Sante

Chapter 1-2

I started to slide the key in the door, and Cora suddenly pulled it open. She ran into my arms, and I knew she was scared and wanted to know what was happening. Growing up around us with her mom as our family cook, we all thought of her as a little sister.

She stood back and reached for Renato. She was the only woman, besides our mom and Cora’s mom, who got any affection from Renato.

“I thought you three were dead.” Cora wiped the tears stung her eyes.

EJ came in last. Cora gave him a hug, and he didn’t reciprocate, which was strange. His eyes bounced from me to Cora as he reached an arm around her waist and rubbed her back.

“We’re fine, Cora,” EJ replied, releasing his grip. All three of us walked further into the house, and I stepped into the living room with my father talking on the phone.

“Where’s Mom?” EJ questioned. Cora pointed to the kitchen. I walked further in the room to the fireplace, with the mantel covered in family photos of us as kids during the summer months in Italy.

“I need everything immediately covered by Tulio.” Father ended the call, and a sigh escaped his lips as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

I placed the photo back down and faced him.

“Savio is getting the footage together,” I said.

“You're the underboss. How did this happen, Sante?”

Father and I never had clashes the way he often did with Savio or Renato, but his questioning of my abilities would be the first time he’d see another side of me. I clenched my fists at my sides.

“We’re looking into Papa.”

His brows knitted together.

“Savio is handling the company, and his wife is pregnant. Did you forget!” he seethed, tossing his hands up and sitting on the couch. I marched over and took a seat next to him.

“My whole life has been in Savio’s shadow, and I gladly do the job, but don’t sit up here and make it seem like I’ve slacked in my duties, or did you forget Greco?”

“Sante.”

I looked up at my mother. I approached and wrapped her in my arms, kissing her on the forehead.

“Madre.”

She raised a hand to my cheek.

“Are you hurt?” She ran a hand down my chest, turning me around, and I chuckled.

“Mother, I'm fine.”

She slapped me on the chest and wiggled her finger in my face.

“This is serious, Sante. Why am I getting calls on lockdown?” she fussed. My father reached a hand out toward her and pulled her down next to him.

Their love was the beacon of our family, like my grandparents before them. Even I knew that finding that bond would never happen for me. Savio joked often that I would be a recluse for the rest of my life because I lacked the emotional tools to connect with a woman outside of the bedroom. I explained my intentions head on, and they either wanted to do as I say or be replaced. At the age of thirty-four, I did everything that Savio did growing up, and he could now complain about my lack of relationships, but he was in my place once, until McKayla came around.

“We were leaving the office, but I have a feeling who’s behind this.”

“I cooked. Where’s Savio?” she quipped.

“Still at the office, last time I talked to him.” I glimpsed at my watch.

“What about McKayla?” Mother looked from me to my father.

“She’s protected.”

“I’ll call.” She jumped up, picked up the house phone, and dialed McKayla’s number, heading out of the living room for privacy.

“Carmine is behind this,” Father spoke slowly.

“I agree. After Maurizio’s death, we knew he’d retaliate.”

His cell vibrated along with mine.

Savio: Here’s the video

“Turn on the news,” I heard my father say. I reached for the remote from the table and clinked to the local news station. A breaking news story broadcasted with a clip of me, Renato, EJ, and a bodyguard dropping down to the ground as stray bullets rained down on us. I gritted my teeth.

“Motherfucker!” I threw the remote across the room.

“Sante.” Father glared at me.

“We have breaking news with a local shooting at Calabresi Inc,” explained by the reporter.

“This is not good.”

All our hard work was based on being seen as a respectable family in the media. Our hands in legitimate business and g*n smuggling would be compromised by this today. That was exactly what Carmine wanted.

“He planned for them to look at us as monsters.”

“Tulio said to lay low. He’s checking on statements from some of the people who were wounded.” Father stood and shook his head. We’d come back from the book scandal, and now our names were being pulled into more issues.

“I say we kill him now.” Renato leaned against the entrance of the door.

“I need to find out what he wants.”

“Then what?”

“We bury him next to his boss.”

Renato peeked behind him, then came closer to where I stood.

“Is Elio weird right now to you?”

“No, why?” I didn’t want to say how I thought it was weird about his lack of comfort toward Cora.

“Nothing, maybe he’s shook up.”

“Listen, call a meeting with Carmine, the faster the better.”

“If he declines?”

“Mandatory. If he doesn’t show, that means he’s showing how guilty he is, and I don’t take betrayal easily.”

“That’s the Sante I remember.” Renato grinned. I flipped him off, and we hugged each other.

“I want our men surrounding the building, even across the street with snipers.”

“Have you talked to Savio about your idea?”

“I will.”

“If he finds out later, you know he’ll hate to be left out of the loop.”

We started toward the kitchen together.

“Once things clear up, and I get some sleep, I’ll have a meeting with just the four of us.”

“Father knows about your proposal?”

“No one except you, and I’m trusting you to support the deal.”

He raised his hands.

“Anything that brings me more money and guns, I’m all for the setup.”

I wrapped my arms around his shoulder and came into the kitchen with my mother laughing with Cora and Father.

“Where’s EJ?” I probed.

“Somewhere around here, pouting,” Mother declared. I stared at Cora for a brief second and saw she ignored the question and packed up her bags.

“Hey, where are you going?” I asked.

“Home, you guys are safe now.”

“No one leaves Cora.”

“Sante,” Cora whined, throwing her hands on her hip.

“He’s right, Cora. What if they're still watching?” Mother dropped the knife on the counter.

Cora sighed, rolling her eyes at me, removed her bag, and went to sit at the island.

“Besides kids, you have people at the office to handle things. If something happens to you, your mother would kill me.” I patted her on the head, and she pushed me away.

“Sante, that's not the point I’m in charge of,” Cora grumbled, picked up the tomato, and helped my mother to prepare the salad.

“What did McKayla say?” I snatched a piece of the tomato from the pile and tossed it in my mouth.

“She’s with Rena, and they're okay. Savio arrived home, while Vincenzo wanted to get things fixed at the office.”

“I’m going to head out and make some calls.”

“Me too.” Renato kissed our mother and Cora on the cheek and followed me out of the kitchen.

“Keep me updated, boys!” Father called to our backs.

I gave a thumbs up and continued out of the house and hopped in my car that I kept at my parents’ house.

“Am I dropping you off?” I asked Renato.

“No, my men are coming, and we're going out to check on some things.”

I slammed my door, started the car as the gate doors opened, and Renato’s crew pulled up.

“Call if anything happens.”

“You just remember to call a meeting.” He walked backwards to the car and jumped in the passenger side.

“Try not to end up in jail!” I shouted.

“Jail can’t handle me!” He laughed, as they turned on the roundabout and turned left.