Page 96 of Because I Need You
“Silvio’s men were seen sniffing around the nursing home.” Dean popped the laptop in front of him open and clicked something before turning it to us. Sure enough, Albert, Silvio’s trusted enforcer, was walking out of the nursing home. I looked at the date.
“This was weeks ago.”
“He went every day for two weeks. He missed Isabel by seconds the last time she’d gone.”
My stomach coiled. “He’s been watching her.”
“He’s been watching her grandmother,” Dean said, shutting the laptop. “Her grandmother had just gotten moved to the second floor after complaining about a man who kept visiting her.”
“Why is this the first we’re hearing about this?” I looked at Dean, at Loren, at Dom. Not at Rocco since he’d just gotten involved, but the rest of the guys knew enough to have their ear to the fucking ground.
“Her grandmother had dementia. She said a lot of things, saw a lot of things,” Loren said. “She would’ve most like have told Isabel about the man and she probably shrugged it off like anyone else would’ve.”
My eyes lowered to the wooden table. It had marks on it from all the times these assholes hadn’t used a coaster. Mostly Dominic and Frankie. I rubbed the back of my neck to relieve the tension that came at the thought of my best friend. Worse, at the thought of my best friend linked to Isabel. I hadn’t lashed out, hadn’t called Mike or her friends yet, hadn’t really done anything besides go to the nursing home. I was helpless. Helpless and hopeless as I waited for a fucking call from someone who could tell me why they had her, where they had her, and what the fuck they wanted in exchange for her. If they’d gone to these measures, they had to know I’d give it to them, whatever it was.
“G.” At the sound of Dominic saying my voice, I snapped out of my trance and looked up. “Do you want us to send Silvio a message?”
I looked around the table, all eyes on me, all ready to follow whatever call I made. It was just the way it was with us. My eyes landed on Dean again, the oldest one, though not by much, but certainly the most respected.
“I want Silvio’s operations burned to the ground.” My voice was eerily calm, but that’s how I felt all of a sudden. Maybe I was tired, maybe I was just going through the motions until something happened. “And I want his location. I’ll handle him.”
“Gio.” Dean’s eyes widened slightly as he shook his head. “We’ll have someone do that.”
“I want to do it myself. Whoever took my wife is going to die by my hands.” My voice left no room for argument. Everyone’s eyebrows shot up, but that was the only confirmation I got that they were fine with me handling it. I looked at Dom. “I’m going to need you to come with me.”
“I’ll go with you,” Rocco said, his eyes shooting to his boss briefly. Dean gave a nod, permission. “He usually comes by the laundromat on Washington. The one near Holland Tunnel.”
I sat back. Dean had too many locations for me to keep track of, but if there was one near the tunnel you had to cross to get to or from the nursing home was, it could mean Silvio had taken her there. I said this aloud to them. They agreed that it made sense.
“He has a Bingo Hall on sixty-ninth, by Joey’s.”
“I know the one.” I pushed off the desk and stood quickly, walking to the armory closet.
We normally didn’t bring weapons to the table. The big five, the geezers, they didn’t allow weapons in the building at all when they met up. They didn’t trust each other, though. The only supposed alliance they had was to their own blood, and we’d all seen how little that meant to them when push comes to shove. We all knew that the only reason they were in the positions they were in was because they’d killed someone in their own family. Or had them killed. It was the same shit. I picked up an M17 and the Walther. I loaded both before moving on to the knives. I didn’t know what the fuck to do with a knife, if I was being honest, but I picked one up anyway because if it came to close contact, I’d use the fuck out of one.
Rocco reached down for his backpack and took out the weapons he had, making sure they were loaded before setting the safety back on. It didn’t surprise me that he had this many, but I hadn’t expected him to be carrying them with him. I didn’t ask. We waited for Dominic. Loren and Dean stood up. Loren walked over to me, handing me a bulletproof vest, which I took and put on, even though we all knew we’d most likely get shot in the head and there was nothing that could save us from that.
