Rising from ashes

Chapter 44

Sky

"Did you end up speaking to that Marino soldier?" Dom asked casually.

"I'm going to meet him now. He sent me a location." I stated as I got into my car.

Without a word, Dom tosses his keys to one of the soldiers and climbs into my car.

"Head to the Cave, we will meet you there." I order.

With that, I reversed my car and headed to the ally on 5th street.

We found Cosimo hidden behind a dumpster frantically looking around.

"Calm down, no one followed us."

He released a relieved breath before walking towards us.

"What is it you wanted to speak to me about?" I ask cautiously.

"You," I raised an eyebrow trying to figure out what he was talking about.

"The way you stood up for your soldiers during the meeting with Manuele, I was just wondering why. You are the Capo of the Silvestri clan. One of the strongest mobs in America so why, why would you care what your soldiers think." His voice softened as he continued to speak. It was like he didn't see what reason I would have to care. I didn't blame him. Most Capo's only saw their soldiers as pawns to their gain to power. But me, I cared about every life I put on the line.

"Trust and loyalty." I started. "That's what I strive for. You can't expect your soldiers to stand by you without those values. Even if they fear you, fear can only take you so far. They can easily betray you for money or a better life style where they are not forced to do things they don't want. That's why I take care of them, so that I know I can depend on them the same way they depend on me."

After a minute of silence, Cosimo spoke.

"The Marinos only care about their allies when it benefits them. When you stop being useful, they will betray you."

I turned my head towards Dom and we exchanged a knowing look. We had already figured that was the case. The question was, why was he telling us this?

"Why are you telling us this?"

"I have a sister, she was diagnosed with cancer a month back. My pay can't cover the chemo she needs to survive. I asked Manuele for money, for some time off to take care of her but he laughed in my face and said it wasn't his problem." Cosimo's voice grew bitter by the second. "My family has worked for the Marinos for as long as I can remember. We put our lives on the line for them but the minute we need help, they are nowhere to be found. I- I want to switch sides."

I would like to say I was shocked but to be honest I wasn't. Desperation was evident on his face and to be honest, I felt sorry for him. Turning to Dom I muttered an approval and he pulled out a burner phone.

I handed it to Cosimo and explained how our deal would work. "I will take care of your sister but you need to keep me updated on anything happening within the Marinos. I will make it look like you are getting loans to pay for your sister's hospital bills so that no one gets suspicious but there is nothing I can do about you wanting days off. Use the burner phone whenever you need to contact me. Be careful not to caught, but if you ever do get caught, let me know and I will get you and your family out. That's the best I can do."

Cosimo agreed to our terms and fled back to the Marinos. Having spys always made things easier. Now, I was sure to be one step ahead a