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“Fuck!” my fists bang down on the table in front of me. “Put me on the phone with the Guardian.”
Cortez bows his head and walks out of my office, returning a few minutes later with his phone in his hand.
“Capo, the Guardiano (Guardian).”
I nod, flicking a hand in his direction to get the phone from him. The sound of his shoes recedes into the night, leaving me alone again.
“Mr. Donatelli,” his clear voice rings out from the other end of the line.
“I see the media’s staying out of my business.”
“My secretary told me what happened with the warehouse. I had to make sure it didn’t become a scandal.” The Guardian is a very thorough man, it’s good to know that he pays his debts as well.
“That’s the least I can do, Donatelli. Are things being tied up on your end?”
“Yes. We’ve finally gotten the mole who ratted us out.” I pick a cigarette from a pack in the breast pocket of my jacket and hold it between my lips. “Bastard sold us out to save some pussy...”
My hand juts out to pick a lighter from my drawer.
The Guardian hums deeply.
My eyes flip shut, savoring the menthol from the cigarette coursing through my nasal cavity for a few seconds, then releasing the pent-up smoke through my nostrils as they flip back open.
“This mole,” the Guardian begins, and my eyes finally flick open, “You possibly got useful information out of him, right?”
I shake my head even when he cannot see me. “The bastard killed himself before I could get anything meaningful from him. He said he doesn’t know who he’s working for but he mentioned that name, Mendez, again.”
“I don’t know anything about a Mendez, perhaps he’s the leader of a rival mafia group?”
I shake my head again. “I know all the mafia heads in New York. None of them go by Mendez. That’s not your cross to carry anyway, just keep holding off the media, I’ll sort the rest.”
“Understood.”
With that, the line clicks off.
If only I could get my hands on whoever is pulling the strings behind the curtains, I’d take my time with them, first chipping off the fingers one by one, then breaking every bone in their joints one after the other.
They’d die only when I authorize it, but that would only be when I’m satisfied with how much they’ve suffered and bled.
I click the intercom button on my desk, summoning Cortez back into my office.
“Bring our tech guy to me. We need to start working on the burner phone.”
Cortez bows, marching out and then marching back in after a few minutes. The orange-haired kid with a backpack slung over one shoulder bows.
My hand juts out towards Cortez again, and he places Luis’s burner phone in my palm.
A flick of my hand sends the phone sliding across the table to the tech kid, who picks it up.
“The owner was making a call on it when we got to him, but the number was private. Can you track it?” I ask, eyes transfixed on his young face.
His shoulders lift in a small jerk. “It’s not impossible,Capo, but it’ll take some time.”
“Do everything within your power to trace it as soon as possible.Capisce(Understand)?”
He nods, walking out of my office, Cortez following closely behind him.
I stare at the desk for a long time, several thoughts running through my mind before finally settling on Aria. Again! I’ve told myself that I’ll let her go, that I’ll keep it strictly business between us so I can protect her from the darkness that surrounds me.