Chasing Stars - A Midnight Mafia Novel

Chapter Thirty-Four

                If Alessio was the mouse, Nash was the cheese. He knew who Nash was. He hadn't shot him because of me, he shot him because he knew. "What do you mean?" I said trying to sound as innocent and clueless as I could but my voice was quivering.

He watched me for a few moments and then his stern look fell completely. "I wasn't going to tell you Katherine."

"Tell me what?"

He began walking out of the room and I followed obediently. The men from the kitchen had scattered to what was once a sitting room but was now wired with computers and an ash tray over flowing with cigarettes and cigars. When they saw us they left the room wordlessly.

Alessio stopped at the coffee table and moved aside a few folders and papers until he found the one he wanted. He looked up at me with serious, but gentle eyes. "I wasn't going to tell you because I know of your...fondness towards Matteo. I was accepting being the bad guy and this big scary monster who shot your "friend" because I didn't want to ruin your image of him. I didn't want you to be hurt. I love you, I was trying to protect you from this all Katherine. All of it. From the very start I didn't want to get involved with you for these exact reasons, for you to get hurt, to be deceived, to be in danger. Maybe my shielding you has put you at even bigger risk, allowed you to be naïve, blind to dangers right in front of your face."

"Just tell me."

"Please just understand that Katherine. I didn't shoot him out of jealousy, I shot him because he is a very dangerous enemy. And a double crosser at that." He definitely knew. "And I only didn't tell you because I'm still trying to protect you from this world. I just thought you could go on thinking this Matteo was a good guy and over time you would grow to forgive me."

"Alessio, I get it. Just tell me."

He handed me the folder, I was really getting to hate these things. My heart was beating out of my chest as I opened the folder ready to see Nash in uniform or with the force. I was immediately confused. There were tons of pictures of Nash but they appeared to all be him working with the Mafia. "I don't understand."

Alessio was at my side and I didn't pull away. "I'm sure you recognize this man." He pointed to a picture of Nash and the head of the Bonanno.

"Looks a bit different without the gun pointed at my head." I muttered.

"Giovanni Bonanno."

"So?"

He moved through a few pictures. "These men he's working with here?" He stopped at a picture of Nash at the docks. He was smoking a cigarette while men were unloading boxes from a boat and stacking them beside him. He looked so cold and dangerous as he watched the men work, cigarette hanging from his mouth and a semi in his arms. "They are in the Gambino."

"Okay?"

"So are these." He handed me a stack of pictures I glanced through briefly. It was more typical mafia activity. Some pictures worse than others. "And over here." He handed me another picture where Nash was passing something small to another man. "This is Paulo Colombo. Don of the Colombo." Nash, or rather Matteo and Paulo were probably exchanging drugs. No, they didn't take drug shipments that small and Paulo would never sell the drugs himself. He had people to do that for him. The next photo was one of the men shaking hands, and the next them smoking casually.