When the woman left the pier, she never noticed the man hiding in the shadows of the building…Yeah, he’d waited her out. His gut told him there had been someone close and his gut never failed him. His dark eyes narrowed when he saw her finally drive away.
His lips raised in a snarl. This woman wouldn’t mess up his plans, there was no way he would allow this to happen. Not after he had waited all these years to be able to bring the Vincintis down once and for all. He vowed both men would die at his hands. He was remembering the conversation he had with someone the day he learned the truth. The man had been a mountain of information for him. Although he’d spilled the man’s guts in the end, he’d gotten the truth from him. He’d found out what happened to his father and he vowed to bring his killers to justice, the old time justice way, where it was an eye for an eye. Not only would Calderone Vincinti die by his hand but this woman would as well. She might rat his whole plan out to Vincinti and that alone, would be her death sentence.
He turned and walked away, back into the shadows. He had to follow this bitch and find out where she lived. It took out time from his day, dammit. As he got into the car, his eyes were full of hatred. He let the mask slip, the mask he wore every time he saw Calderone or his old man, he’d had to smile and leave his hatred in hiding. Well, the day was coming when they would see his real eyes before they both died. He’d planned this for a very long time and gathered minions to help, he secretly held a position of power that nobody messed with.
He was the man with the power behind the plan. No crime could be tied to him but there had been several men that ended up dead with no explanation for the Council, but nothing could be linked back to him. He’d had all the steps done by others and some didn’t even know what he looked like. For years, he’d carried the shame of being a bastard, then he’d found out the truth. His father had been taken from him by the Vincintis and he when he’d learned of this, he’d already been in place working for them for a long while now, so they would never suspect him.
He’d just wanted to have his father back and never knew why the man had disappeared. He’d wanted get back to the way life should have been. That wasn’t possible now. He was on a mission to avenge his family and he wouldn’t stop until those responsible were as cold in the ground as his father was.
Calderone Vincinti was walking down the hall to the dining room when the house phone rang. It was so unusual for that particular number to be used that he paused and stared at it for a moment before he picked up the call. “Hello.”
“Who am I speaking too please?” a female voice asked.
“This is Calderone Vincinti. Who am I speaking to?” he asked with a frown.
“I don’t want to give my name but I overheard something this morning and I need to tell you or your father about it.”
“I’m not going to listen to this if you don’t give me your name,” he threatened.
“Before you hang up, you need to know someone who works for your father is plotting to unseat him.”
Calderone froze before he asked quietly, “What did you say?”
“I overheard two men this morning, planning to get your father kicked out of the mob and Boston. You, as well.”
“That would be impossible,” Calderone stated. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“That may be true as I do not know you, but one of the men I listened to this morning said he was fixing the books to show that your father has been skimming money for a long time. He’s setting your father up for a very big fall. He has plans to take over Boston and make this a mob run city, then he plans to take out the Sinners and give the streets to another group of men that will run a protection ring, and those that don’t pay, they will just plain be shot. They are busy learning secrets of the business men here in town.”
“And you overheard this conversation?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Where did you hear this being said?”
“On the pier, down by the bay. I was there to watch the sunrise. I was under the pier, they were on the pier.” She paused then added, “I know you have no reason to believe me but what I told you is true. I wouldn’t even attempt to tell you this if it wasn’t true. I have nothing to gain and possibly everything, including my life, to lose. In fact, I debated even calling you, I really didn’t want to get involved, and I’ve already had one visitor come to call on me. Someone I never saw before today and he did not look friendly. Now, I have to run and I hate that.”
Calderone listened to her and frowned. He heard her release a small sob now.
“I have to go. I did what I had to do and now, I have to leave. I can’t let them find me.”
Then before he could say a word, the call ended. He took his time hanging up the phone and slowly moved toward the dining room. His father and his bookkeeper, Donny Vascili were sitting there waiting for him. He looked at his father then over at Donny.
Donny had a look in his eyes that he couldn’t quite hide for a brief moment then his eyes went blank.
Calderone paused and had to wonder why. Then he remembered the call he just took. Donny was the one man under his father that could cook the books to show Leon was skimming off the top. He would be able to alter the books if anyone could. Calderone then didn’t give him any kind of look as he stared at his father. He had to be careful with this information at least until he knew if it was true or not.
His father would never skim money but the evidence wouldn’t show that. Most of the other bosses knew him, knew he wouldn’t do such a thing but his father was getting to retirement age and maybe there were enough of them who wanted new blood, fresher blood to take over.
