Chasing Stars - A Midnight Mafia Novel

Chapter Thirteen

When I got back to the table the leather bag was on my chair and our dinner was on the table.

"Chicken cacciatore." He explained calmed as I made it back to my seat. I knew if I hadn't turned my phone off it probably would have been blowing up right now.

I simply smiled. "It looks good."

"I'd serve you nothing less." We ate in silence for a few minutes before I dug in the leather bag. I searched for Sarah Mitchell's report first as it had been something I had been holding onto deeper than a lot of the other cases I had been looking into.

I closed my eyes after reading the date. How could I have been so stupid? I may have glanced to the date a time or two but never really taken it into consideration and had nearly sold Alessio out over it.

Eight years ago.

He wasn't in charge when it happened.

I set the folder back down and opened my eyes, he was watching me with intense eyes. "What else?" He said calmly.

I glanced to the folder. Did I really need to go through every case with Alessio? Or could I put some sort of trust and faith into him? I moved Sarah's file down just a bit until I could see the date on the next file which was only three years ago. I narrowed my eyes. Sarah Mitchell may have been before his time but it appeared Lindsey Irving of the next case had not been so lucky. Don't jump to conclusions. I reminded myself and moved Sarah's file to cover up Lindsey's face and date again. "So you're telling me that under your watch, nothing like this has happened?" I built myself up, preparing for an honest answer.

"Of course not. But I can tell you that I don't simply let it go nor do I protect my men as my father did."

I let out breath. I had hoped he would simply say no, but I couldn't help but feel undoubtedly that he was being honest right now. I was tempted to throw myself across the table and beg for his forgiveness at jumping to such conclusions but there was something more important than groveling right now. I couldn't make the same mistake twice, I needed all of the facts. "What do you mean?"

"I always mean exactly what I say. Those men were acquitted? My men would not be."

"And the ones who are still working for you?"

"They realize that I am not my father. I cannot cross the decision my father had already made when they were his men. Should my men do such a crime I certainly wouldn't coddle them the way my father did. You saw me shoot Marco point blank for even trying to hurt you. This was before I even liked you, you actually quite annoyed me but I still protected you."

"I annoyed you?"

He suppressed a smile and continued. "If one of my men committed such a crime they would serve jail time, or be punished. I would make sure of such things. There is no tolerance. My father cared about nothing more than profit and family. Meaning as long as the family was making him money they could do no wrong. I am not my father Katherine. Of this, Madre has made certain of."

There was a certain touch of venom to his words that didn't get past me. Something I would have to come back to another day I'm sure, but right now I had to handle this satchel. I glanced down to the folder. "So no one has been raped by your men since you took over?"

"No, I didn't say that either." He said with a frown. "I can't control what they do. I can only control my reaction to such actions. When I first took over I let things go slightly more so, as my father was still standing behind me at all times. I certainly didn't protect my men, but they still had a home in our family. It's no longer like that. There are punishment to actions. For everyone. Every action has a reaction." I took careful note of the for everyone.