Page 50 of Unworthy Ties
“He mentioned he got his hands on Councilman Rizzi’s documents.”
Fabrizio’s face paled. His lips parted slightly, then pressed together in a thin line as he swallowed hard. The cigar between his fingers trembled almost imperceptibly against the crystal ashtray. He was good at getting information, but he was no actor.
A flicker of something darker crossed his features, a shadow that danced just behind his eyes as he processed the implications of Dino’s discovery. Fabrizio leaned forward, the light from an antique lamp casting stark shadows across his face, accentuating the lines etched by years of navigating the murky waters of power and influence.
“What did he tell you about those documents?” he demanded, his voice low and gravelly, as if the very walls might betray him should he speak any louder.
I let the silence stretch between us, the weight of his anticipation pressing down like the humid air outside. “Oh, Dino wouldn’t say. Wanted me to run it by you first.”
A flicker of relief passed through Fabrizio’s eyes, subtle enough that it could be mistaken for nothing more than a shadow shifting in the lamplight. He leaned back slightly, letting a faint smirk touch his lips, but the tension in his jaw betrayed him. “Keep it that way.”
“Fine by me.” I adjusted my cufflinks. “Now, a deal’s a deal.”
“Ah, yes. The information about who broke into your house and who is behind the Salvaggio’s missing shipments. The problems are one and the same.”
“What do you mean?” I asked uneasily.
Fabrizio’s expression darkened, the smirk fading into a hard line. “It’s all interconnected, you see. When Maximo Salvaggio hired you, it put a target on your back.”
“Can you be more clear than that? I’m not one for riddles.”
“Maximo’s mole is on the inside. So close to him he would never expect it. It is Salvatore Romano himself.”
I had a flashback to the charity gala where Salvatore had interrupted the conversation between Gianni Salvaggio and me. His polished demeanor at that gala had masked his true intentions, a mask that was now cracking. Salvatore had played his part flawlessly, ingratiating himself with the Salvaggio’s while navigating the treacherous currents of loyalty and betrayal.
The revelation hung between us like a thick fog, suffocating yet electrifying. I leaned closer, the weight of Fabrizio’s words sinking in deeper. “Salvatore? But he’s been with them for years. Why would he turn?”
Fabrizio took a slow drag from his cigar, contemplating the smoke as it spiraled into the air. “Loyalty is a fickle mistress, my friend. In this world, allegiances shift like the tides. Salvatore is ambitious; he craves power more than he does loyalty.” He pushed a few documents across the table toward me, the pages whispering secrets of their own. “These are what you need to understand his movements.”
“Ambition, yes. But to betray the Salvaggio’s? That’s a death sentence,” I said, grabbing the documents off the desk.
“Perhaps.”
“You said this tied back to the break-in I had?”
Fabrizio’s gaze sharpened, the ember of his cigar glowing like a single watchful eye. “Not just tied back—rooted in it,” he said, his tone low and deliberate. “Your break-in wasn’t some stroke of bad luck. Salvatore knew you were getting too close, that you were starting to put the pieces together. That’s why it happened when it did.”
I froze, his words settling like lead in my chest. “You’re saying he staged it? To scare me off?”
“Or worse,” Fabrizio replied, exhaling a slow stream of smoke. “To remind you that someone is always watching. The moment you began sniffing near the truth, he had to act.”
“He did a shitty job at leaving a message,” I muttered.
Fabrizio chuckled darkly, the sound rumbling like distant thunder. “They don’t always get it right. But make no mistake, he’s calculated. Every misstep is a lesson learned for him.”
The weight of Fabrizio’s words pressed heavier with each passing second, and suddenly the room felt too small, the smoke too suffocating. My mind kept circling back—not to Salvatore, but to her. If Salvatore really was watching, then she was already in the line of fire.
I pushed my chair back; the legs scraping against the floor. “I need to go,” I said, sharper than I meant.
Fabrizio arched a brow, unfazed. “Running off so soon?”
“I’ve got something to take care of,” I muttered, straightening my jacket. My pulse was already quickening with the thought of her alone, unguarded.
He gave a slow, knowing nod, as if he could read every thought I wasn’t saying. “Then take care of it. But remember: if Salvatore is moving against you, he won’t stop with warnings.”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My focus had already shifted. First, I had to make sure she was safe. After that, Maximo needed to hear everything.
First, I would secure what mattered most. Then, I’d bring everything I had to Maximo Salvaggio.
