Page 24 of Shattered Choices

I stare at the paper with written rules that she wants me to sign. But even if I sign, it doesn’t mean anything.

Rules:

No killing or hurting anyone before consulting with me.

No sabotaging my meetings

No interference in my affairs.

This is strictly business. It doesn’t mean anything.

After this is done, we go our separate ways.

All these rules mean nothing. I said I would listen to her, but when it comes to her life and safety, I will do whatever I see fit.

She may be a mafia princess, and I’m on her territory, but I will be the one calling the shots one way or the other. I will find a way to and make this work in my favor. Even so, I sign the papers just to make her happy. When I said she’s my queen and I’m her servant, I meant it. I will stop at nothing to keep her safe. I may have failed last time, torn between present and past, fighting my own demons. Now, I see clearly how my life is supposed to be. I want that life, and I want it with her. I will stop at nothing to have it.

“I meant what I said. I will find whoever they are. This time, I will protect you.”

She takes the papers from me, and hurt flashes in her eyes before she blinks it away. “Just be sure to follow the rules.” She ignores my comment and turns around, getting into a car and driving away.

We met at the same place, near the cliff where we ran to, to get away from the Carabinieri. She insisted on it being here, saying it was safest place. She even drove herself, not trusting anyone. I know she’s more than capable of doing all this, and I love her strength and independence. I’m sure she will be the Donna everyone will talk about for as long she has the power.

Unfortunately for everyone, she is mine. My love, my queen, and her place is in my arms in New York. Where I will take her back and let her rule by my side, not someone else’s.

I hop into my car and follow her, making it my mission to be her shadow. I already called Rocco. As always, he was willing to help. However, it will cost me. My debt to him is getting bigger, and the bigger it gets, the more it annoys me. He still hasn’t said what he wants in return for helping me, but I can only imagine.

Marco is helping me with the information only he can find. That means hacking into the ROS command center’s mainserver and finding out where they got their information and erasing everything with Isabella’s name on it.

Tonight is poker night, and I stay in my car as I watch the entrance of her club. I take a photo of each person I suspect to be a possible traitor. It has been a long time since I did this job; I used to go on stakeouts for my father with Gabriel. We used to watch shipment exchanges just to make sure no cops were hidden somewhere. More times than I can count, we saved those exchanges, which also included keeping my father from getting arrested.

Tonight, my mission is to find the rat. The one who betrayed my wife and is helping the Carabinieri to put her behind the bars. Her place is not here and never will be.

The men I saw that night, when I ended up on my knees in front of her, are inside, and I know one of them is selling information. I just need to know who. I already sent their names to Marco, who is going to find out whatever I need about them.

I stayed outside the club all night, but nothing. After the game was over and each one of the men that played was on their way, I received a message from my wife.

Isabella: Check out Giovanni and Alfredo. They are the only ones who are not fond of me being in charge, especially not the way I want business to be done.

Salvatore: Is there any other reason they would sell information to Carabinieri?

Isabella: Other than the way they keep contradicting and questioning my every decision? No, there is no other reason.

Salvatore: I see. Already working on it. Anything else?

I type and smile, wishing she would ask me to come to her. Wishing she needed me as her husband and not just someone who can find the traitor in her circle.

Isabella: Just that you follow the rules.

The rules.

Yes, I did say I would follow the rules, and I signed the papers. That means nothing. Rules are meant to be broken. Rules are for followers. People raised to do so. But I’m not any of those people. Following the rules has never brought anything good for me, so I highly doubt it will now.

After a week of following Isabella and investigating her associates with Rocco and Marco’s help, we still we can’t find anything that will lead us any closer to finding the person behind this.

However, Marco has found a lot of dirt on each of the men she is working with, but nothing that is connected to the reason behind her almost arrest.

Luckily, Marco hacked into the main server of ROS and deleted anything that has to do with Isabella. Physical proof was more challenging to deal with, but money works wonders. No matter where you are in the world, with the right amount of money, you get what you want.

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