Page 27 of The One
Max wants to modernize things, bring in new ideas, but so far Uncle Alfonso’s stubbornness has been in the way. He refuses to embrace the changes, the technology, the advancements that could push the family into the future.
“Max texted earlier. The youngest Molinaro has been seen with his oldest sister in Chicago,” I tell Tiero.
“So that’s where they shipped Marcelo off to. Makes sense. She’s the only family he has left.”
“Sort of. There’s still Sofia,” I reply, taking another sip of whiskey. “Marcelo might become a problem in a few years if he tries to reclaim his father’s empire.”
“Should he ever come back, we’ll put him in the same hole as his brothers.”
Molinaro’s two oldest sons, Giuliano and Michele, didn’t survive their father long. Tiero was determined to eliminate anyone trying to take over, and those two were on top of the list.
“His sister is married to the Romero scum, isn’t she?” Tiero asks, shifting his body so he’s more submerged.
“Yeah. Maximo wants to be rid of them as soon as possible. Once he takes over, he’ll let nothing stand in between him and Chicago.”
I take a slow sip of my whiskey, letting the warmth of the liquor spread through me as I fall silent. For the next few minutes, I savor the steady pressure of the jets as they work their way into the tight muscles in my lower back, loosening the tension.
“So what do you want to do with Sofia? We can’t keep her forever,” I say, sitting up and refilling our glasses.
“Why not? As long as she’s under lock and key, she won’t do any harm.”
“What harm could she possibly do now? There’s nothing left for her.”
“I’ll think about it. For now, she’ll stay here. I’m not ready to forgive her for what she did.”
I don’t respond. There’s no point. Truth be told, I’m surprised Tiero let her live. Had she been a man, it would have been a different story.
I watch my brother closely. His face is tight with tension, the worry lines around his eyes deeper than usual. He stares up at the sky, his expression distant.
“You thinking of Ella?” I ask quietly.
He sighs. It’s a deep, weary sound. “Not a minute goes by when I don’t. She’s always on my mind.”
His gaze doesn’t waver from the sky. “She’s somewhere out there, looking at the stars too. I know it in my heart.”
His voice cracks a little as he turns to me. “How long before I have her back, Teo?”
His words are barely more than a whisper, and I can hear the raw pain underneath.
I’ve never seen him like this before. Ever since Ella disappeared, he barely sleeps. Instead, he’s been throwing himself into hunting down our enemies, using them as an outlet for his frustration and rage.
It’s like the only way he knows how to cope is through violence, trying to channel his pain into something he can control, while, at the same time, minimizing the threats to Ella’s survival.
Now, with hardly anyone left to pursue, that distraction is slipping away. And with nothing to occupy his mind, he’s got even more time to miss her. It’s weighing on him more every day.
I’m worried about him.
“We’ve got a small army out there searching for her, combing every lead, every corner of where she was seen last. Our best hackers are working around the clock, leaving no stone unturned. We’ve spared no resource, no expense. How can there still be nothing but dead ends?” Tiero asks, rubbing his face.
“Sooner or later there will be a clue. She won’t be able to hide forever,” I try to reassure. Let’s hope I’m speaking the truth.
I’m not sure how much longer Tiero can go on like this. She’s the reason he’s breathing and facing each new day. He would move mountains and cross oceans just to be with her.
“What if she really is pregnant?” Tiero voices his biggest fear. Losing herandhis baby? It’s unimaginable.
We suspect it’s the reason Ella ran away. She’s always been opposed to the Mafia life. And carrying the heir to our empire? Let’s just say that possibility would have shaken her to the core.
Tiero came clean about what he’d done a few nights after Ella managed to escape. While I don’t agree with his methods, I get why he did it. But still, he really screwed up. He crossed lines he shouldn’t have, and now he’s paying the price.
