Chapter 23

Giovanni

I was seconds from tracking this woman down for disobeying me. First, she leaves me in my bed without so much as a goodbye, then she hangs up on me. This woman is constantly testing my fucking patience and yet, I can't seem to stay away from her. I pull my phone out to get her phone tracked by my FBI contact when my door flies open and Sophia is standing in tears.

"What the fuck is going on?"

"Giovanni, you know I'd die for the family and I never meant to betray you, but I had no other choice," Sophia says through her sobbing.

I immediately grab my gun and stand because I don't accept betrayal from anyone, especially not family. I walk over to her and point the gun at her head and she eases down on her knees. Just as I cock my gun, Emmanuel burst in and yells out,

"Gio, you need to listen."

"What the fuck for?" I keep my gun and my eyes on Sophia, who's shaking uncontrollably and holding something in her hands for dear life.

"It's about Marisol," Emmanuel says her name and without hesitation, my gun is now pointed at him.

"Talk now, Sophia!" I say through gritted teeth.

"Not here, Gio. We need to go somewhere alone, but first, you need to kill Lorenzo." She says looking up with her tear-stained face.

"We have him and we're going to skin the rat bastard," Emmanuel says as I now become the only one in the room who knows nothing.

I lower my gun in shock because my gut is churning and I only have one thing on my mind, my Gatita. With the thought of her, I glance at the phone on the desk before my focus is turned back on Sophia.

"Start from the top, Sophia," Emmanuel says as I stand, waiting to hear what's so damn important.

I grab the glass of scotch off of my desk and sip, before sitting partially on the desk. I listen with intent as Sophia tells me of the time I had her track Marisol and bring back the info I needed to know if she should live or die. She explains why she betrayed us and the threat Marisol made to her and the implanted explosive. As she continues to speak, I felt the ice that was beginning to fill my veins.

"She was doing her job, Gio, and the worst part is the man she trusted is the same one that is about to kill her." She stops and places a hand to her belly and then the tears stream harder. "The man who I fell in love with has also died at the hands of this man and I fear Marisol will suffer just as much."

I felt the betrayal deep inside me and all I wanted to do was kill and then kill some more. Blood is the only thing I hunger for and the blood I want isn't the one I thought I'd crave.

"Sophia, where is she?"

"She's going to die!"

"Only way she will die, will be by my hand."

"Gio, she was just doing her job."

"Where is she?"

"This is everything I have."

"Play the tape, E."

Emmanuel walks over and I hear voices starting with two I don't recognize, a man and a woman. The woman is explaining to the unknown man that she will be able to hear everything and track his location as long as he is active. As the unknown man speaks, I watch Sophia, as she continues to rub her stomach and cry tears of sadness. Tears I've never known her to shed and I know the man on the recording is the man she loves and is now dead at the hands of our enemies. I take my eyes off of her as her voice is now playing on the recording.

"Please don't do this."

"I'll give you two a moment."

"Griffin, please."

"Sophia, I've never regretted anything in this life until I met you." Griffin releases a heavy sigh. "But, I can't let her die knowing what I know."

"I'll go to Gio and he will take care of it," She pauses and my eyes fall on hers. "I will tell him everything and the family will handle the Russos and then me and you ca-"
"We can what, Soph? We can put all the bad blood behind us and be normal?"

"We can try, please."

"Soph, I owe it to Scarlett."

"The same woman who put a fucking explosive in my head? What do you owe her?"

"The truth about Antonio. I can't leave her to die."

"Would she do the same for you?"

"She has more times than I can count and she doesn't deserve to die at the hands of her mother's killer."

"But what about you, what about us?"

"Soph, I love you and nothing will change that...not even death."

"I fear we both will die."

"No, just me, Soph. Be sure to tell the truth about everything. Including the fact that you're pregnant."

"How did you-"

"I saw the test in the garbage can and the late-night cravings for Tiramisu." They share a sweet chuckle and then I hear the sound of kissing before Emmanuel clears his throat as her face becomes red and the tape is fast-forwarded.

Emmanuel presses play and the voice of my enemy fills the room. I grip my gun as if he were standing here in front of me and I yearn to pull the trigger.

"Hey, Griff. What's up?"

"Hey, is Scar here?"

"Yeah, she is. Come in."

"Where is she?"

"Oh, she's upstairs. We were busy. She's kind of embarrassed and doesn't want you to see her like this." Without any hesitation, I cock my gun and stand. Emmanuel and Sophia are both looking at me in a state of shock because they've never seen me out of my character and quite frankly, this shit is uncomfortable.

"Turn this shit off!" I growl.

"You need to hear the entire tape, Gio."

"We know everything there is to know, we're wasting fucking time." Emmanuel just sucks his teeth and presses play as I begin to pace the floor.

"Scarlett and you?"

"Yeah, is that so hard to believe?" Antonio began to sound agitated.

"I just need to talk to her."

"What about? Is it something with the Lucianos?"

"This is her mission, I need to brief her on what I found."

Silence fell over the room briefly before laughter fills it. Soon, Antonio's laughter is followed by the cocking of a gun.

"I knew from the beginning of this mission something wasn't right."

"Well, you should've gotten out when I gave you the chance."

"What do you mean?"

"I gave you to the Lucianos in hopes you'd just run along with your tail between your legs, but you always want to be the hero."

"You killed Santiago."

"You're smarter than I thought, but you should have stayed away because now I'm going to kill you."

"Just tell me one thing, when did you start working for the Russos?" Antonio's laughter soon followed Griffin's question.

"I don't work for the Russos. I am the Russos."

"This was all a set up for you to kill your family's rival."

"Mafia war doesn't have rules, except kill them at all costs."

"Why kill Santiago?"

"You said one question, but it's not like you're leaving here alive. He found out who I was and I knew he'd be all too eager to give me up to his FBI contact."

"So, Scarlett is dead?"

"Not yet, but soon."

"You said Santiago has an FBI contact, who is it?"

"I don't know, he kept that a secret. Now, if you're done and have come to peace with your death, I have someone to fuck."

"Who's your insider?"

"My younger brother, Lorenzo."

"I've made my peace with this life and I've taken enough lives to accept my death, but I just want to let you know, Lorenzo will die, Antonio, and so will you. I love you, baby."

Griffin spoke his last words and three shots rang out and Sophia flinched with each shot. I knew it wasn't the first time she'd heard the death of her lover, but I can tell each time isn't easier than the first. I began to search my phone for my contact, to let her know that we have a fucking problem.

"So we have Lorenzo?"

"We do and he's in the warehouse waiting for you."

"Good, I need something to kill right fucking now!" I begin to loosen my tie and roll my sleeves up as I think of the damage I'm about to do to my enemy. I need to feel a brief moment of satisfaction.

"What about Scarlett?" Sophia says softly and all I can do is stare at her. "She did betray you as I did, but she deserves to tell you her side."

"Be lucky that you are still alive, Sophia, for what you've done, you should not be breathing right now. You have given us information and this is all that has saved you, but if you ever betray this family again, with child or not, I will not hesitate." I say as I leave the room with my gun cocked and loaded.

"What about Scarlett?"

"Let me worry about my property."

"Do you think they know about you?"

"No, and let's keep it that way. I know you have a soft spot for her, but keep your mouth shut or the Russos won't be the only ones I kill tonight."