Page 5

Dante

“So, what can I do?” Valencia asked.

Della and I looked over at her.

“You know account numbers that I might not,” Della replied. “You also know Deacon’s routines better than I.”

“You never know what might help, Valencia,” I went over to the large desk and opened a drawer. Reaching in, I took out my laptop.

Tito nodded. “Like someone who witnesses a crime, they see things that don’t seem important, but it could help the detectives a lot.”

Nodding, Valencia looked distracted. “Yeah, maybe?”

“You been watching CSI reruns again, Tito?” I teased him.

He scoffed. “Ha-ha. But I do like that show.”

I chuckled. “Then again, Deacon is a criminal. So Tito might be right even though he wants to be like Colombo or something.”

Tito shook his head. “Dude, geek alert again…Only maybe you’re a really over the hill nerd. I mean that is such an old show.”

Della walked over to where I stood. “Wow, the Zenbook?” she asked while studying my laptop and looking impressed.

I sat down in the large leather chair then scooted forward. “Sure is… the Asus Zenbook 14X O.L.E.D. I just got done transferring all my programs to it from my old laptop.”

Tito chuckled.

I glanced over at him. “Something funny, cugino?”

Tito shrugged. “So thrilled over a laptop, cousin.” He grinned at me. “Describing it like it’s a new car or something. You are both geeks.”

I shook my head. “Oh, like when you see a new gun? Or a new kind of brass knuckles?”

Tito laughed. “You saying I’m a violent thug?”

“Well, if the bullet fits?” I joked.

He kept chuckling. “One day you and your brothers are gonna be grateful to have thug bodyguards. Rocky and I are heroes and you know it.”

“Oh, I know it and I’m already glad,” I replied quickly. “But dang, I’m just an accountant, here.”

Tito shook his head as he scoffed. “These people don’t care. You would be good for a ransom if they kidnapped ya. You can’t change who you are, bambino.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” I sighed. “Maybe I need a disguise?”

Tito laughed again. “To make you look like what? The hired help? I can just see you in a maid’s outfit. Maybe fishnet stockings?”

I shook my head at him. “You are a total creep.”

Della and Valencia both laughed.

Then Valencia paused. “You know what? I just remembered that Deacon had some big deal meeting to go to.”

“When?” I asked her.

“Tomorrow,” Valencia replied. “I think it was set for noon?”

I stared at her then glanced over at my father.

He gave me a nod. “That might help us to nab him.”

I looked up at Valencia again to ask, “Do you know where this meeting is supposed to be?”

“Yes, in New Orleans at the Hilton on St. Charles.”

“Mia cara.” My dear. My father looked over at her and asked, “Do you know who this meeting is with?”

Valencia shrugged. “I never met this person, but I’ll never forget his name. I suppose it’s a nickname. Pippo?” She laughed. “The reason I remembered it so well is because I made a joke like…what is that? A dog’s name?”

“I know that name,” I said as I met my father’s gaze and halted.

My father looked angry as he shook his head at me.

Della looked back and forth between us and asked, “What does it mean?”

“Pippo is short for Phillip,” my father explained. “But as to what it means?” He let out a growl. “Qualcuno pagherà per questo.”

Looking perplexed at the Italian, Della nudged me.

“Someone is gonna pay for it,” Tito translated what my father said.

“In Italy, it’s common as a nickname,” my father said. “But not here in America. His name is Fillippo Grazzi.”

I glanced over at her to clarify what he just said, “He’s Familia.”

Della slowly shook her head. “Oh, wow.”

“Did you know why he was meeting him?” I asked Valencia.

Valencia shrugged. “Just some type of information that Pippo had. Deacon seemed very interested in whatever the man had to tell him.”

My father hissed as he looked like he might explode. “This is so bad. If it is true. This Deacon is talking to a made man? About what?”

“Peddling of course,” Tito suggested. “Drugs. Guns. You name it.”

“No, Tito,” my father explained. “He is not involved in that type of enterprise. But just know this is not good news.”

I stood from the desk and went over to the PC table. Giving Tito a nod, I asked, “Can you get Talon back on?”

