Page 6 of Fixate

“Their? Who is he with? Why are you all being cryptic?”

“Because it’s not our story to tell,” the model looking guy teased.

“And there’s no point trying to break it down just yet,” Tank added. “What if we promise to call you within twenty-four hours? Will this appease your sense of injustice?”

The group laughed at the taunt. I ignored them as I ran the numbers through my mind. Surely, nothing would come up before then.

“Fine. You get one full day. If his father reaches out, I’ll try to buy some time. But I can’t do much more if I want to stay alive.”

One of the loved up looking guys snorted. “Oh, please. Like we’re going to let you die. That’s not how this plays out.”

I raised a brow at him.

Well then. Seemed I was several steps behind whatever plan they had. Guess I just needed to follow along until I got new marching orders.

Unsure of what todo while waiting, I went back to the house the same way I came. Secured inside, I focused on something that might be productive. For Dante’s plan, that meant listening through the recordings from his father’s office.

As I’d hoped, me bugging the room had proven to Dante that I was loyal to him and him alone. Sure, the Cosa Nostra was still family, but his father was a ruthless dictator I couldn’t wait to see be dethroned.

What I’d yet to tell Dante in the rush of things was how many more men felt the same way. I wasn’t an anomaly by any means.

Those who wanted Domenico out of the way would stand by Dante’s side in a heartbeat. Everyone knew how different the two men were, hence why the elder Romano sent his only son away.

Even as a child, Dante could gather supporters better than his father. He’d have been dethroned ages ago had my friend not fallen in love.

The memory of his heartbreak rocked me to my core.

I never wanted to love someone that way. And so far, I hadn’t.

Women were a dime a dozen. I could smile at them, show off some tattoos, and they’d be putty in my hands. Sometimes, all I had to do was raise one eyebrow, and they’d be sucking me off in some dark corner within a few minutes.

But love — yeah, I didn’t do that shit.

Dante had though. And he’d suffered greatly for it.

I pushed away those thoughts to focus on what I was listening to. Domenico talked a lot of crap for a man who was barely holding it together. Through the hours of tape, I heard him on multiple calls, none of which seemed to go smoothly.

There were even several times when he spoke aloud to himself. He sounded off during those times. During one nasty spell he yelled at himself, then turned around and answered by yelling back. It was strange.

Night came, and I pushed away the audio clips to give myself a break. There wasn’t anything I’d find tonight to giveme the answers I wanted. Besides, it wasn’t like Dante’s father kidnapped him. That would be too far, even for Domenico.

The next morning,I went on a short run as was my routine. I stopped for coffee, making sure to grab two despite knowing one would go to waste without Dante there.

Back at the house, I cleaned up, got dressed, and then dove back into the recordings. I was a couple hours in with some decent notes when my phone rang.

Dropping the headset I was using, I answered the blocked call immediately.

“Hello?”

“Ricardo. It’s me. I have an update for you.”

I recognized Memphis’s voice.

“Yes?” I pressed.

“There is a temporary delay. A package is needed in Pharrellville. It may be another day or two before I get it to you.”

What? Pharrellville? I’ve never heard of…