Chapter 12
Tricia reached across the bed to find it empty. With a sigh, she laid back on her back to stare at the ceiling. The night was spend hiding and running from memories that were best left in the past. She remembered blood from her mother and the touch from someone that was supposed to have been a friend.
She hadn’t heard Little Tony come in, but wasn’t surprised. He was probably hanging out with Rinaldo in his apartment. One day Rin will be a good leader. He takes after his dad, unlike either of the Assante children. If only they had more of their dad’s personality…heck, if she did her brother wouldn’t have been brought into the police for a…well, for a usually forgettable death.
Tricia had always been good at cleaning up a mess. Maybe she should have went that path? Maybe this was for the best, anyway. Nicky probably left to find out everything she could about the two surnames that she’d been given last night. Tricia was leaning towards Nicky taking off after finding out the truth.
A weight dropping on the bed had Tricia reaching for a gun that she hadn’t carried in years before jerking back in shock. “Nicky? I thought you left.”
“Gino Russo is a suspected mob boss whose control has been tied to multiple trade routes in New York, Boston, and Chicago.” Nicky gave the information with a guarded look and a tilt to her head. Tricia felt the judgement all the way to where she was leaning back against the headboard. “His son, Rinaldo Russo, is showing promise of taking over the business.” Now Nicky crosses her arms with her face becoming even more stony, if such a thing was possible. “Antonio ‘Big Tony’ Assante is the suspected enforcer. He has two children, Antonio ‘Little Tony’ Assante Jr. and Patrizia Assante. Neither is shown to having any ties to the family business, with Patrizia looking to be estranged. Anything you want to add?”
At the end, Tricia snapped her jaw shut. “How did you find that out?”
Here Nicky’s masked cracked and she smirked. “Orbit. You’re the one that introduced me to the hacker that pretty much doesn’t trust anything that ‘The Man’ tells us.”
“Hacking the police data base?” This time it was Tricia to look at Nicky with a raised eyebrow. “That’s a very black hat kind of thing to do.”
Nicky shook her head and scooted forward, so she could reach for Tricia’s hands. “You’ve been watching Leverage way too much lately.”
Tricia wasn’t about to deny that. “What can I say? I like ‘bad’ guys doing good.” Here she gives Nicky’s hands a squeeze. “What do you want to know? You know there’s some things…”
“I know.” Nicky looks away but doesn’t pull her hands free. “Doesn’t make it right, but I get it. It would be hearsay in court, but it would still be betraying your family.”
Tricia yanks her hands free and wrapped them around herself. “No. You don’t get it. It’s more than that. I…I understand why my family does the things that they do. They fill a hole that was left there. They enforce the people that…well, your family can’t. Or won’t.”
“That’s because no one ever speaks up when they’re asked!” Nicky snaps back and Tricia glares over at her. “How can criminals be prosecuted when there’s no witness!”
“Maybe because you leave right after you get what you want!” Tricia dug her fingernails into her hand to remind her keep her voice down, even if it was definitely louder than talking level. “The cops come in whenever they want to enforce some law, but then take off afterward back to their safe homes. They come in, create a vacuum of power, and take off. You have ANY idea how many die when there’s a power struggle??”
“What does that have to do with your family?” Nicky bit back, but Tricia was already done with the conversation.
She threw back the covers and grabbed her pants that she’d thrown off last night. “They fill the void that your family makes.” She quickly throws a shirt on and slides her feet into a pair of shoes.
“Where are you going?!” Nicky’s voice was still higher than what would be considered conversational level. “Tricia!”
“Out.” Tricia purposefully grabbed her book bag. “Have to study before class. Don’t forget to lock up when you leave.”
“Wait…”
Tricia closed the door.