Francesco didn't say a word. He didn't need to. He didn't wish to. He just turned around and walked to the door.
Costanzo breathed as he was holding his head "Francesco. Where are you going?
Maria whispered " Francesco, I am sorry."
Francesco opened the door with force. In fact he used so much force that the door came of its hinges startling his mother and Costanzo. He turned to his mother as he dropped the door to the floor. He just stared at her. Betrayal was the feeling that was burning in his eyes. "Save it. Don't say it when you don't mean it." He then walked out.
Costanzo turned to his mother and gave her sad smile "I am sorry too mother ... Nothing will ever be the same now..." Costanzo then followed Francesco outside leaving his mother behind who covered her face.
Costanzo ran after Francesco in the corridor "Francesco Wait. Let's go back inside... Let's hear more... I want answers. I am sure you do too."
Francesco carried on walking " I don't wish to hear any more."
Costanzo asked "What are you going to do?"
Francesco didn't answer.
Costanzo reached Francesco and walked alongside him "She is not herself. She is doesn't know what she is saying. She has the mindset drilled into her since childhood that a wife has to serve her husband to death no matter what happens. She is hurting too."
Francesco didn't answer.
Costanzo boldly blocked Francesco's path and made him stop walking. He never had done that before. He had never dared block his brother. He didn't remember anyone block Francesco. Maybe O'Neil might have done it before but he hadn't.
Francesco looked at his brother with hardened eyes "Did you just block my path?"
Costanzo put his hand up in surrender " Let me Talk ... Please Francesco. This is not an every day occurrence."
Francesco took a look into his brother's eyes and said roughly "Talk."
Costanzo started talking quickly "Let's go back and talk to her... Don't do this... She doesn't mean it. She doesn't .... She doesn't love him..."
Francesco stared him down. "Don't... Don't say she doesn't mean it. She meant every word. What you do about this, is no concern of mine. This conversation is over."
That sure sounded like an order. That immediately made Costanzo take a step back "Please. We are brothers... Let's resolve this."
Francesco said in a low tone after a few seconds of silence "You want answers. Do you? Answers to what? Wake up brother. You choose to believe we are a family that can be mended. I don't. Our mother loves the man who abused her. Our mother loves a man who abused us. What does that make her?"
Costanzo retorted "A victim. She doesn't know what all this means to us."
Francesco said in a harsher tone "I never said she does understand. I never said she can help herself. But the fact is ... she is choosing an abusive husband over her sons. I don't denounce her. But I am walking away." He then side stepped Costanzo and carried on walking.
Costanzo followed Francesco "Where are you going? What are you going to do?"
Francesco turned around and spoke words with meaning behind each one "I am going to go ... to figure this out. I will need to also figure out a way to explain this to my children. I need to explain to them at some point that their grandmother loves a man who hurt her and her children but I need to make it clear I don't take her side but ... I still love my mother. How will you explain this to your son? How will you explain it in a way that he doesn't think he can be a wife beater and live happy with his future wife. I can't have this in my life. I can't. I can't have our mother keep glorifying a man who hurt us every single day. Keep an eye on your son. I will keep my eye on mine." He then turned to carry on walking.
Costanzo said "He won't. My child won't take that message away. Neither will yours."
Francesco said as he walked "They will. They can... Unless we explain it right and hope they don't."
Costanzo said "Stefano won't ever follow such path."
Francesco said "You are so sure. I am not. We love our mother... But she loves a monster. How do you explain that?"
Francesco then opened the door and left the corridor. Costanzo knew he could no longer follow Now that the privacy they had in the corridor didn't apply beyond that point.
Francesco left the building and walked straight to Riordan Rossi who was outside reading a newspaper "Where is he?"
Riordan looked up "You are finished talking with your mother? I don't know where O'Neil hid him. He is not at my villa. O'Neil has hidden him."
Francesco didn't have time for this. He walked to O'Neil "Where is he? I asked you to do one thing for me..."
O'Neil was sitting on the boot of his car "Who?"
Francesco said "The President of the United States. Who do you think I mean? Show me where he is? It's time he answers to me. This game of hide and seek is unwelcome."
O'Neil said "Was it that bad huh? I will show you where he is but ... have a drink with me first."
