After Mia got the basic information she would need about Mason's case and set up some meetings with Mark we finally left his office. And since Mia drove here and obviously I can't take a car just yet I told her I would ask for a taxi to get to my meeting with Nathan.
"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you? I know it's a private meeting but I can wait downstairs." Mia tries once again.
"I'm sure. I will grab a taxi, you should get home and rest. Today was hectic enough." I rest myself against the door.
"What if something happens? If he doesn't want to cooperate or decides to go after you."
She is worried which makes sense since I haven't told her much about what I'm doing but I don't think it will be a good idea to share that I'm going to blackmail an FBI agent.
"I have something on him. If he wants to go after me I will go after him." I explain giving as much information as possible.
If something happens, if Nathan decides to go after me I don't want anything to link back to Mia. She doesn't deserve to be put in this mess. I appreciate her being here for me and I won't keep her in the dark about what I'm doing but I also won't share every detail, won't and can't. I promised myself I would protect her and this is the way.
"Be careful, I don't want anything happening to you." She looks directly at me her face serious.
"Worried about me?" I joke trying to ease up some tension.
"You know I am. I can't lose you, Carlos. I need you." She says and even though it's not the first time she tells me something like this I can't help but smile like an idiot.
The way she makes me feel is just... for the love of God I'm thirty-six not sixteen what is she doing to me?
"I will be okay. You won't lose me." I balance myself against the car and bend down to kiss her. "You won't get rid of me that easily, amor." (Love.)
Nothing will keep me away from her and not only because she asked me to but because I physically can't live without her. She is way too deep inside me, my brain, my heart, my soul. She has become a part of me. Without her by my side I wouldn't be able to keep going, a part of me will be missing.
And I wish I had the courage to tell her this.
"I will wait for you so we can have dinner together." She smiles softly and I stare at her mouth.
Her smile has become one of my favorite things, I figured it out the moment she smiled at me for the first time, or rather the moment when it was me who caused it.
I didn't know someone's smile could have as much power as hers has over me.
"I'm not sure how long I will take," I admit still against the car so I don't lose balance.
"It's okay, I will wait anyways." She looks behind me as if to make sure there's no one there and then whispers. "I will be waiting for you wearing that white set you love so much, maybe this time I can do a little show and then you can remove it from me." Her eyes meet mine.
Fuck... maybe I should cancel my meeting.
"Oh, then definitely wait please," I smirk looking down at her body to remember what will be waiting for me.
And believe it takes all my strength to back away from the idea of setting up Nathan. The only thing I can think about is how many positions I could take her in on every possible surface of the house.
I need a cold shower.
"Don't be late and I will be all yours." She is the one smirking this time. "I will let you do everything you want to me, everything, Carlos."
Make it two cold showers.
"Okay, I'm gonna go before I fuck you right here," I say getting to the side and closing the car door.
Mia laughs from inside the car and even though I can't actually hear her magic laugh in my head I hear it. I know it by heart now, everything about it. From the soft giggle to the way her eyes shine and her one dimple shows through.
Everything she does is engraved inside my brain.
I wave waiting for her to take the initiative of leaving and grip my crutches tighter to move back from the car. It's when I'm far away enough that she starts the car gives me a little wave and drives away.
___
"Thank you." I give the money to the taxi driver and get out of the car.
Nathan said he will meet me at his house. You will think he would prefer a public place or maybe his office, that maybe he would fear someone like me but it's clear he doesn't. He just doesn't want to be seen with someone like me.
Moving to the building that I know is around the corner I press down the apartment number he told me and the door opens instantly. The lobby is pretty small with a sitting area on the corner and the elevator on the left. Decorated in brown and white. There's a big mirror covering almost all the right wall of the right and a door that once upon a time probably help the space for a doorman. It's not bad but not good either and I don't believe that a man as ambitious as Nathan will live here meaning that this has to simply be one of his places.
Going towards the elevator I press his floor and wait. Then I follow the long narrow hallway to the last door and before I even get to knock it opens and Nathan appears. He is dressed to perfection, in a black suit with a red tie, and his black hair styled back. He stands tall and looks at me with the coldest of stares. A clear air of superiority emanates from him.
He genuinely believes we are opposites, two sides of a coin. That he is the good guy who hunts down evil criminals, criminals like me. But we aren't. We are way more similar than he would ever think. Investigating him has led me to that conclusion.
"Carlos Russo." I extend my hand since he probably won't do it.
"I know who you are." He doesn't take my hand so I put it down.
Still on his high horse, let's see how long it takes for him to fall off it when he hears what I have to tell him.