Maybe he and his father had grown so compliant and relaxed to running things in Boston that they forgot this was a cutthroat business. And maybe, just maybe he should investigate this claim just a bit more before he completely dismissed it as cazzate-bull shit.
When he sat down to eat supper with his father and Donny, Calderone thought about the phone call itself again. Could it be legit? He took a bite of his smothered chicken and barely tasted it. In fact, it almost tasted like cardboard but that was because his stomach was turning over with rage at the thought of someone under his father’s roof that could do something like what the woman from the phone call suggested.
He needed to get his father alone and discus what he’d learned with him. If someone was setting him up, he needed to know it and take the matter in hand. In addition, if they found out the evidence was there, they would also have to warn the Sinner’s MC.
Even if Iceman wasn’t here anymore, the Sinner’s MC had earned his respect. They didn’t work together very often but if he and his father were uprooted and the Sinner’s lost their place in the city, then the streets would run red with the blood of the people who lived here.
He had to find out if her claims were true or not, but he couldn’t do anything without his father’s blessing. He would have to wait until they were alone before he said anything.
“Did I hear the phone ring?” Leon asked his son.
Calderone nodded. “It was a wrong number.”
Leon held his son’s gaze for a moment then looked away.
Calderone glanced at Donny and noted his narrowed gaze. His father noticed too, as nothing much got past the old man. Leon didn’t necessarily care for Donny, as he’d said once there was just something about the man that was slimy. Like he’d always thought the man was two faced. With one face, he was smiling and the other, he was planning on your demise.
Donny had tried to talk Leon into some not so healthy schemes in the past as he had a ridiculous Al Capone frame of mind. He loved the way Hollywood portrayed the wanna be gangsters of the past.
But Calderone knew Leon had grown up in the streets of New York City, back in the day. His dad used to tell him stories of how he’d seen firsthand how the old mob lived and it wasn’t all glamor and money running. Most of the time they had to be the bad guys in order to get respect. They liked to push their way around the businesses and they often ruled with fear and intimidation.
Leon had told him often enough that he’d lived that life as a kid and didn’t want it anymore. He was happy with the life he led now. He was well respected now and had honorable contacts and they respected him back.
Calderone wondered how his father would react to find out someone in his own house was about to betray him? He knew this issue would more than enrage his father. Leon would see this as betrayal and it was then he would bring down on the betrayer the hell he grew up with. Only then, did he revert back to the old Mob way, when it had to be done. He just never liked doing it.
But before they could even think about that, Calderone would need evidence to back up his claim. Or rather, evidence he needed to prove her claim. He still wasn’t sure she had honestly heard everything she said she’d heard. Maybe he needed to find her first, so she could tell his father what she heard in person? So they could find out if she was a nut, or if this was all legitimate. You never knew what crazy existed in the world until it crawled up on you. This could all be a made up story, by some lonely woman or some certified nutcase. Who knew in this world today?
Wait what was it she said? Someone had already come around? She was going to have to run? Damn, he would need to find her before she ran away, if this all was true.
He got to his feet and apologized to his father, “I’m sorry Dad, I need to do something. Forgive me for ruining your meal.”
Leon looked up at his son and nodded. “I’ll see you later then.” He went back to his meal wisely.
Calderone knew his father was keeping mum about whatever Calderone had on his mind in front of the accountant. Leon knew him too well and he knew something was up. He would fill him in later. He left the dining room, but as he glanced back, he saw Donny scowling at him. Yeah, something was up with this man for sure and it lent more credence to this woman’s claim as well. He so hoped he was wrong but this behavior gave him definite pause.
Calderone stopped first and looked at the last caller id on the house phone. He then swiftly walked outside and made his way over to the garden his mother had planted a lifetime ago. If someone in his own house was planning to bring down his father and himself, Calderone didn’t know if the rooms inside the house didn’t have bugs in them now. He would order another sweep, but he would be careful whom to choose for that job.
His belly continued to roll as he shook his head. Then he reached for his cell and made his call.
“You got Iceman.”
“Iceman, this is Calderone. I need you to find me a name and address.”
“Calderone,” Iceman paused. “I don’t mind doing you a favor but don’t you have your own man to do this sort of thing for you?”
“Normally yes, but we got trouble coming and I want to do this without involving anyone in my own house,” Calderone admitted.
“What going on man? Is this something that’s going to come back and bite your daughter and grandsons as well?” Iceman asked.
