Dark Saint [Romano Brotherhood, #1]

44 | Nina

He waits until everyone nods, tilting his head at me. "Your plan. Tell me more."

"Um," I say eloquently, realizing he wants me to take the lead on this. "I don't really have anything else figured out. You said we have at least a week until Santo..." I choke, unable to say the words. "I know it's risky, but my plan is the only one that makes sense so far."

"Your plan, which consists of you going in alone, figuring out how to get to Santo, free him, and get him out. Alone."

I wince, nodding. When you say it like that... 

Mostly everyone is shaking their heads. "No," Samuel says, "it's too risky."

"Seriously Nina," Tommaso sighs, "if you go in there and Santo sees that we let you go along with this stupid plan, he's going to make it back home simply to murder us all."

"He's at my father's house. I know that house. None of you would know how to get around, you'd be lost and at a disadvantage. And I know Luciano. I promise," I lie, "this can work."

"What about Serpentine?" Tommaso interjects. "Why are they not here? One of their own is—"

"Serpentine is not an option," Massimo tells him. "They're not going to survive this. Antonio took control of them eight months ago. Santo has been working for our father for just as long, without knowing it. I couldn't tell him. He would've snapped and Antonio would've figured out that I know he's alive."

"I'm sorry, what?" Tommaso's hand falls to the table with a loud smack.

"Your plan is a faulty one," Massimo says to me. "But it's the only one we have at the moment."

I straighten, glad it seems like he's on my side. He's the only one who could stop me from going. But it hard—no, impossible—to ignore the bomb that he just dropped.

"You knew our father was alive this whole time."

"Our family had finally settled and obtained some sense of normalcy when I found out. We were gaining power and influence. I didn't think—"

"What the fuck?"

"Will you shut the fuck up and just let him talk?" Nico explodes in Tommaso's direction, and my eyes bug out of my head. Tommaso blinks, stunned, and he doesn't say another word.

"Years ago," Massimo continues, "I had briefly considered the possibility that when Antonio faked his death, he used Luciano to guarantee his cover was airtight. Having someone on the inside would ensure he could successfully start over. I also suspect he used some of Luciano's connections to continue some of his endeavors. Specifically, those pertaining to his trafficking rings."

When he stops talking, we look to Samuel, all subconsciously thinking the same thing—that he's best equipped to draw answers out of the Capo. 

"Why would he do that? Take such measures to disappear and have a different life, I assume, only to restart the same business?" Samuel's eyes slide to Tommaso, to the anger ticking his jaw like a time bomb. I can see him silently begging Tommaso to put aside familial issues for now, to keep it together until a plan is formed. 

"It wasn't for business," Massimo says. "It's merely his nature. He was likely only indulging, not running operations. He knew that Luciano would not blow his cover."

"It's a big favor. Why would Luciano do that for Antonio? What would he get out of it?"

"I can only guess the assurance that one day, Antonio would return and destroy us. Even if Antonio himself didn't realize that was what he would desire, I suspect Luciano knew that. It was an investment he was willing to make. All these years he's just been waiting for our father to come back—laughing at us, I'm sure, as he occupied us with a foolish rivalry in the meantime."