The Don's Trust

Chapter 43

Vito spent most of his days searching for the culprits. His instinct told him that the police force was the place to look for them. The feeling got stronger once he found out that the evidence Philip Coleman gathered for the Lucchese case had been destroyed. It was apparent, there were people in the police who didn't want the truth to get out.

''But that's police misconduct,'' Damian said to Vito.

''I know. Someone wanted to protect the people responsible for Eleni's and Nicolas' death.''

''You told me the old woman said they were young. So, I doubt they themselves were in the force. Maybe they were relatives with someone on the inside.''

Damian's remark affirmed what Vito had been thinking. He suspected either one or both culprits had a parent as a cop.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Two weeks later

Valentina tilted her head to the side at the sight of Vito blanky staring ahead of him. His arms crossed over each other and his gaze downward. She put the used cup in the sink and stood beside him.

''What are you doing?''

Vito's mind had drifted off toward his proposal to Valentina. Determined to do it someday this week. He pulled her closer and placed a feather-like kiss on her forehead.

''Not much. Are you free today?''

''Why?''

''I caught them,'' his tone was serious.

Valentina instantly knew who he was referring to. A week ago, Vito informed her about the culprits responsible for her birth parents' death. How the young man and woman killed them. Why the case was never solved and why the duo was never caught. Even though she got the answers to her questions, she didn't get the closure she hoped for.

When Vito captured the duo, getting answers out of them wasn't hard. The mere mention of torture made them spill everything to him.

Twenty-three years ago, the male culprit his father was the chief of police. As the son of the chief, the truth about his crimes was kept under tight wraps. The chief made sure his son would never have to set foot inside a prison. Nobody would know what happened on that night.

''I want to see them,'' she said.

Vito snatched the black gun on the kitchen island, ''Let's go then.''

She followed him and got inside his car. Valentina couldn't stop her worry from growing as she fastened her seatbelt.

''Are you going to need that?''

Vito took note shake in her voice, ''The gun? Depends on what they are going to do. Keep in mind that they will try to escape.'' Valentina nodded obediently and Vito continued, ''I'll be there, Valentina. You will be safe.''

Protecting her was Vito's top priority.

Eventually, Vito and Valentina reached the deserted building where he kept them. Two large men gave a terse nod to the Don. Vito released them of their guarding duty and opened the door for Valentina to get inside. Their footsteps echoing throughout the building.

''Stay close to me,'' he said as they walked down the stairs to reach the underground room.

Valentina had no intention of defying him.

From a distance, Valentina saw Xander standing in front of a door. His posture straight and his hands folded over each other. The same stoic expression he always wore displayed on his face.

''Don. Miss Armani,'' Xander greeted them with a firm nod.

This time around, Vito was the first to enter the room. Checking whether the culprits were up to anything. They weren't. When Vito saw the man and woman with their hands tied, he motioned for Valentina to come in.

Valentina observed them, her heart racing as she took in their appearance. Dirty hair, broken skin, big shadows under their eyes. The woman had short blonde hair and the man was balding. While both of their body frames looked fragile and powerless, the look in their eyes was haunting. They didn't fit the image she had drawn in her head. Nothing about them was physically threatening. Both of them looked jaded. Valentina took note of the light shaking of the man and woman.

''Who is she?'' the man mumbled, ''Let me go!''

The woman squinted her eyes at him, ''You? You mean us. Let us go. That's what you mean, right? Michael?''

The man lifted his head and said to Vito, ''You got what you wanted. You know now. Let me go! You can keep her. Keep Jessica,'' he cocked his head toward the blonde woman.

''You little bitch!'' Jessica shouted.

Michael's words weren't directed towards Valentina, but she felt disgusted. She knew the man would do anything to escape. Even throw his companion under the bus. Pathetic was the word she would use to describe the man called Michael.

''Do you want to ask them anything?'' Vito asked Valentina.

The second Vito took his watchful gaze off them, the man launched himself upward and reached his tied-up hands out to Valentina. He planned on using her as a hostage to get out.

Valentina sucked in a breath and began to move away. On reflex, Vito grabbed the man by his arm. Stopping his movement.

''I suggest you keep your hands to yourself,'' For Valentina's sake, Vito tried to keep his fury under control. Not wanting her to see his unhinged state, ''One more wrong move and you won't have them anymore.''

It wasn't often, Valentina witnessed this side of Vito. The cold look in his eyes was threateningly close to revealing his true emotions. It scared and thrilled her at the same time. Valentina touched Vito's arm to let him know she was fine.

Vito let go of his grip on Michael once he was certain the man wouldn't challenge him.

At first, Valentina mistook the man's shaking for fear, but only when she spotted the needle marks on his elbow pits, she realized it wasn't. He was a drug addict.

''What are you going to do to them?'' Valentina's voice was low so the other two wouldn't hear her.

''I can't let them live. They have already seen too much. I can make sure their death won't come easy if that's what you want.''

Vito was positive that Michael and Jessica wouldn't inform the police about him. It would be like one criminal reporting another one. People like Michael and Jessica preferred to stay in the underworld. In spite of what he knew, Vito wasn't going to take any chances. Killing them was the safest option.

She furrowed her eyebrows, ''No, I don't want revenge or anything of the sort.''

Vito disagreed with her choice but nodded anyway. He knew she wasn't out for revenge. Unlike her, he would make anyone who wronged him suffer.

To have Vito torture them felt wrong to Valentina. It would feel like kicking someone who was already on the ground. From the showings of their addiction, she gathered they had been on the bottom of a dark pit for a long time. Using drugs to forget the images of that horrific night. Escape reality whenever they could.

Valentina didn't feel any compassion for them, but torture wouldn't give her closure. She got her closure. Now, she knew what kind of people killed the Luccheses.

Valentina wanted to move on.

''Go to Xander. I'll be there in a second,''

With one last look at Michael and Jessica, Valentina stepped outside the room. Fully aware they would no longer be alive when Vito would come out of the room. The booming sound of a gunshot reached her ears.

One.

The woman got shot in the head.

It was silent for a full minute before Valentina heard another gunshot.

Two.

Then the sound of an agonizing scream rang throughout the space they were in. A chill ran through Valentina's body. Xander didn't bat an eye. She guessed he had grown accustomed to such sounds.

Three.

That was the last gunshot. Michael had taken his last breath. Vito would have given him only one bullet if he hadn't tried to put his unworthy hands on Valentina.