In addition to the week off, Gio had given Elle an extra two days away from work. Apparently she had just finished getting ready when he had called tell her she did not need to come in. She had not been happy with him, at all. But he had managed to smooth things over. Telling her he was trying to suss out who had tried to take her out. Then adding that two days would be enough for the teeth marks on her shoulder to not be so visible.
She had still been angry, but she had backed down. Gio had not even tried to hide his sigh of relief before hanging up. He had people guarding her apartment from a distance, but it was not enough. He needed to do more. Find out who was after him and put them in the ground if he had to.
But so far he had nothing. From the Rossi family to the Colombos. No one was taking responsibility for the attack. In fact some had claimed to not even known about it. Acting genuinely shocked.
Taking them on their word, Gio had left. More than once regretting the fact that his consigliere, Maria, who also happened to be the family lawyer, was out of the country. She had left two days after the attack, a situation popping up abroad. Having someone else go in his stead, someone not emotionally involved would have been better. And Maria Hunt, was not the Romano consigliere for nothing, she was a tough old bird, nothing rattled that woman. But she was not there, so Gio had to handle things himself.
It had taken all his willpower to enquire peacefully. Not outright pointing fingers.
In the mafia world, pointed fingers were chopped fingers. You did not make accusations you could not back up. And one wrong word to the wrong person, and the uneasy truces they kept shattered.
The last thing the Romanos needed was a war.
Especially since Gio actually believed the other families when they said they had nothing to do with the attack. That meant only one thing. There was a new player on the board that no one knew anything about. The representatives of the other families had looked uneasy at the thought. But no one had denied it was a huge possibility.
Other than the unclaimed kill, the only other thing Gio had pointing to the possibility of there being someone new was a card.
A simple red card that no one recognized, but all of his attackers when searched had a red card on them.
Gio and the other families had parted with the agreement that they would all keep an eye out. Ears on the ground.
A new challenger meant the playing field might change. The families were old, used to a certain way of doing things. None of them would be willing to give up their way of life so easily.
With the other families out as suspects. Gio's only other lead had been the man who had been leading the attack at club M. But even that was not looking promising.
The man, using something so old school no one had thought to check for it, had tried to kill himself. A cyanide pill hidden in a fake tooth.
They had managed to save him, but he was barely holding on. And during the times when he was awake, he was out of his mind. Barely able to string together coherent sentences.
No matter how gifted the interrogator, Gio doubted they would have been able to get anything from the man.
But even worse than the fact that the one person who could shed some light on the situation had made it impossible to question them. What made things worse was how the man had done it.
Attempted Suicide.
Most lackeys either chose to endure torture, or started singing the moment they were caught. But the man had kept his mouth shut, and at the earliest opportunity, he had tried to take his own life.
That meant only one thing, the man was more scared of his boss, than he was of the mafia.
And that was…alarming.
Mafia were not famous for giving candy and singing happy songs. They were not a let's hug things out type of organization. They were known for their brutality, but somewhere out there. There was something scary enough that a grown man chose death after being captured.
It was not a comforting thought. Just thinking about Elle, exposed to such a threat without even a shred of protection made Gio's blood run cold.
He had to do something, but he had no idea what it would be until the moment he knocked on her door and she answered, letting him in.
He followed her into the apartment. Noting the monochrome colour scheme. The way it looked barely lived in, no hints of her personality in it at all. Granted she had recently switched apartments, but Gio found himself not wanting her to stay long enough in the apartment for her personality to seep into it.
'She looks better in my house, she belongs there'
The thought made itself at home and Gio let it.
Elle was still talking, something about getting him a drink but Gio barely heard. Sinking down onto one knee in the middle of her speech.
"Elle," He called, his voice a low rumble. His palms sweaty as he pulled off the ring the he wore on his pinkie finger.
A plain gold band that had belonged to his grandmother. It had been passed down from his grandfather to Gio's dad after her death. And then to Gio when his own father died. His mother had not worn it long, she had died soon after Gio's eleventh birthday, but he still remembered her wearing it all the time. It was in every picture he had of her.
It was the most important worldly possession be had.
'Use this when you find the girl who makes your heart sing' His father had said, and looking at her, Gio knew she was the one.
"Elle," He called again.
She turned, still talking.
"Gio, how do you feel about-" Her voice died when she noticed his posture and the ring in his hand.
"Danielle Cutting, will you marry me?"