Blood for my Rose |• Crimson Rose series✔️

Chapter 29

Italy
Sicily

So how did you finally get to meet Rosa, if you said you never went back to...what's it called?"

"Tucson!" Riley fired at Sergio. Then he got up to face Bunicci, leaving Sergio's question unanswered. "I've really never thought back to the details of the night my brother was killed. But now that I have, I want to ask for a favor."

Welcoming of Riley's demands, Bunicci said, "carry on."

"I need your help to track someone down."

The old man scowled. "Who would that be?"

"Ricardo Montreal." He wanted to know where the lucky bastard was. If he was dead, then he deserved it.

Sergio started speaking but was interrupted as soon as Giovani invited himself into the lounge with a hasty stomp.

He drew a deep breath. "Father, you need to come see this."

Riley groaned out loud, tired of the stupid suspense of 'come see this' that had been going on through his stay here. Bunicci stood up, and Riley squinted, as a thought of what he heard earlier in the day registered in his head. Now that he was completely sober, he could reason like a man. "Why don't you tell every one of us why you're being sneaky?"

"Pardon?"

"You heard me, Giovani."

Giovani turned completely around so Riley was in his field of view. He marched forward and touched the belted gun against his waistline. "Are you insinuating something?" His tone was coarse.

His used-to-be-victim arose, though not above him because Riley stood shorter than the outsized Giovani, but at least he didn't look weak and unenthusiastic today. "I'm saying you should tell us all who the fuck you were talking to on the phone earlier that made you weary of everyone else."

Sparing everyone at the lounge a quick glance, except Riley of course, he guffawed something he knew was fake. "Fine." He was still laughing. "Why don't you all tell him." He gestured at everyone and finally pointed at Riley.

Enzo immediately said he was out of that business, so did Sergio. So Riley was cluelessly looking at Bunicci—his last option.

"Since no one would say anything, I'll fill the blanks for you." Giovani's hand went off the gun and he crossed them over his chest. "So apparently, Rosa is still alive and you're a fucktard for making everyone think she died."

Giovani walked out of the lounge with a straight face, before Riley could even ask the others what the first born had meant by what he said.

Riley's stomach twisted into a tight knot and his mouth went dry. He was trying to read their unsurprised expression as though he could make them act surprised so he'd feel less stupid than he did.

"It is true, Loius," Enzo said and tapped behind the hapless guy's neck.

His next action was to confront Bunicci; the old man seemed to be in the dark, if Riley judged from how the conversation between Giovani and his caller had gone. "Y-you knew?"

Bunicci looked surprised at that comment for a moment and then his lips clamped together firmly. "Son, I knew from the day you handed me the tablet of the footage. Seems like you never finished the clip. But I did. Trust me I'd have told you since then, but each time I asked about you, Romero always said you were asleep. This is pretty much the first conversation we've had since you arrived."

Riley was angry and he could not place the reason for his anger. It was a good news that was supposed to bring him pleasure. He'd get to be with Rose again. To love her again. It was a relief worthy moment, yet he couldn't smile. He sought out that emotion from within, somehow he came back void of it.