“I can try,” he replied. Typing on the keyboard he attempted to contact Talon again.

I looked over at Della. “This might be bad news as far as Pippo is concerned but if Deacon is present at the Hilton…”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “They can catch him.”

“We’re set to go live in…” Tito paused and said, “...one minute.”

Before anyone could speak, Liv appeared on the screen. “Hey,” she greeted us.

I leaned down a bit so she could see me. “Hey, it’s Dante here. We have some new information about Deacon.”

“Yeah? Like what?” she asked.

“That he might be at a certain place tomorrow,” I told her.

Leaning forward toward the screen, she looked excited. “You're kidding?”

I shook my head. “Nope. He is supposed to meet someone there at noon.”

Liv still looked surprised at this news. “Wow, ok. Where?”

“Wait!” my father stepped up to the table. “We have a snag here.”

“Like what?” Liv asked in confusion.

“This guy Deacon is supposed to meet is a wiseguy.”

She slowly shook her head as she stared at my father.

“He’s part of the mob here, Ms. Walker,” I explained what he meant.

Liv paused. “So what are you telling me?”

“We need to be there,” my father said. “We need to take Pippo into our custody. This development makes it Familia business.”

Suddenly, Talon showed up next to his sister and said, “We can work together. We need to coordinate this. I will be sending scouts out to watch this location as of the next half hour.”

“Si and I will send my top soldiers to meet with you there tomorrow morning,” my father informed him. “This man that Deacon is meeting is part of the New Orleans Familia. In fact, he happens to be head of our gambling commission. And I know that this was not approved by the Familia. He should not be meeting this man. Our council has decreed that we are not to do business with Deacon Walker as his mother was too radical and not trustworthy.”

“I get it,” Talon replied. “So, I’m looking at the map. Please have your men meet mine at 9AM. Two blocks down from the Hilton at the Cafe Rove on St. Charles. This way, we will have time to set up positions to watch the hotel.”

“Va bene, Talon,” my father replied. “I will have my men there. They will use the peace sign as their ID.”

Talon nodded. “And we will signal back with an ok symbol.” He shook his head. “It’s not that commonly used.” Raising his hand, he made a circle with his thumb and forefinger then raised up the other three fingers.

“Ok,” my father said as he smirked.

I couldn’t help but see the irony of their choice of signals. Peace and ok. Neither of them were peaceful and none of this was ok.

Talon lowered his hand and went on, “I really hope this pans out. We have spent a long time trying to take Deacon down. I know you were pressured to release him, but our family will never be safe until he is gone.”

“Si, capice…I understand this,” my father told Talon. “I also hope you catch him there. In fact, I want him dead in any case. As you are aware. We intend to find out what this meeting is all about and we have our ways to make Pippo talk,” my father almost growled the last part.

Della looked over at me with raised brows.

I slowly shook my head at her. I never had anything to do with the workings of the mob. I leaned in closer to her and whispered, “I crunch numbers at Descalia Corp. I don’t do the whole threatening thug thing.”

“We will keep a look out tomorrow,” Talon told my father. “Then we will take them when they arrive.”

“Si…My men will be there to help you and may God bless us all.” My father made the sign of the cross over himself.

The PC screen went black as Talon went offline.

I looked up at Della. “Well, come on. Let’s see how much we can take from the devil.”

“If they catch him, what then?” Valencia asked.

I shrugged. “Then they do. But someone will confiscate that money.”

“He’s right,” Della said. “Since I found out the truth, I remembered certain people that worked at these companies. They were always sort of tight lipped? Or nervous? I always thought they acted like that because they felt like I was there to audit them or something? But I can see it now. And I imagine there are a few of them still at those companies. I would rather charities have these funds than them. They obviously knew about the dark aspirations of O and Deacon.”

“Yes, I suppose you're right,” Valencia agreed.

Valencia sat on one side of me and Della sat on the other. They each had sign-ins at Periwinkle and we started there.

Over the next hour, we went from site to site and found out that Deacon had been one step ahead of us. All the account numbers had been changed and even if I hacked in, we had no way of accessing the right accounts.

