Now
Evan
RY AND I ARRIVE unannounced at Franco's warehouse, although I'm sure he was expecting us. Without fanfare or trouble, we're escorted to his office where he sits arrogantly behind his desk.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen. I expected you earlier."
"Well, you know, we had other, more important things to do," Ry says, deadpan.
Chuckling, although he's anything but amused, he motions for the door to be closed. "I'm guessing you found my present and you're ready to talk business?"
"Present?" Ry asks.
"Yeah, Mr. Hart knows what I mean. He wanted him out of the way, and now he's out of the way. You're welcome."
"You say it like I thought he was a problem or a threat, which he wasn't. You could've left him alone. Hope you didn't go to all that trouble solely on my account."
I'm hinting at Greg's sister, Franco's real reason for killing him. It's the whole reason Greg got into this mess to begin with. From what Tommie gathered, the Cavallo family is involved in human trafficking. They have close ties to Richard Sach, a well-known money launderer, known for cleaning the funds made in selling skin.
We couldn't find any real proof, but by all accounts, it looks like Greg's sister, Elizabeth, was abducted from one of the Cavallo clubs. Why they'd kidnap a girl from one of their businesses, something that could cause way too much heat, is anyone's guess and not my problem. Anna is my only interest where Franco is concerned.
"It's a shame you underestimated him. Mr. Hart, it would do you good never to do so. You see, I could have considered you, an eleven-year-old boy at the time your father died, as insignificant, but I was smart enough to keep tabs on you all your life. It was only when you disappeared that I had to resort to bringing in outside help. Pity though, he never got me any information."
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Ry and I tense. Fuck, I left Carys for fear of bringing the mob to her doorstep and little did I know, the fucking mob was watching me my whole life. Franco doesn't say it, but I'm sure I was of interest in case he wanted to exact revenge for my father's actions. What better person than his son?
Choosing to ignore him, I ask what I really want to know. "Are you interested in our offer?"
"Hmm, it does interest me and would certainly solve a problem, but I'm not interested in the terms."
"We won't do it unless you promise to leave Anna alone for good."
Standing, he comes around the desk to stand only a few feet from us. "You forget, I'm the one in the position to negotiate. I don't see how you are."
"Well, that's where you're wrong. Balducci is hitting you where it hurts, raiding your businesses. You may be consigliere, but your hands are tied. Cavallo won't sanction a hit or punishment and in the meantime, Balducci robs you blind."
He raises a single eyebrow before his dark soulless eyes narrow and his jaw clenches. We tried to figure out why Balducci is targeting Franco, why he's stealing shipments and why the boss is letting it slide, but we weren't successful. While we could keep digging, it isn't worth the trouble. All we care about is using their feud to our advantage.
"Fine, a couple of conditions," Franco spits out and folds his arms over his chest. "No indication that it was me. You do it where and when I tell you, and ideally, no casualties, although I'm not averse to it. As for Anna, I reserve the right to change my mind up until she's thirty."
"No fucking way." My clipped tone has his men inching a bit closer to us.
The hard glint in his eye and superior grin make me want to punch him in the face. There's no point even agreeing to this because I'll bet my life he'll change his mind. Anna's twenty-four, and six years is a hell of a long time for him to run into trouble where he's going to want to forge an alliance with a marriage.
The reality is, he will change his mind no matter what our agreement is, and now that I've heard his terms, my suspicions are confirmed. I've got a loose plan in mind. It was to be a last resort because it's not ideal, but I have to do what I have to do.
I'd naïvely hoped that maybe Franco would play ball, but now, hearing his condition, I know that's not the case. The man will come after Anna no matter what the terms. That reality and the futility of what we're trying to do hits me in the sternum like a roundhouse kick.
My plan will have to be put into place at some future date. This façade of an agreement is what I need to give me time to get everything into place.
"Well, take it or leave," Franco orders.