“I did, but you were too busy looking for ghosts,” Giaco laughs.
“Well, then I’m hanging up,” I say to him.
“Fine, fine,” he placates. “I was calling to tell you to be on the watch for your shipments. We’ve had another go missing.”
“Fucking hell. Do you have any idea who or why?” I back out of the driveway, turning toward the farm, but look back at Loretta’s house one last time, not liking at all the feeling in my gut about leaving her tonight.
“I have a pretty good idea who. Why doesn’t really matter,” Giaco tells me, “We’ve got people on it and things should be handled by Christmas.”
“I wasn’t aware that you were able to make friends outside of the family,” I throw a jab at him.
“Let’s just say some wrongs are going to be made right. Oh, and let Andre know that we’ll be coming for Christmas to see Grandfather and talk more about the shifts in power at the ports and what this will mean for the family.”
“Giaco, play it straight. Do we need to be preparing for a war to come knocking?” I question him, my mind racing with ways to protect the family and Loretta.
“No war for us. Not to say that war won’t come to the ports in Savannah. So, take this as a warning to find another way to get what you need,” Giaco states flatly.
“I hear you. Thanks for the heads up, and I’ll let you know how things are going,” I tell him before ending the call.
I take the long way back to the farm, giving myself time to think over everything going on. Andre and I are going to have to finalize the details of our travel plans to Nashville. It’s not a long drive—only about two and a half hours from home—but I just don’t know if the smartest thing to do is drive instead of flying. A text message comes through on my SUV radio screen from Bryce.
Bryce: Are we going to need more ice for tonight?
Me: Yes. I won’t make it tonight.
Bryce: Got you. I’ll make sure we have enough to make it.
Me: Thanks
Pulling into the farm, I park in my spot and just sit there for a minute. I’m bone tired and allow my eyes to slide closed. Thesound of someone banging on the window causes my eyes to snap open with my gun drawn and pointed at the figure standing there with hands up. I groan when I realize that it’s Andre standing there smirking at me.
“Fucking hell, man, I almost shot your ass,” I growl, pushing the door open and stepping out.
“I noticed,” he chuckles. “Want to talk about what has you so worked up and edgy?”
“Giaco called, letting me know that the supply out of Savannah won’t be possible and war is imminent. He said that he and Larsen will be in touch once they have more information. Meaning we must make this shit with the O’Malley’s fucking work.” I pace as I talk. “Add in the mix of the Loretta and Alan Davis shit and I can’t fucking wrap my head around fucking everything. I’m trying to make sure our shit is handled and nothing is falling through the cracks.”
Andre is nodding along until I said Loretta’s name. “Loretta Wagner?”
I stop my pacing with my back to him and my hands on my hips. “Do you know of another one that I might know personally?”
“Vito, what are you doing?” Andre questions. The tone in his voice is every ounce the Don and not my friend and cousin.
“Haven’t you been listening? I don’t fucking know what I’m doing,” I toss at him, refusing to turn and see the disappointment on his face.
“You said that she was nothing and not important. That she would do her time and then you would make sure she never looked our way. Now you're what, scratching an itch with her?” Andre’s voice rises with every word.
I spin on him, pinning him to the side of my SUV before he has time to comprehend what has just happened. Fear fills his eyes, and the need to cause pain that rides my soul revels in the fear for longer than I should allow. With more control than I’ve ever thought I was capable of, I take a deep breath and step back, springing away from him with my hands on my head.
“Shit, Andre. I don’t know what that was.” I turn, looking back at him.
Andre moves before I have time to react, swinging with a well-placed left hook to the ribs and right jab to the eye. I bend, gasping through the pain in my ribs and eye, placing my hands on my knees to avoid ending up on my ass.
Andre straightens his shirt before placing a hand on my back. “Don’t ever put your hands on me like that again, Vito. You might be family even if no one wants to admit it, but never fucking forget I am your boss.”
Nodding, I stand to my full height before I speak. “I’m sorry, Andre. This is what I mean. I’m fucking losing it, and I don’t know what to do about it.”
The sound of shuffling feet followed by a haggard laugh catches our attention as Grandfather Silas comes shuffling into the light. “What’s happening to you is something that happens to all Kardoni men when they find their center.”