“That asshole!” Valencia exclaimed.

“Yeah, he already figured we might try this,” Della agreed with disappointment in her voice.

I patted her hand. “It was a great idea.”

“Yeah, it was,” Valencia agreed with me. “We just weren’t fast enough. But I should have guessed this. Deacon is super smart. He loves beating people at their own game. I mean I knew he was up against the Walkers all the time. I hated them too, as he had me believing they were evil and killed our mother…” Pausing, she looked up at us. “I know I need to get over this. And I’m trying.”

“It’s only been a few days.”

We looked over at Tito who’d said this.

I nodded in agreement. “This went on for most of your life. Give yourself some time.”

The study doors opened.

We all looked up to see Max.

He stepped further into the room, placed his hands behind his back and stated to everyone in general, “Zia has instructed me to announce dinner. She insists that you all be at the dinner table in one hour.”

I nodded and glanced at Della. “Time to wash up and run for the pasta.”

She chuckled. “Ok.”

Valencia stood from her chair and stretched her body out.

I shut my laptop down and glanced up at my cousin.

Tito looked mesmerized as he stared at Valencia.

I blinked and then glanced over at Della. She was also staring at Tito. Our gazes met and Della’s eyes rounded a bit then she smiled.

Tito had never been the type to stare at women really. At least I’d never seen him doing that. He wasn’t a womanizer either. So I figured he might be a bit smitten with Valencia.

Tito shifted his gaze and met my eyes.

I grinned at him.

As if he’d gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he swiftly looked back at his PC screen.

I smirked as I grabbed Della’s hand, raised it and kissed her palm.

She stared at me. “What?”

I leaned in close and said, “I know how he feels. It is hard for me to take my eyes off of you.”

Della’s cheeks went pink. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

I shook my head. “Nope, not all of them.”

She laughed and asked, “So just a few?”

“I mean…Well, there was this one girl…”

Sitting forward, she looked extremely curious. “What about her?”

I shrugged. “I realize now that she looked a little bit like you, so I didn’t actually stare at her too long. I guess I lost interest right away. But with you?” I tilted my head at her and went on, “I could actually look at you all day.”

“You are so funny,” she said as she laughed.

“I’m serious. At least about that.” I stood and tugged her up with me. “Let’s get ready for dinner.”

She kept smiling as I led her out through the doorway. “Not sure about getting ready. I only have like three outfits. And those were loaned to me by Julianna. I lost all my stuff when Valencia lost her mind and put me into that tomb.”

I led her up the stairs. “I never thought about that. Damn, you don’t have anything with you, right?”

“Nothing but the outfit I had on. Lost my phone, my clothes, pictures of my family, all of it.”

This bothered me, but the fact that it hadn’t occurred to me before now bothered me even more. “So where is all your stuff?”

“In my apartment in the French Quarter.”

I paused as we got to the top of the stairs and asked, “You actually got a place there?”

“Yes! I was so excited. I always wanted to live there.”

“Yeah, a lot of people want that.” I rolled my eyes. “Me included.”

“Ok, so I admit it. Deacon got it for me. I mean I never could have done that on my own.”

I tugged her down the hall. I didn’t tell her but I could do it…get a place in the Quarter. I just wasn't allowed to. The Descalias had to have bodyguards almost around the clock. Tito was exactly right about kidnappers and dangerous enemies. We are who we are. “We will order some stuff online for you. Until you can get your things.”

“Why can’t I go to my apartment?” she asked as she slowed down in the hallway.

I stopped at my door. “You will be able to.” I felt my heart sink at the realization that she could just up and leave the estate. “But we need to catch Deacon first. I don’t trust him.”

“He’s not interested in me. I’m not important. Now that he has blocked me from all his accounts, I’m not any kind of threat.”

I opened my door and motioned her inside. “No, but you could testify against him or you may have information he just wouldn’t want anyone to know.”

Della stepped through the doorway as she replied, “Maybe?” Turning, she looked up at me to ask, “Why am I in your room, Dante?”