Page 53 of Alessio

Alessio nodded.

He needed to breathe.

To reflect again.

Corrado’s presence made those things hard.

Even when it hurt.

“I have calls to make,” Corrado said, stepping back as Alessio fished the phone out of his jeans pocket. “Say hello for me.”

“Probably not.”

“Yeah, Dare is likely in a mood, anyway.”

Where was the lie?

Alessio answered the call as Corrado disappeared down the hall. Not that he sensed the man’s loss, because it was still imprinted on Alessio’s entire soul. Corrado never left, even when he wasn’t seen.

“Dare,” Alessio greeted, putting the phone to his ear.

“Les, how are things?”

“Better.”

It wasn’t a lie.

“Oh?”

“Yes.”

“That’s … good,” Dare replied.

Didn’t sound like he meant his statement, though.

“I have information, or rather, confirmation,” Dare said.

“On what?”

“The upcoming Albanian job. We were waiting for the call, the right time, as the client said. They’re nearly ready to give the okay, and it should come up anytime over the next few weeks. You need to be ready to pick up whatever and leave. All right?”

Shit.

This hit had been years in the making, according to the client. Alessio had taken the job a few months back even though the client wasn’t ready to see it through back then. Semantics, and details wouldn’t line up quite right.

“Any way we can change the member for the job?”

“Not possible,” Dare said, “I have signed the contract to you. Those are rules I don’t bend or break, not even for you, Les.”

Right.

“Got it, Dare.”

“Are you sure everything is well?”

“Yes.”

Or it would be.