"Can I come in? I could tell you what I want right here it won't affect me much but I assure you it would affect you." I smile in fake politeness and watch how his eyebrows frown just so slightly.
He isn't nervous but he isn't calm either. His expression is both a mix of curiosity and hesitation.
I have learned to read people almost to perfection, I started with my father and then continued doing it with Matteo. Since he wasn't really a people person that was my task. He managed the numbers I managed the relations.
"Come in." He finally says moving out of the way and walking towards some door.
I follow and when he opens the door I notice we are going into his office. He moves directly towards his desk and sits down. I do the same in the chairs directly in front of him. And not wanting to lose more time I open my suit jacket slowly, show him where I'm reaching, and take out the folded manila folder inside my pocket.
"Thought you may want to see this beforehand. I'm sure it will make this meeting a lot easier." I hand it to him and he snatches it away.
"Straight to the point. Got somewhere to go?" He smiles as he rests the folder on his desk without giving it a second glance.
I almost jump, alerted by his words but then I remember he can't know. I came here alone, and there is no reason for him to know about her. It's just a coincidence.
"No, but I'm not a fan of the police. I would prefer to get this over with quickly." I say putting another one of my fake but convincing smiles on my face.
"Got something to hide?" He asks. "Oh and how's your brother doing by the way? I'm told that prison isn't fun and that his social abilities aren't the best. Bet he is having an amazing time." He smiles too.
Matteo has indeed had some issues inside. He isn't the best at controlling his attitude but his name gives him certain protection. Most people respect him, know what he is capable of and the power he holds.
"He is doing fine," I reply as controlled as I can.
"That could change in an instant." His smile just grows bigger.
What a fucking prick.
"I'm sure it can but you may want to see what's inside that folder before saying more shit." If he doesn't wipe that smile off his face I might have to do it myself.
"I already know what's inside that folder Carlos, you think I don't have access to the internet? That girl posted that picture everywhere." He throws the folder back at me. "And I know you are good at finding stuff or at least your people are. So tell me, what is it that you want from me to keep this under wraps?"
"Looks like you do have somewhere to go." I'm the one to say this time.
"My wife doesn't like me being late." He admits.
"Well then I will get straight to the point, we wouldn't want to make her wait." I rest myself against the chair. "The day my brother was arrested, Nico Romano was shot. There are no reports of what happened to him after that and I want to know where he is."
"You think he knows where you dear daddy is I hiding?" Nathan rests against his chair, no hesitation now. He knows exactly what he is doing and he knows way more than I thought. "Not so fun anymore right? When you aren't the only one who is good at finding secrets."
"What do you know about my father?" I ask trying my best not to snap.
"Enough." He simply says. "Nico, as you suspected is alive and somewhere in a prison in the state of New York. He is serving time for the kidnapping of your sister-in-law and the murder of that young boy." He explains calmly.
If he is serving time why wasn't it a report? A case? Just something. This might run deeper than what I expected.
"Why aren't there any reports about this?" I ask intrigued since he seems to be cooperating.
"Someone made sure there wasn't. I don't know the reason and I don't know how, that's why I started investigating, because doing something like that, it requires a certain power. At first, I wasn't sure, I thought maybe Romano had done it himself because he talked you know? His statement sent a lot of people to prison so I figured he was just protecting his ass and that maybe he has bought someone off. But then when you called I figured it couldn't be a coincidence and then I remembered your brother's statement. When I asked him about what happened that day, when he was still in the hospital after being shot he mentioned something about another man being involved. Someone who deserved to pay for everything he had done. Your brother had a lot of enemies but the way he said it, it sounded personal and I knew it couldn't be you so it all lead to your father."
"You are saying you are looking for my father?"
"I am, if Romano was under your father's orders which is probably the case it means that he is guilty of his crimes. Murders of policemen, the kidnapping, the young boy. That's without talking about all the crimes he committed back in the day, taking someone like him out? It will skyrocket my career to success." He admits moving towards me on his seat.
"Of course." I chuckle.Should have seen this coming. All he cares about is his career.
"We are looking for the same person Russo, don't you think maybe we should work together? You help me I help you." He tilts his head in a questioning manner.
Author's note
As always if you are here ty for reading and don't forget to vote and comment your thoughts!
Sorry it took longer than usual to update. I wasn't motivated, the last few chapters haven't had much engagement as usual and sometimes I depend too much on that even if I shouldn't.
What do we think about Nathan?
Oh and Carlos and Mia just > literally a married couple.
Ly all,
Maria