Page 49 of Condemned to You

I let out a sarcastic laugh, “Men would kill to have my place.”

“Oh, I’m sure. If you don’t believe people are already plotting it then you’re a fool. I know you’re loyal to Luca, but loyalty can blind you. Open your eyes."

“Exactly what should I be opening them to.”

“You’re the right heir to the DeCarlo family.”

I let out a hefty laugh, “You’re out of your mind.”

“Maybe a little. But I’d never kill my own brother to take his place.”

“How Luca got into his position isn’t a concern to me.”

“It should be if it’s your father that he killed.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and charged. I stepped on the brakes so that the car’s tires screeched and the smell of rubber filled the car. Annoyed and feeling not exactly sure what, I turned my torso so that I was looking at ghost right in the face.

My jaw tightened as I sneered, "You have some balls making that statement. I was left at the Church, abandoned by my mother and father. The DeCarlo family would never do that to their own.”

The man was older, middle aged, salt and pepper color hair with a beauty mark under his left lower lip.

“Family ties mean nothing to someone like Luca. You’re just a means to an end, a way to keep his empire standing. He doesn't see you as family; you're just a tool."

The man was relentless.

“Prove it.”

Lowering his gun, ghost nodded his head, “Figured you’d say that.” There was a manila folder beside him that he lifted and handed to me. “Go ahead, it’s all there.”

Taking the folder from him, I placed it onto the center console, opening it to see what was inside. There was a news article with a picture of a man, woman, and child under a headline that stated, MOB RIVAL STRIKES YOUNG FAMILY. Under the photo listed their names: Marco, Bettina, and Paolo DeCarlo. Looking at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t deny the resemblance between Marco and myself. It could just be a coincidence, right? I pulled out a birth certificate that apparently belonged to Paolo. There were a bunch of papers in the folder, but the one that stuck out was a DNA test that showed results linking me directly to the DeCarlo family.

Seeing the disbelief etched on my face, the man answered what I couldn’t muster to ask. “You can ask Luca yourself.”

My heart raced, torn between the loyalty I felt toward Luca and the unsettling truth that was beginning to take root in my mind. There was no reason for Luca to take me under his wing or make me his stand in right hand man for the time being. Nicoletta DeCarlo, known to be cold to anyone who wasn’t her child or grandchild, was always warm and kind to me. Recalling one time she made me soup when I fell ill. Bethany always took the role of the older sister. Even Emilio, at some point, easing his reigns on me.

"Why should I trust you?" I finally said with a trembling voice. "What do you stand to gain from this?"

"I want to end Luca’s reign," ghost replied, his eyes piercing into mine. "I want to expose him for who he truly is. But I can’t do it alone. I need someone on the inside, someone who understands his methods. Someone like you."

My mind raced. The pieces of the puzzle were shifting, forming a picture I had never wanted to see. "If what you’re saying is true… if Luca really did kill Marco, my father…" my voice trailed off, confusion and anger swirling within me.

"You owe it to your father to avenge him.” ghost’s voice was low, but it resonated with a fierce conviction that struck a chord deep within me.

“I take it you already have a plan in mind.”

“Il codice will be meeting in a month and it’s Luca’s turn to chose a location. I just need to know where. Simple as that.”

I took one last look at the man, “Nothing is ever that simple.”

He shot me a smile, “Keep driving. The more information you can give me the more effective this plan will be.”

The dim light of the private room in the lounge flickered intermittently, casting shadows that danced across the walls. The smell of cigar smoke hung heavily in the air, mingling with the scent of aged whiskey that filled the glass tumblers on the table. Luca leaned back in his chair, looking calm, collected, and in control as he contemplated the enemy they didn’t know was lurking in their city. I sat across from him with restless energy as I tapped my fingers against the polished wood surface.

“Luca,” I began, breaking the silence that had thickened over the last few minutes. “A large shipment was seized by authorities this morning.”

Luca’s eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing slightly. “So when do they take me in?”

“Should happen later today. I called Cohen and made him aware, he will meet you at the station.”