Family Business

Leaving

EJ's pov

"Once the handoff is made, you need to collect Claire from Alexandra's summer home and take the jet directly to safehouse eleven. Capisci (Understand)?" Father went over the plan for the millionth time.

"Si, ho capito (Yes, I get it). Please, enough already, Father. I'm not an imbecile. We don't have to keep going over this." Honestly, it's exhausting.

"Watch the tone you take with me. Non sei troppo vecchio per essere punito, ragazzo mio (You are not too old to be punished, my boy)," my father warned.

"Chiedo scusa, Padre ( I apologize, Father). I didn't mean to be disrespectful." I tried to appease him, as the last thing I wanted right now was an argument.

I met up with Marco, one of my most trusted associates, at the warehouse near the shipyard to get the "merchandise" for the side deal. I prefer to reference it that way, instead of saying I went to pickup the cocaine like I'm some lowlife drug dealer, which I suppose technically, I am.

"Mi è dispiaciuto sapere di tuo fratello (I was sorry to hear about your brother)," Marco said sadly, as he shook my hand, pulling me into a hug, kissing me on both cheeks. Marco is like a brother to me. I trust him more than my own family.

"Non preoccuparti, tornerà quando sarà al sicuro (Don't worry, he'll return when it's safe)," I replied, giving him a reassuring smile.

The look on Marco's face said it all. The mixture of surprise, sheer terror, guilt, and pity told me everything I needed to know. My brother wasn't coming back. He was never coming back. My father had given the order to have him killed.

I've had my suspicions for months now, I just never wanted to believe it. Tony had become a liability as soon as he killed Jimmy Nardello. The Nardello's were our fiercest rival but our two families had an unspoken agreement that went into effect more than five generations ago. We leave each other the Hell alone. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Members of our families were strictly off limits to each other. When Tony killed one of the Nardello boys, he effectively initiated World War III between our families.

Sometime after Tony went into hiding, he was sacrificed as a peace offering to stop the war before it could even begin. The only acceptable retribution required bloodshed, an eye for eye, a son for a son. It didn't matter that Jimmy's death was supposedly an accident. Rumor has it he was caught in the crossfire when a deal with some gang members went bad at an underground club and a shootout ensued. An immediate and appropriate response was required so the Nardello family could save face and business would continue as usual.

How could my father treat his own son as nothing more than a business commodity? Did he even question putting that hit out? Did he ever shed a tear for my brother, his eldest son? Did he regret making my niece, his granddaughter, an orphan for even a second? How long can he keep up this facade? Does he even know what the truth is anymore?

I've done some pretty questionable things in my life, some downright awful, despicable, highly illegal and immoral things, but a line has to be drawn. Killing your own son because it's good for business crosses that line. As much as Tony's little brat annoys me, I can't allow her to grow up in this lifestyle and be a part of the family business. Her mother and father didn't want this for her. I couldn't save my brother but to honor his memory, I have to save his little bastard child.

The main deal went down without a hitch so I headed straight for my sister's summer house to collect the brat.

"Let's go, Claire. Grab your bags, the jet is waiting." I stood impatiently tapping my foot, trying not to talk myself out of following through with this plan. I have to be insane to even be considering this. "Come on, twerp. Hurry up!"