bruno says. “You can’t leave. It’s happening now.”
“Get out of the way, Beast,” Sal says through gritted teeth. He moves his jacket to the side, showing Bruno the gun on his hip.
Bruno stands his ground. “Come on, Sal. You put all this into motion. Let’s finish this. I’ll call Franco, tell him Molly’s here. We can use her to lure him in-“
My consciousness fades while Bruno’s talking. I fully expect Sal to agree to this idea, to use me again to fulfill his ambitions. At least I’ll know for sure that Sal never cared about me.
I hear the slip of metal against leather as Sal removes his gun from his holster. He’s going to point it at my head, and hold me hostage here, I think. Sal raises his arm, pointing the gun at his intended target; Bruno. The relief that washes over me is a cool wave of euphoria.
“Don’t make me shoot you,” Sal says, a tinge of emotion in his voice. He’s not bluffing. He’s absolutely serious. He’d kill his longtime partner and friend to get me to safety.
Bruno looks at me briefly, then back at Sal. He puts his hands up, and moves out of the way. Sal grabs my arm tightly, and pulls me out into the hallway. Before going down the stairs, I plant my feet.
“Wait,” I say. Sal turns to me, his face twisted in desperation. “Sal, come with me. Get on that plane with me.”
His bruised and battered face spreads into a sincere smile. “Did you really think I wasn’t going to? You’re not going anywhere without me, Molly. Don’t you even try.”
This is real. My doubts change to certainty all at once. Sal’s choosing me over controlling the family. He doesn’t care about Franco, or whatever his evil scheme was. He cares about me. It doesn’t matter that he used me in the beginning to get back into the family, this is where we are now. Sal slides his hand to the back of my neck, staring at me intensely. A smile tugs at my lips as I give him a nod. He closes his eyes, sighing, his relief palpable, before leaning forward and devouring me with a passionate kiss.
All is well. All is right. The man I thought I’d lost is here. He exists. The world turns in perfect serenity as we kiss, until the gunshots ring out from downstairs.