The Beginning

Nicky

"What did you find?" My attention turned to Oscar and Silas; the two tasked with keeping eyes on Hannibal's known spots.

"Nobody in or out at his mom's place. Meals on wheels came, but that was it." Oscar shook his head.

"Marc and I went through the trailer. There's absolutely no way he ever lived there." Silas replied.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"The place is filled with random shit. There's like old newspapers and ripped furniture." Silas informed.

"Like seven toilets all stacked on top of each other. Bunch of dead animals, too." Marcelo cringed.

"When did you say you got that phone call?" I asked Tess.

"Saturday. I was at the apartment with Lexi." She assured her friend had an alibi.

"You think Lexi had something to do with it?" Santi wondered.

"I do." I looked him in the eye.

"Lexi's a lot, but she's not malicious." Santi defended.

"You got an in with her or something?" Marc asked with a snicker. "I mean, we all do, but—"

"Marcelo." Uncle Dom chided.

"Didn't you say he was still in custody?" I turned everyone's attention to him. Glancing around at the faces that stared back, Uncle Dom hesitated to answer.

Tension overtook once more, without Tatiana to hold onto, Tess's hand sought comfort on my outer thigh.

I overlapped her hand with mine and slipped my fingers between hers.

"Dad?" Vin pressed. "You said that you had people watching him, right?"

Uncle Dom's eyes dropped to the tablecloth. "I thought I did." He admitted with a grim sigh. "Hannibal had more pull than I imagined. None of them were willing to talk."

"But you paid them." Silas pointed out.

"Doesn't matter." Uncle Dom dismissed with the wave his hand. "Whatever he did, whatever he said to them, they're terrified."

"Why don't you just threaten them? Isn't that how we handle it now?" I inquired.

His gaze narrowed on Tess.

"Nic." Tess reproved.

The table fell silent. Witnesses to what my uncle had done dropped their gaze to the table. Those who were unaware made it known.

"Dominic?" My mom finally spoke up.

"It needed to stay quiet, Julissa." He defended.

"What's gotten into you?" She questioned heatedly. "We built this family on our own morals. It wasn't long ago that we were just like them."

Rather than argue with her, Uncle Dom focused on me. "You haven't said what you plan to do."

"I'm not sure I can say it in present company."

Heads turned toward Tess. Narrow gazes shriveled her.

"I'm not talking about her." I watched Uncle Dom. My eyes, then, passed over Vincent, Julius and Mateo. "If it ain't Lexi, then we got a rat."

Eyes shot up. Brothers scoped each other out for any signs of guilt or deception. Cousins gave looks we used to give across the table when it was time to go for a "walk."

"Roni was the one who told us." Oscar spoke first.

"She was bitching. A lot." Silas agreed.