He was proud and alarmed at the same time by his son n law’s worries. Iceman protected his family well all this time and Calderone had always felt relief over this fact. “At this point, I’m not sure yet,” he admitted. “I got a call earlier tonight and the woman on the other end of the call told me she’d overheard a conversation between two men that were planning the downfall of my father and I. They want to take over the Boston seat and wipe out the Sinners and put their own men on the streets.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Iceman wanted to know.
“When you and Deke brought my daughter back to me, neither one of you would take the reward I had set up. All you wanted was our respect. That meant a lot to me and my father. Since then, you’ve treated my daughter with respect and you love her. You gave me grandchildren and have always welcomed me into your home. When you started your own business, you wouldn’t allow us to help you, as you wanted to make it on your own. You wouldn’t take our money then as you thought it was gained illegally?”
When Iceman began to protest, Calderone had to smile. “What? You didn’t think we knew you wouldn’t take our tainted money because we earned it by doing mob business? To most people, mob money is tainted, but my father runs things differently. He’s got mostly legit businesses but he still is one of the most powerful men on the East coast.”
“So what do you want us to do?” Iceman asked after a moment of silence.
“Like I said, I got a phone call earlier on the house phone. I need that call traced. I need a name of the caller and an address. She thinks she’s in trouble and I need to get to her first to find out what she overheard this morning. I am texting you the number.”
“Ok, you got it.” Then Iceman paused and asked, “Can I let the brothers know about this call? Both here and in Boston? I think if trouble is coming, they should know about it.”
“Yes, you know them best. Just tell them to keep it on the downlow, as we don’t know who the major players are yet. The woman I spoke to told me someone was cooking the books to make my father seem to be skimming off the top. You know Leon, he would never do something like that, but it would draw the wrong attention and bring questions he cannot answer.”
“Oh course,” Iceman agreed. “I can have Zipper try to locate this woman or I can have Hawk’s man do it for you.”
“However you can. I need this number traced ASAP. She claims someone has already been to her house and she’s thinking of going on the run. I have to find her first and bring her to safety.”
“I agree,” Iceman told him. “I’ll give Hawk a call. He has a man that can do there what Zipper does here, much faster.”
“Do it then.”
“Do you want them to pick her up and take her to a safe house?”
“Yes, that would be the best idea. That way, if I am being watched, they won’t know I’ve got her with me. I need to hear her story and so will Leon.”
“I’ll get right on this. Do you want us to come to Boston and back you up?”
“No. I can’t let anyone know we’re on to them, not yet. I need to gather the proof I need to fight this first. If this is true, then someone’s going down, I just don’t want it to be my father.” Calderone growled.
“Ok, I’ll get on this right away,” Iceman replied. “Be careful man, if they think you know what’s coming down, they may jump the gun. I’ll warn the Sinner’s to watch their backs. They might be able to gather some evidence as to who is working with whoever is in your household.”
“They can’t ask too many questions though.” Calderone cautioned. “We don’t want word to get to the wrong people. Not until we know what and who we’re dealing with.”
“We’re MC, Calderone. Have no fear about doing this under radar. That is what we do the best. But I’ll let them know. And I’ll get back to you soon.”
“Just find me this woman.” Calderone growled as he hung up the phone.
He stood there for a while before his father joined him. Both men were silent as they watched the sun set in the western sky.
When the shadows grew Leon asked, “What’s going on, son?”
“That phone call tonight?” Calderone reminded him.
Leon waited.
“It was from a woman who wouldn’t give her name but the message she had was a threat against you.” When Leon swore Calderone held up his hand. “The threat wasn’t from her, but from someone in your own house.”
“What the fuck do you mean by that?” Leon growled.
“She said two men met this morning on the pier at the bay. They were talking about cooking the books to show you were skimming off the top of the money you send in to the Family. They want to bring you to disgrace and boot you out of the mob and Boston. Then after we leave Boston, they are going to run the Sinner’s out, take over the streets and put a protection racket in place. Those that pay will be left alone and those that don’t, will be shot.”
Leon looked incensed. “The fuck they will.” He began to pace. “Che diavolo! The Family knows me, they’ve never had any reason to mistrust me before.”
“Maybe not, but if someone is cooking the books they might just believe him.”
“That would be damn near impossible unless he created a second set of books. Whoever is behind this would have to make up a complete set of books and for every month, the courier initials the payoff.” Leon paused in his rant. “Donny. This reeks of something he would do. He wants to be more Family of the old ways than what we’ve got here now. He never understood real power comes from respect rather than fear.”
“But how do we prove he is in on it? And who is directing him? That is the more important question here,” Calderone stated.
