Page 97 of Dirty Hearts

“You know what?” Dante declared. He would never have spoken first if Raphael were still boss. Hell, he probably wouldn’t do it if Luc were standing before him now and not me.

They’d become too comfortable with me, but I got it. The guy looked as pissed as me, as did Gio, who moved his hand to his piece in his side pocket.

Maybe it was stupid, but I kind of knew in that moment that the rat amongst us was neither of them.

“What would you like to say, Dante?” I asked.

“Where the fuck were you two last night?” Dante spat, directing the anger he exuded to Alex and Jude.

“I told you we were tied up,” Alex answered. “I messaged back last night. Couldn’t answer the phone. We went to the Glass House and saw Joe Manello and one of his whores. We followed him to a house on Rocherfield. I thought it was more important to tail him.”

I stared at Alex. He was the first to speak to David Shipel. He gave the man got a foot in the door.And Jude?

Asshole had that damn unreadable expression on his face. The same expression that made others underestimate him.

Was I doing that now?

“Fucking convenient. No one can check that out,” Dante argued.

Alex stood at the same time as Dante.

“What you trying to say, Dante?” Alex challenged.

Dante answered with a fist. One punch straight to Alex’s cheek that sent him to the floor.

Jude jumped up and aimed his gun at Dante before he could hit Alex again, but Gio stood at the same time, aiming two guns at Alex and Jude.

“I’ll use them. You know I will,” Gio warned, showing clear that while Jude might have Alex’s back because they were brothers, Gio had Dante’s back.

To my surprise, Pa started laughing. “This is what happens when mobsters go soft. They start fighting amongst themselves.”

Pa knew my concerns and had completely spoken his mind earlier when he said it was one of those two.

Jude or Alex.

I knew it was true, but I didn’t want to accept it.

“Put the fucking guns away,” I ordered, and all guns moved back to where they’d been previously stationed. “Jude and Alex, go back to tailing Joe. Report back at five.”

Alex looked me over. A bruise had already started to form over his eye.

“You’re sending us away?” Alex glared at me and shook his head.

“I’m sending you on a task. Do it.”

I was fucking sending them away, alright. What had happened so far had given the rat the intel he needed to tell whomever he was working for.

Now that we had an idea of what we were up against, I didn’t want to share any more information.

“Come on, Alex. Boss’ orders.” Jude stood up and tapped Alex’s shoulder.

Someone knocked on the door. That would either be my secretary or Cora. I knew Cora would be on her way but figured it could be too early for her to get here.

Since I’d offered her fifty grand for her help, I suppose that could have gotten her here quicker than I imagined.

“Come in,” I called out.

The door opened, and she popped her head inside. Three years older looked better on her. None of those bright colors in her hair shit that I’d seen last time.