Page 11 of Redeeming Bosley

“Don’t be so possessive, Daddy,” he said, coming back and leaning into my side.

I pulled him in close. “Can’t help it, sweet boy. You’re mine, and I don’t like anyone else touching you.”

Frederic’s smirk was back. Not as smirky as before, but he was amused. “Don’t go dating an assassin if you don’t want someone possessive, Cory. That’s all I’m saying.”

Now that, I could agree with. “We’re here gathering all Mac’s files on leads for your son. What can you tell me?” I asked, cutting to the chase. This wasn’t a party. It wasn’t going to do me any favors with Nico meeting with a member of the Pasini family by myself, either.

Frederic ambled over to one of those ridiculous little couches that didn’t look like it was actually supposed to hold a person and sat down. I waited for it to collapse, but amazingly, it held up. “I don’t have shit. Four years I’ve been looking, and all I’m sure of is that someone in the Pasini Family took my son.”

“Aren’t you a Pasini?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

Cory snorted at me. Was I posturing? Yes, I was. But this was how this game was played. Good thing I didn’t intend to take Cory anywhere with me when I dealt with Family business. He’d get us both killed with what others would perceive as a lack of respect. Me personally? It was making my dick hard that he was in a room with two dangerous men and acted like he’d put us both in time-out if we pissed him off any further.

Frederic scowled. “I am, but things have changed. It ain’t like it was when I was young.”

“Are you saying that because it’s true or because you’re pissed that you’re still nothing but a soldier?”

Honestly, unless this guy was a total fuck up, I was kind of surprised about that. He had the look that most Dons wanted, sitting at a table in the room, not guarding the door. So far, he’d also proved that he wasn’t stunada.

His lips tipped up in a half-grin. “There was a day I wanted more. Be Capo and run my own crew. I did everything right to make that happen, too. Married the girl that my Capo at the time picked out for me, then set the girl I loved up in her own little house. Did everything I was supposed to do, you know?”

I nodded.

“Then I catch my Capo banging my wife, you know? She got all wacky, saying it was because I gave my who”—his gaze went to Cory—“side-piece a baby, but never her.” He shrugged. “What did I care? If he’d have asked, I’d have told him to take her.”

“Lovely,” Cory said dryly.

Frederic smiled sadly at Cory. “It’s different in our world. And believe you me, my ex…she knew exactly what she was doing.”

“What’s that got to do with where you are in the Family?”

“My Capo hated me after that. I guess my old lady quit giving it up to him.” He flipped his hand, waving that off. “Anyway, he became a favorite of Don Pacini and got to pick his own crew. He got rid of me, and by then, I was too old to care. I’m fine doing what I’m told, when I’m told. Then Emilio went missing.” His mouth tightened. “I started noticing things.”

“Like?”

“You’d think we’re two different Families. Yeah, we all listen to the Don and follow his orders, but it’s like the Capos are all getting different directives. I don’t know. It’s like something’s going on. I can tell my Capo notices, and he’s pissed about it, too. Some of them, they’re living high on the hog, too high, but his life is the same ol’, same ol’. We’re making the same money, doing the same things.”

This was getting interesting. “Did you ask him about it? See what he knows?”

“Na. I can’t. I got too pushy when Emilio first went missing. My lady, Cory’s sister, was a wreck. I love my son, Romeo. Iwanted him back, wanted him safe, but not like his mama did. Me never finding him is what put her in the grave.” He hung his head.

This time, when Cory approached him and the big guy hauled himself to his feet to hug him, I turned back to the filing cabinet to give them a moment of privacy. I didn’t know Frederic, but my instincts told me that Cory had this one right. This was a father who wanted to find his son, no matter what. He was playing a dangerous game by sniffing around, trying to find him.

Pulling out the folder that I’d noticed right before Frederic entered the room, I opened it up and shook my head. “Sonofabitch.”

“What’s wrong?” Cory asked, sidling up next to me. I passed him the blueprints and wrapped an arm around his waist, waiting for him to realize what he was holding.

“He…” He sniffed, unfolding the paper to get a full view. “He was going to surprise me,” he said so softly I almost didn’t hear him.

“What’s that?” Frederic asked, moving to Cory’s other side. “Aw. Mac’s pet project.”

Both our heads whipped in his direction. “You knew about this?” Cory asked.

Frederic nodded. “Sure. Mac was excited. He was hoping it would cheer you up.”

Cory shook his head, looking back down at the blueprints to remodel the tunnels completely and make them usable. “He never said. I didn’t even know the tunnels were down there until the other day.”

Frederic sighed. “I’m sorry about that. I forgot about it, or I’d have mentioned it.” He stiffened. “Did something happen in the tunnels? Is that what happened to your face?”

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