When The Sun Goes Down - A Midnight Mafia Novel

Chapter Fifty-Six

I sat with my knees pulled up to my chest in front of the television. This was the sort of thing I should be reporting. Hell, I was, yet again at the scene when it happened. But instead I had my thumbnail between my teeth watching the reports from Alessio's couch. I read the banner along the bottom of the screen again.

Illegal gambling conspiracy located underground. Suspects armed. 3 officers dead, 6 injured.

The amount of injuries and deaths from the men and women taking part in the illegal casino hadn't yet been listed. I had no clue if everyone let alone anyone of Alessio's men had been injured. I didn't know if Alessio had been shot, arrested, or gotten away completely. Nor did I know if my father or uncle were injured. Grandma had passed shortly after I returned and they were literally the only family I had left.

When I heard the door open I jumped to my feet and ran to the foyer. Alessio looked up at me exhaustedly. "Don't Katherine. Please, not tonight."

"My dad is a cop." I said quickly.

"I know." He took his suit jacket off. I glance at him. When he'd left the room he hadn't fix his tie or so much as redid his belt. Now he looked picture perfect. How long had it been since he'd left the casino?

"Well?" I said throwing my arms open.

"Did you get out alright? Hurt? Did Siv-"

"Alessio." I snapped.

He met me in the middle of the room and cupped my face. "About eighteen of my guys were hit, nine of theirs." He said resting his forehead against mine.

I pulled away. "My father?"

He didn't answer.

"Alessio!" I yelled. "Did you shoot my father?"

"I didn't." He said sharply.

I could slap him. "But someone did?"

His eyes didn't leave mine. "I don't know Katherine."

I was as angry as could be. Alessio didn't even give a shit. He'd tried to touch the mark on my neck he'd left and I slapped his hand away. I'd yelled. "You don't know?! He's my father!"

"And he's my enemy. You knew that coming into this. I told you I would shoot anyone who got in my way."

I'd shoved him as hard as I could. "Bastard!" I'd screamed and ran from the room.

That was almost an hour ago. I tried reasoning with myself. He was just trying to give me time to cool down. He was just letting me work my frustration out. He didn't think I'd left the grounds. But I had.

I'd driven like hell away from his mansion. Still flaunting beads and sequins as I left. I'd tried both my dad and my uncle, many, many, many times.

I'd called the hospital and they had refused to disclose any information. I'd sped my little ass down here and stormed in.

"I'm his daughter if he's here I have a right to know!" I'd yelled at the woman at the nurses station.

"I'm sorry but at this time we have no information to release."

"His fúcking daughter." I'd said and smacked the table. I didn't look like a daughter, I looked like a five dollar whore. Why had I let Alessio talk me into this stupid dress in the first place and had it gotten shorter since I put it on?

I ducked out and lingered until the changing of the guards and then came in as a reporter. When she refused to make a statement to the media I tried the daughter card again to no avail.

As I stood outside the hospital now I urged myself to just wait five more minutes. Surely Alessio was getting ready to call me. I had been gone almost an hour. I should just give him five more minutes. Of course, I had been saying 5 more minutes for the last 25 minutes.

The truth was obvious. Alessio didn't care.

He'd told me he loved me, fúcked me, and then shot my dad and didn't even have the decency to give me a call after to thank me for a good time.

I rested my head against the pay phone and slipped a quarter into the machine.

Maybe he didn't shoot him. Maybe I wasn't giving him enough credit. Maybe he had a good reason for not giving enough shits about me to a simple call to see if I was okay and where I was.

I hesitated with my second quarter.

Mother fúcker. He already knew where I was. I looked at my cellphone, the reason I was using the payphone rather than the cell was because I didn't know if it was bugged or something. I shouldn't have to worry about something like that. I threw my phone as hard as I could to the ground and shoved the quarter into the machine.

A few rings later and his voice filled the line. "Yeah?"

"You've never heard of hello?"

The line was silent for a few moments. "Kate?" I didn't respond. After another few seconds he sighed. "Hello."

I turned my body in towards the phone to shield the world from our conversation. "Nash. I'm in."

"In? In where? In trouble? Where are you?"

The anger that had been fueling me mixed together violently with frustration and fear. "I'm at the fúcking hospital. They won't tell me shit." I said and my voice betrayed me and cracked.

"Calm down." His voice was gentle now. "Your dad?"

"I don't know! That's the whole problem!" I yelled through tears.

"Calm down Kate."

"No!" I yelled again and then looked around. "No." I repeated in" a softer tone. "You want information from me and I need information from you."

"Slow down Kate. What are you even talking about? I don't-"

"You tell me if my dad's and uncle have been shot, if he's alive, I need to know now. And I'll help you."

"What?"

"I'll help you take down the Genovese...I'll help you take down Alessio."

To be continued...