Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 21

Merry Christmas Eve and Happy Holidays! Enjoy.

Stephen

"Santo is planning to kill you!"

Those words knocked the wind out of me. He was going to kill me? I knew he was doing some shady shit, but never did I think.

"You better be coming correct!" I waved the gun at him. He still had his hands up as he nodded vigorously.

"Yes! He told me h-h-himself!" I grabbed him off the floor and pinned him against the wall.

"You took a fucking code! You gave your blood!" I pushed him further into the wall as he shut his eyes. I threw him to the ground again and he looked up at me wildly. "Disloyal piece of shit. Be prepared to die like a fucking dog."

"Please!" Damien signaled for our men to take him to the room. They picked him up and he pathetically screamed the whole way. After they were out of sight, Giovanni, Damien and Vinny all looked at me.

"I should've cut him loose a long time ago. I've been so negligent. How could I not have seen him as a liability?" I shook my head and looked at my watch. We had better get started on sweeping the house. "He always questioned my authority. I don't think he truly ever wanted to give the family to me." I motioned around. "As we now can see."

"We have to find any plans or whatever he has hiding in the house. We have to be discreet and not sloppy." Damien said. "He cannot find out we are on to him."

"And you have to keep your cool." Giovanni added. "You cannot just shoot him in the head because we need to tear down everything he's potentially created." I sighed. My mind was racing a million miles. I need to focus.

"I will, it will be reckless if I act on my emotions. We just need to go in the damn house and we need to find all we can." I took my key and opened the door. I haven't been in this house in forever.

I looked around and it was pristine clean. Of course, my staff does this on the daily. But my father loves to keep things in order. We put gloves on like we were fucking detectives or something.

"Let's split up, Giovanni, the kitchen. Damien, bedroom. Vinny, the living room and then transition to the basement. I will take his office. The guards at the gate will notify me of Santo's return so we can dip out if we have to. Go!" We all went our separate directions and I made a bee line to his office.

I opened the heavy wooden door and saw it was much like the rest of the house. Very put together, not a spec of dust in sight. I went behind his desk and opened up drawers to see if I could find documents on anything. So far, I had nothing. There were just regular office supplies.

I took a look at the other storage he had behind his desk, but it was the same result. I saw a painting on the wall and it damn for sure had to be a safe behind it. I had to get in.

I went over and felt around the painting to see if it'd be able to move. Sure enough, I put my hand on the right side of it and pulled, it opened to reveal a safe.

I happen to be amazing at cracking safes, so this shouldn't be too hard.

I slowed my breathing to make sure I was focused because I had to do this quick. I put my ear against the safe as I moved the dial forwards and backwards according to the clicks. In this case, it was a four number code.

*Click*

That was the last number, I pulled the dial and it opened. I saw stacks of money, jewelry and then I saw a few folders. I quickly pulled them out and inspected them on his desk.