GIOVANNI

 

IT'S LATE ON a Friday night when Salvatore Valenti holds a meeting with all of his closest allies, me included.  We're all crammed into his large office, which now seems as small as a fucking closet with all the men present.  Sal's still hunting for his youngest daughter day and night and almost as hard as I have been.

No matter what I do, I cannot find her.

And it's fucking frustrating the hell outta me.

I know it's my head if Adeline is not found, although it probably still won't end well for me even if she is found.  Because if anyone ever spills the truth to Sal, I'm dead either way.  He won't even hesitate to gut me like a fucking fish for going behind his back and selling his youngest daughter to some fucking deviant, who has refused to return her to me.

But until I get Adeline back here safe and sound, there is no fucking way Sal can find out what I've done.  He can never know the truth, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep him in the dark for as long as possible.

One of the guards stationed outside of the room comes rushing in during the middle of Sal's speech about money and whatever other mumbo-jumbo he was spouting off.  I had been distracted, only half listening, but this intrusion definitely catches my attention.

All eyes are on the man at the door.  I recognize him as Paulie Russo.  "Boss, there's a woman here who says she has information on your daughter," he tells Salvatore, and my fucking stomach drops to the goddamn floor.

My fingernails bite into the Italian leather of the chair I'm sitting in, and my eyes dart to my boss.  Sal looks anxious as he asks, "Adeline?"

Paulie shrugs, "I'm not sure.  She's talking a bunch of gibberish, but I understood one word — hija, which means daughter in Spanish."

"Well, bring her in, you dumb fuck," Salvatore spits out.

An older woman with greying hair and big, brown eyes enters the room behind Paulie.  She's wringing her hands in front of her as she begins spouting off Spanish so quickly no one can even catch a word she's saying.

"Oh, for Christ's sakes!" Sal yells.  "Which one of you fucks in here knows what the hell she's saying?"

Matteo Dellucci speaks up, "If she slows down a little, I might be able to understand her."

Sal gives him a nod.  "By all means," he says sarcastically, waving his hand towards the woman.

If Salvatore Valenti is anything, he's definitely not a patient man.  I can practically see the steam coming out of his ears while Matteo tries to communicate with the woman.

"She's saying that her husband was killed by the man who has your daughter," Matteo translates.

Salvatore straightens his spine and grabs a photo frame from his desk.  The frame contains a photograph of all of his daughters, when they were all still alive, that is.  Then he stalks towards the woman.  "Which one?  Point her out," he demands.

The woman looks at the picture and points.  I can't see shit from where I'm standing, but judging by Sal's reaction, the woman pointed out Adeline.

Sal grabs the woman by the arm and hauls her in close to him.  "Where?!  Where is she?!" he practically screams, spittle flying out of his mouth and landing on the poor woman's face.

"Por favor!  Por favor!" she cries, her face contorting in pain as Sal tightens his hold on her.

Sal eventually releases his grip and points to Matteo.  "You lock this broad in the cellar with a goddamn map, and don't you let her leave until she gives you the exact fucking location where my daughter is," he orders, his voice low and rough.

Matteo drags the now confused and hysterical woman from the room with two other guys following closely behind.

Sal meets my gaze and gives me a single nod.  "We're gonna find her now."  He grinds his fat fist into his palm and smiles a sinister grin.  He's like a fucking shark who just found blood in the water.  And nothing will stop him at this point from finding the source so that he can unleash a brutal attack.  "And when we find out who did this, I'll let you do the honors, Gio," he tells me.

He's giving me a gift — letting me kill the man who is responsible for kidnapping his daughter even though the honor should really go to him.

If Sal only knew…I'd have to kill myself.