This is just one big fucking disaster.
Giuliano
The elevator opens at the top floor of the Ferrara building and I step out with purpose.
Nicolai has intel, he texted me this morning and wants me to meet him at the dock at one p.m., he knows who the mole is. And as soon as I know, that person will be meeting his maker. It’s one thing to be stolen from, but to find out it’s an inside job and that one of my own men is to blame…is a betrayal that I can’t accept.
He’s a dead man.
I walk through reception and down the corridor and catch sight of Lorenzo, he smiles. “Hello, son.”
“Fuck off.” I walk past him and into my office, I sit down at my desk and turn my computer on.
He appears at my door. “Have you got a moment?”
“Nope.”
He exhales heavily and walks in and closes the door behind him. “We need to talk about last night.”
“I’ve got nothing to say to you.”
He drops into the chair at my desk anyway. “Francesca is not my daughter.”
My eyes shoot up to his and I glare at him.
“I mean….” He shrugs as if searching for words. “Francesca is not my daughter, so whatever you were implying last night…. Whatever you think you know, it isn’t correct.”
I stare at him, my mind a clusterfuck of confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“Well, that makes two of us, because I want some fucking answers too.”
“Are you saying that you weren’t sleeping with her before she fell pregnant?”
“We were in love, most definitely, and there were one or two times but the dates were way off, trust me. I wish more than anything Francesca was my daughter.”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t have time for this shit today.”
“I left last night because I wanted answers.”
“You left?”
“Yes, I walked out and Bianca followed me. She swears that she didn’t sleep with anyone else.”
“You don’t believe her?”
He rolls his lips. “She was a beautiful woman. Back then who knows what she was capable of.”
“You think she was sleeping with more men on the side than just you?”
“Between you and me.” He pauses. “And this doesn’t leave this room, do you understand me?”
“Of course.”
“I’ve always had my suspicions about Antonio and Bianca.”
“Antonio?” I frown. “Francesca’s guard, Antonio?”
“Yes, he was her guard around that time.”
“He would have been only young.”
“He was. Early twenties, but he was besotted with her. She was this glamorous older woman who had needs and a womanizing absent husband.”
“But if she was in love with you….” My voice trails off as I try to put the pieces together.
“We had a few accidents, but I had decided that I wouldn’t sleep with her again until I had your father’s approval. He was my best friend and I wasn’t comfortable betraying him. She wasn’t happy about it, we fought often.”
“You think Antonio?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “I’m trying to find a logical explanation and it’s the only thing I can come up with. I absolutely lost my shit with her last night after we left the wedding. Biggest fight we’ve ever had.”
“What did she say?”
“She denied it, swears there was nobody else but me.”
“You don’t believe her?”
“Who fucking knows?” He sighs sadly. “I’m gutted. It was bad enough knowing that the woman I loved fell pregnant to another man. But to find out there was someone else, a third person…and that he got to give her the child that I desperately wanted.”
“Fucking hell.” I sit back in my chair and let out a deep exhale, we both fall silent, this is one fucked-up situation. “She hates me.”
“She really does.” Lorenzo smiles.
I smirk, for some reason amused.
“She’s a good person, Giuliano. Regardless of what you think you know of her. She is a good woman who was put in a bad situation.” His eyes hold mine. “And if you hurt my beloved Francesca, I will kill you with my bare hands.”
I give him a sad smile. “I’m sorry she’s not your daughter.”
“Not as sorry as I am.”
12:30 p.m.
“I don’t like this,” Alex splutters as he swings on his chair. “Can’t he just tell you over the phone?”
“Nicolai’s message said that I have to meet him at the town market at the fruit store at one p.m., he knows who the mole is and to come alone.”
Carlo fusses around loading my gun and Val walks into the office and throws me a bulletproof vest. “Put this on.”
“I don’t need that shit.” I roll my eyes. “I’m meeting him at a public market.”
“Yeah, you fucking do. We don’t know who’s going to be there. This could be a setup, you could be walking straight into a fucking trap.”
I roll my eyes and put the vest on underneath my shirt. “It’ll be fine. I’ve met with Nicolai plenty of times before, there’s no issue. Stop being drama queens.”
Carlo hands me my gun and I tuck it into the holder under my arm and then I put my suit coat over the top, I hold my two hands out. “Happy?”
“Better.” Carlo nods. “We have six men on the ground already and we’ll be around the corner, text us the name straight away so we can order the hit.”
“I want him dead before I get back to my car. You got that?” I reply.
“He will be, don’t worry.”
I pat down my pockets to make sure I have everything. “Let’s do this.”
The market is busy and bustling and I head toward my destination, the fruit store. I glance around at the people surrounding me, busily shopping for their produce on an average Saturday afternoon.
I walk into the fruit store and see Nicolai from behind, he’s putting apples into a plastic bag as he pretends to shop. I pick up a basket and walk over to the apples as I pretend to do the same. He glances up as he sees me and gives me a subtle nod.
“What have you got for me, dear friend?” I ask.
His eyes flick around and it’s obvious that he’s nervous. “Lombardi has your yacht.”
That fucker.
I clench my jaw as I put the apples in the bag. “How did he know about my fucking yacht?” I mutter under my breath.
A loud whistle rings out.
A woman’s scream in the distance.
Nicolai stumbles back and clutches his chest, he reaches for me as he falls to the ground. Blood is pooling in his shirt.
He’s been shot.
Fuck.
I fall to the ground on my knee beside him. “Nicolai.” I grab his hand. “Stay here, stay with me. It’s okay.” People are screaming, running for cover, and my eyes flick around at the surroundings. “Who did this?”
He’s bleeding out, I can see life slipping away from him as the blood pools around. I put my hands over the bullet hole on his chest to try to stop the bleeding. “Call an ambulance,” I scream as the blood begins to squirt up onto me. “Nicolai,” I stammer. “Come on. Hold on, don’t go.”