Miles Away (Carrion #1)(78)
Knox cleared his throat as he adjusted his tie. Looking up at his brother with an intense gaze, Knox replied, “Hell has finally frozen over. The old man has aligned himself with Nunzio Rigatti.”
Suddenly Dustin’s eyes hardened as he heard the name of the Brooklyn mob boss who had been his father’s blood enemy since before he was born.
“Are you f*cking kidding me?” Dustin spat. “This has to be a joke. There’s no way in hell…”
“He admitted it to me about an hour ago. I came straight here.”
“Rigatti is going to make a move on Miles.”
“Innocent people are going to get hurt. This changes things, Knox,” Dustin spat as he stood up from his office chair.
“He has no intentions of telling Miles that he’s been boosted to the seat of acting boss. He plans to let him find out when Rigatti comes at him.”
“This is going to be a blood bath.”
“You ain’t kidding. And everybody knows the way to draw Miles out…”
“Letty…” Dustin said plainly. “What are we going to do?”
“For now? Play it cool and stick to the game plan.”
“Have you talked to Miles?”
“Why? So he can break my f*cking nose again?”
Dustin laughed as he pointed at Knox’s nose.
“Guess you gotta go back to the plastic surgeon…” Dustin quipped.
Knox gave Dustin an annoyed look. “What the f*ck? Why does everyone think I have a plastic surgeon?”
“Because every time Miles sees you, he breaks your f*cking nose,” Dustin replied as he shook his head.
“So he dimed out his own son. I wonder why, though?”
“Over a woman, I’m sure,” Knox explained. “At least that’s what I gathered from Letty’s voicemail.
Dustin sat back down in his chair as he pondered the situation at hand.
“Nunzio Rigatti,” Dustin said, as the wheels in his head churned. He had a faraway look in his eyes as he slowly put the puzzle pieces together.
“Father of Gino Rigatti who tried to execute Uncle Sonny after he knocked up Aunt Stef. Dad got his vindication by shooting him dead in the middle of rush hour traffic in Philly. Nunzio is also the grandfather of Giancarlo Rigatti, the murder of whom Miles served seventeen years for. Our father is up to his old tricks. The Butcher frames Miles, and he is going to let Nunzio Rigatti get his revenge. As for Letty, I think the old man was fond of her because she took such good care of him. I think Letty is just a pawn that Michael will use to take Miles out.”
“And that right there is why I f*cking love you,” Knox said with a gleaming smile. Shooting out of his chair, he reached across the desk and messed up Dustin’s head of well-gelled hair.
“Aye!” Dustin yelled.
“Wrap this up. We have a dinner to go to.”
“Ah, yes. Dinner. Let me grab my gun,” Dustin said with a dark smile growing across his face.
Knox turned on his heel and with a serious look on his face, he replied, “You might need it.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
THE CRYSTAL CHANDELIER that hung in the massive dining room of the Capadonno mansion twinkled gently, catching the burning flames of the candles that were set upon the dining room table. The long table was set for sixteen dinner guests with the Capadonno fine china and silver carefully placed at each setting. A Perry Como CD played at a soft decibel as Sasha smoothed the damask champagne-hued table cloth once more. Wearing an elegant cream dress with exquisite beading across the bodice, Sasha was the picture of natural elegance. With her makeup perfectly applied, and her dark hair pulled back into a sleek high bun, Sasha was barely recognizable. She had stepped out of her yoga pants and track shoes and high-toed it into the world of Italian couture. Behind her, the antique grandfather clocked boomed three times loudly, announcing that it was three o’clock. The dinner party would be starting soon.
Sasha appeared nervous as she placed a variety of piping hot dishes on the table. Every few seconds she peered up at the doorway of the dining room checking to see if anyone had arrived yet. With the exception of Michael and Arianna, Sasha was alone in the house. When the last entrée was placed in the center of the dining room table, Sasha let out a deep breath as she smoothed down her dress. Rushing out of the room, she retrieved a crystal vase from the china cabinet. She quickly filled the vase with tepid water and placed it in the center of the table. Traipsing back to the kitchen counter, Sasha unwrapped two dozen white English roses from their plastic sheath and carried them out to the dining room to be placed in the vase. As the last rose was carefully arranged, Sasha took a step back and admired her hard work. All that was left to do was sit back and wait for her family to arrive. Although most dinner hostesses would relish in the calm before their dinner party arrived, Sasha could feel herself becoming more nervous. Wringing her hands together, Sasha let out another deep breath. The sound of her exhale was drowned out by the loud shrill of the doorbell.
Sasha’s heels clicked loudly against the marble floor of the foyer as she rushed to answer the door. Swinging the massive oak door ajar, Sasha welcomed her cousin, Rumor, warmly with a kiss on each of her cheeks. Dressed elegantly in a red knee-length dress with her black curls falling over her shoulders, Rumor smiled at Sasha. Behind her, Ruin Rizzolli was pushing Rumor’s father, Sonny, in his wheelchair, both men looking dapper in black suits. Admittedly, Ruin was a tad more alert than old Sonny was, who appeared to be in another dimension entirely.