I didn't dare look back. I didn't want to remember the way Nis' frame hovered at the window or the look in his eyes. I steeled myself for what I knew was coming.
My brother's voice sliced through the air as I reached his car. "Unbelievable. Dad's not even cold, and you're cozying up to one of his scumbags."
I said nothing to defend myself. Although I had children, I wasn't married anymore, nor did I form any long-term ties that weren't of the platonic kind. Neither had I gone through the Don's entire posse of men to have earned this type of behavior.
"Everyone deals with their grief differently," I said.
"You disgust me. Who was the pizza guy?" My brother continued his holier than thou tirade.
"I fancied myself a tete-a-tete. Turns out he wasn't my type, but the other guys." I examined my nails, and stole a glance at the motel's now shut door, hoping he would attribute the night to my pretend promiscuous, party-girl ways.
"Absolute trash. I should drop you downtown with the other prostitutes. You'd fit right in."
"Oh, f- off and drive already. I've always done what I wanted. Why should I stop for you?"
"You represent our entire group, and this is how you act? I'm not buying it. Don't think I don't know you've been kicking the tires of Dad's ops."
I admitted nothing. His presence had blindsided me, and I was glad that Nis had kept his wits about him. "Whatever. Why would I bite the hand that feeds us?"
"Because that's what you are. A dog who bites the family who owns you."
I stared at him, thinking I would have fun watching him squirm when the time came. "Fine, suit yourself. Kill a couple of guys I was having fun with before I took on the mantle of Dona. Go on. What are they to me?" I kept my voice steady before finishing.
"Oh, I know why... because that's you. A dog at the end of his chain, ready to bite anything. Even if it's the air."
My brother's laughter, tinged with an unsettling edge, echoed in the confines of the car. I couldn't shake the feeling there was more at play than a mere confrontation between siblings. The family dynamics and intricate relationships within the criminal underworld complicate our situation.
I held my breath until he finally turned the key over in the ignition and drove from the parking lot.
Someone had tipped him off, and I needed to find out who. There's one thing I could count on. It was his big mouth. He'd let it slip soon enough.
The night air felt tense as the vehicle pulled away from the motel, leaving unresolved issues and unspoken accusations behind. The strained silence between the siblings lingered, broken only by the soft hum of the engine.
My mind raced with strategy as the car rolled through the city streets. I needed to tread carefully and unmask the informant without revealing my vulnerabilities. The power dynamics within their family and the dangerous game they played demanded a delicate touch.
I considered the implications of my brother's unexpected appearance. The accusation about my involvement with my father's associates stung, but I maintained a façade of nonchalance, hiding the complexity of my emotions beneath a calm exterior.
The road stretched ahead, dimly illuminated by the sparse glow of streetlights. In the confines of the car, the atmosphere was charged with unspoken words and familial discord. The revelation that someone had tipped off my brother gnawed at my thoughts, and my determination to uncover the traitor simmered.