The two days after the wedding that he and Elle had, had to themselves barely qualified as a honeymoon. But Gio could not pretend that he had no problems simply because he was a newly wed.
And the problem at the top of them all was not something that could be pushed aside. When he had set out, things had been somewhat simple. Find the boss of the men who had attacked him and then tried to kill his Elle. But then Maria had dropped a nuclear bomb on him.
He was not just looking at a two dimensional problem. Instead he was looking at a multi-dimensional beast that pointed to both a serial killer and a threat to the order of the criminal world.
Not only was there a serial killer out there. There was a serial killer with followers loyal enough to go after a don despite knowing that it would most likely end in their deaths. Followers with so much fear of their leader, they saw death as more preferable than snitching. That just made things a whole lot harder for Gio.
Adding to that Gio would no longer be having Maria's valuable input on the matter. There was a delicate situation unfolding in Colombia. Something that Gio had been keeping an eye on hoping it would resolve itself. But after months of watching and waiting, he had to act.
Rather than go himself, he was sending his consigliere in his place. Normally he would have gone for at least a week to see how things were going first hand. But his situation was not in any way conducive for travel. He had to stay behind and handle business. A leader who left in times of crisis did not look good no matter the organisation, criminal or not. Which was why he had sent Maria in his stead. But before she had gone, she had left him with a possible lead.
"I put word out on the street, had the photos shown here and there to see who got spooked. One of our dealers finally got a bite," She had left him with a picture, a name and an address.
Which was why, at eleven in the morning, Gio was sitting in a diner across from an old man, a bowl of untouched cereal before him. The man, Donnie Moore had never been officially affiliated with any crime family, but back in the day he had owned a bar frequently visited by those with a loose relationship with the law. And everyone knew bartenders were just therapists who gave you booze to make talking about things easier.
It would have been easier if the old man had just taken one look at Gio and started talking. But instead at Gio's introduction he had simply ordered breakfast for both of them and dug into his own "Donnie, I need you to work with me here. I saw the way you reacted to those pictures, you know something don't you?"
The old man bit into a slice of toast his salt and pepper moustache dancing as he chewed, blue eyes never once leaving Gio "Just tell me and I will be on my way. Neither me nor my people will ever bother you again,"
The man continued to chew, wrinkled cheeks shaking lightly as he chomped down. "Don't tell me and I can make you regret not opening your mouth sooner. Old man or not, pain is pain,"
Donnie let out a strained laugh, his eyes lighting up as he looked at Gio with something that looked suspiciously like a mixture of fondness, and pride "Kid, if there was any doubt that you are Romano, you put it to rest just now. The way you carry yourself, that is pure Romano right there," The man was stalling and it was getting on Gio's already frayed nerves.
"What do you know Donnie?"
Donnie took a long sip of his tea, then he put the mug down and stared into the distance, remembering. When he started to recount his tale, his voice changed, going from that of just an ordinary old man to someone who had seen a lot of darkness during his time.
"..the cards are new, and the whole ritual circle. But the way the bodies were cut up, I recognize that…" He cut himself off, his chest heaving at the bad memory.
"From where?"
"The last person who made cuts like that, was a Romano," This time it was Gio's turn to take a heaving breath, the shock of the announcement having him sit up straighter, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on edge.
"Who?" He asked, his voice now a whisper, his heart refusing to believe that anyone in his family could be capable of such cruelty despite his mind knowing it was very possible.
"Your uncle… Rafael 'Rex' Romano," Donnie breathed the name like it was a taboo, like a bolt of lightning would descend from the skies and strike him down if he said it any louder.
Gio stared at him, his face blank but his mind was buzzing. It could not be, Gio refused to believe it. But as he looked at the old man, he could see no signs of deception.
Donnie was telling the truth.
Oh.