Page 46 of Primo DeLuca

“I believe you, cousin. I marched him past the crew without saying who he was, and their reactions were similar to yours.”

“Did you see the man that paid you the money?” Brizio questioned the man. He shook his head while his gaze bounced back and forth between Brizio and me.

“You mind keeping Nevah company while I conduct a more thorough walkthrough with him? I need to find out something today before I make another decision I can’t take back.”

Brizio nodded, his cold gaze raking over the man before he glanced at Nevah and allowed his smile to return. On my way out, Brizio asked Nevah, “How’s that messy friend of yours, Maya is it?”

So that’s where the recognition came from between Brizio and Nevah. He and I were going to have to have a talk. Him getting involved with anyone Nevah knew was out of the question. I didn’t need him messing up shit in my relationship when he pissed her friend off with his craziness. The fact that he was even asking about her already spelled trouble.

***

Half an hour of show-and-tell hadn’t gotten me any definitive answers. The men didn’t know this man, and he didn’t recognize any of them.

“Take me to the spot where you received your payment.”

He nodded, his head moving robotically with hope flashing in his wide eyes. “The building was empty except for the person I was supposed to meet. I was on the phone with him while he directed me into the building and to that spot,” he said, pointing at our interrogation area which was actually two connecting offices set up with a two-way mirror between them.

“The door to that office was closed, so I was directed into that one. I never saw the person I was talking to, although I sensed them watching me. The envelope of cash was sitting on the desk like they had stated.”

I didn’t react, although I wanted to choke the life from him for taking a payment to take my life.

“So you never heard the person’s voice other than on the phone? Did you see the person’s face?”

He shook his head, confirming my questions. The person he met could have been anyone.

Who the fuck had access to our warehouse and had the balls to bring in and pay off the person they were hiring to kill me?

“They did have a distinct scent,” he added, his wide, hopeful gaze pinned on my face like his information would somehow keep him away from his date with death. “It was like spicy black licorice.”

A long silent stare was what I offered the man after his admission, as ideas on who wanted me dead churned in my head. When I finally decided to move, I led him to the most open part of the warehouse floor after texting Brizio to leave Nevah in the office and meet me.

The man and I stood in the center of the warehouse like we were buddies. I had no doubt that he had an idea of what was coming. I allowed hundreds of scenarios to run rampant through my head on who the bold DeLuca motherfucker was that was still aiming to kill me after we had destroyed their connection with the Vittorio family.

Brizio walked up and stood on the other side of the man, whose watery eyes and his tension-filled body appeared to be overdosing on fear. I quoted Brizio a quick rundown on what I discovered about the payment and how it was delivered.

“Can I have your attention, please?” Brizio called out, his voice carrying in the open space easily. Movement stopped, pallet jacks stopped rolling, and soon after, the aggressive roar of the forklift’s engine died.

The men gathered around us, some emerging from dark corners and hidden areas. When at least twenty surrounded us, I observed their behavior with keen interest. There was no doubt that a DeLuca had paid men to kill me, but I no longer believed it was any of the men in this building.

“This man,” Brizio aimed a thumb at the man whose head dropped while his lips moved in prayer, “and two of his friends just tried to assassinate our Capo.” Brizio’s announcement drew a round of protest and curses from the group. “The rest of his friends who went after Primo are dead, but this one claims to have been paid money inside this warehouse by a DeLuca to complete the job.”

The news got the men riled up. I lifted my hands and lowered them with ease to calm them.

“I know that it was none of you who betrayed the DeLuca name, but I need you all to keep an eye out for any DeLuca rat that has been or may act suspicious. Don’t alert them that you’re on to them but inform Brizio or me of what you see.”

A round of agreeing voices sounded before hushed whispers swirled around the crowd.

“I need you to show this motherfucker what happens when they try to kill me and don’t succeed.”

Pipes, sticks, metal posts, and anything that could inflict pain were sought out and picked up. There were a few men pounding their fist into their palms, preparing to pound flesh. Brizio was standing there smiling like I’d announced him the winner of the lottery.

“This was one job you should have turned down,” I told the man before I walked away. My men approached the trembling man, their eyes ravenous and their snarls and grumbles vicious.

When I opened the door to the office, Nevah was sitting on the couch, her lips pinched tightly between her teeth as stress lines stretched across her forehead. The brutally savage murder taking place behind me sounded before I closed the door and muffled the noise.

Nevah was up and at my side and in my arms without me having to say a word. Our pull towards each other, although alarmingly compulsive, was something I hoped would never dull.

“Are you okay? Did you find out who’s trying to kill you?”

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