Page 33 of Remember When We
Their break from the business severed the link, because there were no family ties. Claudius was basically setting up something new, but these guys were running on old steam that had been in the works from the dawn of time.
“You think the Santoras wanted him dead?” Dante asked.
I was glad he was talking, because I couldn’t.
Jade looked over the documents and focused on the note.
“This note tells me someone else wanted him dead, and they were the reason why the Santoras were involved. Marshall didn’t know the Santoras, but someone he saw knew them.”
And I would get that person. I would fucking get them and kill them dead.
“Names Jade, please? I know you said Santoras, but do you have anything more for me?” I held her gaze and she looked at me with a sheen of purpose in her eyes.
“You want to find whoever this X person is. My feeling he was who the note was for. It fits that Marshall would write a note like this to him. He stopped a lot from going down. That told me he must have been one of those cops that push the limits. He may still be a cop, or he may not be. As for the other guys, Frankie Santora. That’s all I’m saying. I don’t know anything much about them, but he’s the head capo to the Santora family. I don’t need to tell you that killing him will start a war. His father is the boss and the Vitalis practically allow them to believe they own Philly.”
I nodded. They could believe whatever they wanted.
I’d heard of Frankie, now it was time to meet him.
Chapter 9
Gio
* * *
“Fuck,” I cursed kicking an empty can of soda across the grass.
Gibbs sat down on the park bench, pulled a cigarette from his back pocket and lit up. I didn’t even know he smoked.
Dante sat next to him. Our bikes were just parked over on the road by the park.
We’d left Jade and stopped here to process.
It was the best way that I could put it, because that’s what it felt like. Damn Marshall, if he wasn’t dead I would have kicked his ass and set him straight. Anything to stop him from getting himself in shit, shit that could end up getting him dead.
Except it did get him killed. I hated myself for not knowing all of this.
“Gio,” Gibbs said.
“What? Fucking what?”
“Calm yourself. There are two guys at two o’clock watching us and they were watching when we walked through Chinatown.” Gibbs puffed away and stared ahead.
“I don’t see anybody,” Dante commented.
“Because you are not the eyes of your crew.” Gibbs smiled. “I thought it was interesting when I first met you guys. You have a group dynamic that allows you to operate as one unit. Claudius is the head he calls the shots, Dante the limbs, Gio the brains, and Alex the eyes, the person who senses stuff you can’t tell. You are two men down and you have to be careful. This is not Chicago, but same rules apply. Piss off the wrong people and they come at you through your weaknesses.”
He looked at me when he said that. Of course, he would. He knew about Lyssa and heard me telling Dante what happened last night.
“Where are they Gibbs?” I was in the type of mood to kill before the guy could take his next breath, but Gibbs was right. I had to be careful. Tread softly in territory that wasn’t mine.
“Leaving. They seemed fixated on you. I’m guessing they were the guys from the bar.”
“Those guys were mafia guys. I could tell.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to go out on a limb and make any assumptions, but since I am who I am and I really don’t give a shit who I piss on I’m gonna say they could be Santora guys. It’s the way they walk, like they have permission to do whatever they want.”
Santora guys in Lyssa’s bar. Great, that was all I needed.