Francesco said "You stop interfering in my business. I am losing time."
O'Neil said "You are right. You are losing time. But I don't want you to lose your mind." He set himself down on the ground "He is still in one of my cars. Riordan wouldn't dare search the cars. You know. He doesn't want blow in his face." He then winked.
Francesco said "Your amusing remarks are going to cost you if I don't see him now. Stop wasting my time."
O'Neil said "Alright. At least tell me what was the outcome when you talked to your mother. I never thought it would be positive. This is as politely as I can put it." He then pointed to one of the cards "He is in the silver car over there."
Francesco said "He said she still loves my father after knowing everything about the past. My uncle Pietro told him what I said to him." He patted him on the shoulder "How messed up is that?"
O'Neil froze "Francesco ... I am sorry."
Francesco said "So am I."
O'Neil said "I have some bad news." That stopped Francesco in his tracks. He said "Go on."
O'Neil said "I know you are losing time. That's the idea so I kill some time. There is so much more to come. We deal with it as a team. It's nothing you would like to hear. So here it goes..."
Francesco said "What?"
O'Neil said " You asked me to keep an eye on certain members of your family. I did. Now... I can't do that any longer.... Your cousin Antonio and your cousin Anna are taken by Jackson."
Francesco grabbed the collar of O'Neil's shirt and pulled him down to the ground "Anna? You lost Anna ... to Jackson."
O'Neil untangled himself from Francesco and straightened his collar of his shirt as he said " There are many reasons ... I needed to find out where they were being taken. Your cousins could hurt on the way if we ambushed the cars. The gang could strike again if just killed. There is no rescue happening yet .... They have taken them to a building. I know where it is. But we can't strike yet. We can't attack the building until it's night time. It's too risky. He has gone to the most public place in New York. We can't just bring in machine guns in broad day light and get caught. He has raised the stakes. We wait."
Francesco said "How could you lose Anna? Antonio is welcome to Jackson if he is breaking under his torture. But Anna? How could you?"
O'Neil said "I didn't lose her exactly. She lost herself. She decided to leave her safe place and lose her body guards. But she was tracked down. I am human Francesco. I didn't know I had to tie up your cousin in her room at night when there are no guards in her bedroom. Besides, her husband didn't want her privacy invaded. I will remember that for next time to just tie her up if she is under my men's watch."
Francesco said "We attack now."
O'Neil shook his head "Arturo is on his way. We wait for him. He won't take long. He was in Central America doing the lord knows what. Jackson thought he is in Italy. Even Arturo doesn't tell his wife where he is at times. The savage is going to get here and he wants Jackson alive. So if we do it your way we won't catch him alive. You want him dead now that he has Anna. You always said if anyone hurts Anna they die. You don't discriminate the last time I checked."
Francesco shook his head at O'Neil who just went on and on. He turned around to Riordan and called him over. He said to Riordan who came over to him "I need you to do something for me... Call Ambrogio and ask if Anna's children are with him safe. The Agostinis must not take more hits."
Riordan nodded "I will."
O'Neil commented "You don't like talking to him because he wanted to steal your girl. He lives and you can't stand it. Some wounds cut too deep."
Francesco turned to him "If you don't stop I will cut your throat and it will be pretty deep."
O'Neil rubbed his throat "Relax. I have a spy in that building with Anna. She is safe for now. Antonio risked his life for her."
Francesco asked "Him? Risking his life for one of his own? It's hard to believe. So the traitor cares. How did that work out for him?"
O'Neil gave Francesco a detailed description.
Francesco didn't say anything.
O'Neil said "He won't break under torture. I am sure of it. He would prefer to die than to betray you. Come on. You should have killed him. He would have found it more honourable than banishment."
Francesco said "Why didn't Anna Leave? Why didn't she leave when she had the chance?"
O'Neil said "Jackson has her father. You know what a manipulative underhand he can be. He must have put the fear of god in her. Anna can handle Jackson but not when he holds other people's lives over her head. She didn't want Antonio to die. She stayed. She doesn't know how much Antonio is worth. He knows everything about you Francesco. He is the golden possession. The guy who shot Antonio is dead you know. Jackson went ballistic on the guy who did it. He threw him off the top of the building for damaging his possession."