Chapter 8

"He's not dead, just in hiding because the Russo's eldest son has a hit on him," She cried out.

"What's his name?"

"He was born with the name of Francisco, but we searched for him and he doesn't exist!" She cried. "Please, I won't tell. I will join you as long as you don't hurt my Nonnina." She cried.

"Your word means nothing to me, Sofia. I need something," I said sitting on the table beside her.

"They have me tailing you," She said looking up at me.

"Who?" I say staring into her tear-filled eyes.

"Giovanni," She said as she closed her eyes.

"Why?" I said crossing my legs.

"He doesn't trust easily and I saw you meet with the man I'm supposed to kill, but the other guy I've seen before. I saw you two come out of the utility closet, he was fixing his pants and you looked worked over." She said with a grin, so I slapped her.

"Who knows about this?" I asked with her face in my hands.

"No one. I didn't get a chance to report, I was on my way when I got the call from Franco." She said and I could tell she was genuine. I stood up and walked out of the room.

"Franco is alive?" Griffin said with his hand over his mouth.

"Can we trust her?" I asked Griffin.

"We can't trust anyone, but she's got the information we can use." He said staring at her through the glass.

"Do we still have those chips?" I said staring at him.

"You want to stick a bomb in her brain?" He asked like I was completely out of my mind.

"We could use a dummy chip, stick it in her nose and show her the video of what happens if we press the button," I said looking at Jen, who was busy on her laptop.

"Who would keep an eye on her?" He asked. I turned his way and pointed to him before I walked over to Jen and asked her about the chip.

He watched Sofia as she cried because the death she'd get for betrayal was far worse than anything I'd do.

"I will release her to you tonight after I plant this chip in her," I said as I opened the door.

"What the fuck is that?" She asked in pure fear.

"Hold still because it can kill you, instantly," I said as I held her head back and held the gun in her nose. I pulled the trigger and she screamed something fierce.

"Oh my god! What the fuck, you crazy bitch!" She yelled as I watched her nose bleed and her eyes turn bloodshot.

"Play the video," The video played as it demonstrated what would happen if she crossed us.

"Now, you're going to go and report to them that everything is totally fine. You didn't see anything that would raise an alarm. Do you understand me?" I said stooping down next to her to unlock her wrist. She grabbed the cloth and placed it to her nose.

"They're still going to kill your friend," She said looking at me.

"He dies, you die," I said with my eyes harsh and cold, not moving from hers.

"They already want him dead," She said behind the bloody towel.

"You and him share the same lifeline. Figure it out," I said unlocking her legs. I signaled Griffin in and she froze in terror.

"I'm not going to hurt you, sweetheart, but you have a call to make." He said, placing the phone to her ear to call Giovanni.

She sat the towel on the table, cleared her throat and rubbed her wrist.

"Hey, Gio," She said as cool as a cucumber.

"Where are you? I thought you were coming here?" He said with his husky voice.

"Franco called me about someone snooping around the warehouse," She said looking at Griffin.

"What about the girl?" Her eyes fell to mine and I looked at the remote.

"She's clean. The bitch is boring. Nothing like your usual conquests," She said as she continued to rub her wrists.

"What about the guy you thought you saw her with?"

"Dead end. They have no ties. She's chiaro," She said as she closed her eyes.

"Addio, Sofia," He hung up before she could speak.

"Chiaro?" Griffin asked.

"Clear." She said as she stood up.

"You two have a good night," I said as I headed out.

"Wait!" She said in a panic. I turned her way and rolled my eyes. "What?"

"If you win over Emmanuel, you win over Giovanni," She said with her eyes on the ground.

"Thanks. I will keep that in mind," I said before I waved them goodbye.

I walked up to Jen, who was still working on the phone. "Send me the results. No one else," I said before leaving to go home.

Griffin and I were working together without Antonio, but only because he had a mission of his own. He needed to focus on Isabella Luciano and get close to her. We really were going to have our work cut out for us. I was going to need to get close to Emmanuel without giving him and Giovanni the wrong impression.