“I’ll talk to Samuel. I’ll make sure he never acts out of line again,” Pietro said as we settled on the plush armchairs in his office.
I tilted my head. “I appreciate it. But he’ll have to answer my questions first. I’ll make my point very clear to him.”
Pietro searched my eyes, then nodded.
He knew I had to make sure Samuel obeyed my commands in the future. I didn’t want to be faced with another choice like today again. I cared deeply for Samuel, and I wasn’t sure if I could go through with killing him. And giving a kill order to Arturo or Santino was out of the question. If anyone did it, it had to be me. I hoped it would never come to it.
We discussed possible reasons for Samuel’s release but in the end, they remained speculations, until Samuel shed some light on the situation.
A while later, I got a call that Samuel was almost at the mansion.
Pietro hurried out to tell Ines but I stayed put to talk to Danilo. “You kept your thoughts regarding my decision about Samuel’s punishment carefully hidden.”
Danilo pushed his hands into his pockets and shrugged. “You are Capo. Your word is law.”
“It is, and yet I’d like to know your thoughts on the matter. You are Underboss and practically family.” I put an emphasis on the last word.
Danilo lowered his face. “Sometimes I’m not sure if it’ll still come to a bond between our families. Do you really believe we get Serafina back alive?” He glanced up, eyes tortured and angry.
“Yes. I think Remo’s plan is to send her back. If he wanted to torture and kill her, he could have done so right away. This is a mind game, and I think ultimately it’ll end in him sending her back to us in exchange for something.”
I realized he’d avoided answering my question once more. I stepped closer to him and squeezed his shoulder. “You are going to be family. This incident is a family matter and I expect it not to make the rounds.”
Understanding flickered in Danilo’s dark eyes. “Don’t worry. I can keep a secret if required.”
Rocco had said something similar to me many years ago. I hoped things with Danilo wouldn’t end in a similar manner.
* * *
I allowed Pietro, Sofia and Ines to have a few minutes for their family reunion after Samuel arrived. Bruises bloomed on his face and his eyes were bloodshot. His right arm was in a cast and his movements suggested his ribs made movement painful.
Danilo excused himself. He’d return for another meeting tomorrow morning. Then we’d know the details of Samuel’s release.
I glanced at my watch. Val and the kids would come over for dinner but I wanted to get my conversation with Samuel over by then.
Samuel caught my gaze and resignation filled his blue eyes. Ines’ eyes. My eyes.
I doubted I could kill him—ever.
Pietro clapped his shoulder lightly then Samuel headed for the office and I followed, knowing everyone was watching, waiting…
I was furious at him. Furious about his rash actions, but seeing him and the broken expression in his eyes, I realized that Samuel was already experiencing his own personal torture.
I closed the door of the office so we’d have privacy.
Samuel sank down in one of the armchairs and buried his face in his palms, letting out a shuddering breath.
I walked closer and regarded him for a moment. My nephew looked up.
“You went to Las Vegas behind my back.”
Samuel’s mouth twisted. “For nothing. Everything was for nothing.” He shook, closed his eyes. “I know I betrayed the Outfit, betrayed you by going behind your back. You should punish me for it.”
Yes, I should. I remembered when he’d taken his first steps. Carla and I had paid a visit to Ines at the time. Samuel was the first of the twins to discover the mansion on his legs but Serafina soon followed, always determined to be close to him.
I sank down on the sofa. “What happened?”
My voice was firm but free of anger, and I realized that was because surprisingly I hardly felt any. I would have tried to save Ines too. Samuel was young. He’d learn from his mistakes. It was painful but necessary.
Samuel swallowed. “We got overpowered. The Falcones, they are a unit. Nino and Remo…” His mouth pulled into a grimace. “They can’t be beaten in their territory…”
I gritted my teeth. It was something I’d told him before. “That’s why I didn’t agree to an attack. I knew it would fail.”
Samuel’s gaze became distant. “Yeah… but I thought I could save her.” He let out a tormented laugh. “Remo tortured Fina because of me. I heard her screams. Every time I close my eyes, I imagine what she went through… I… fuck, this is the worst.” His anguish was palpable. I remembered my turmoil when Ines was supposed to marry Jacopo, my worry over her well-being. I’d risked everything to protect her, had killed a fellow Made Man, my designated Consigliere. Samuel had gone against my order, true, but his transgression was small in comparison to mine from the past. I put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. His blue eyes were full of misery when he met my gaze. Samuel and Serafina were twins, they’d always been together. What Samuel must be feeling now, knowing that she was in the hands of our enemy, not to mention one as cruel and twisted as Remo Falcone, it would have driven most men to rash actions.
“I’m sorry, Dante. I accept any punishment you have in mind for me. I deserve torture… I deserve to die for this.”
He shuddered under my hand.
“But please allow me to live until Fina is safe. I must know she’s safe before I pay for my betrayal. That’s all I ask of you.”
I shook my head and Samuel’s eyes turned down with resignation.
“I won’t kill you, Sam. Not now and not when Fina’s back home either.”
“Because of Mom.”
“Because of your mother and because I care about you. But don’t go against my orders again.”
“I won’t,” he said fiercely, but I knew that a promise like that was easily broken.
“And I won’t torture you either. I think you’re already experiencing the worst kind of torture.”
“Yeah… knowing that Fina’s suffering because of my stupidity.” He fell silent.
I pulled my hand away and leaned back in the chair, feeling exhausted. “Remo’s playing with us. He wants to break us.”
“He’s succeeding, isn’t he?” Samuel rasped. “I feel fucking broken. Leaving Fina in his clutches feels as if I left my heart behind. I wished he’d exchanged me for her.”
“He knows he can break us better by keeping her.”
“Fuck, I don’t care about his fucking plans. I just want to save Fina, Dante. We have to save her. You didn’t hear her screams. You don’t understand. Just imagine if he had Anna…”
I couldn’t. The mere idea that someone might hurt my daughter, it made any logical thought impossible, and I needed to keep a clear head in this situation.
“Attack Las Vegas, Uncle. Ask every Underboss and Captain and every fucking soldier for help and stomp that shithole to the ground.”
“We wouldn’t succeed. Remo would know about our attack before we’d reach Vegas and he’d prepare for it. He’d hide Fina somewhere else or kill her to punish us.”