Alessio
Rushing through the halls of the mansion, I made my way to Dad’s office. Once in a while I nodded at some of the guys hanging around, trying to remain as calmly as possible.
During a meeting, Dad called me, his voice full of worry as he told me to come over right away.
As I approached his office door, Dante turned the corner, heading in the same direction. We stopped, facing each other.
“He called you too?” Dante asked after a short while.
“Yeah?” I replied, surprised to see him there. Dad rarely bothered my brothers because he had made me his target for life.
“And Gian?” he asked, glancing around as if he would appear any second.
I reached for the doorknob. “Don’t know-haven’t seen him all day. I thought he was with you.”
“Me neither. I thought he was with you,” Dante spoke.
With a push, I opened the door as we stepped inside together. We were instantly met with Dad who was pacing back and forth, rubbing his chin with his fingers as he did so.
He stopped walking and our eyes met.
“There’s something wrong with your brother and Uncle,” he said before I could even close the door behind me.
“I’ve been trying to tell you that for years now,” Dante took the words right from my mouth.
I laughed at my brother, but Dad wasn’t having any of it. “No, I don’t have time for jokes today!” He growled. “It’s serious. Where the fuck is your brother?”
Dante rolled his eyes at me, and I shrugged in response. Dad rarely got this angry with us, but when he did-we knew not to cross him any further.
“I haven’t spoken to Gian today,” I admitted, finding it strange. Not a single complaint, picture of Uncle with sleeping emojis because he thought he was boring-nothing. “I’ll try calling him.”
Dad shook his head, “I did, but he isn’t picking up.”
I pulled out my phone anyway, hoping for a different outcome, but as I dialed Gian’s number, it went straight to voicemail. This time, worry kicked in. “It is a bit weird.”
“Maybe he got tired-blocked us all,” Dante tried not to make s big deal out of it. I let out a soft laugh, even though the situation at hand wasn’t that funny anymore.
“Your Uncle also hasn’t shown up yet, and that is not like him. Can’t reach him either,” Dad added, concerned. “I called your Aunt Mel and your cousins, and they haven’t heard from him either.”
With each word, he seemed to paint a situation that was becoming too alarming. Uncle, the same man who was always at Dad’s side to the point he would guard the door whenever that man would take a shit, not contacting him? The same Uncle who would usually be in the office to show his dedication before Dad even stepped out of bed? Something is seriously wrong here.
“When is the last time you spoke to him?” I asked, trying to piece together a timeline that might explain their disappearances.
“He called me yesterday to say they were going to check out the warehouses-and that’s it,” Dad said.
I paused, trying to process the information and figure out our next steps. Only there wasn’t much to work with.
“When is the last time you spoke to your brother?” Dad turned his attention to us.
“Yesterday, before he left,” I answered.
Dante nodded, “Same.”
Then it was silent, neither one of us knowing what to do next. I was certain there had to be a good explanation for all of this. One we would all laugh about.
“I can tell the guys to look around and-”
“No, no-you need to do it,” Dad insisted, cutting me off. It wasn’t a suggestion, it was an order. “The warehouses, you’ll have to go check out the warehouses,” he said. “And until we find them, I don’t want any rumors to go around so keep it on the down low.”
“Yes,” I agreed. The last thing we needed was for everyone to panic.
“Take no more than four people and go find your Uncle and your brother,” Dad instructed.
“What can I do to help?” Dante asked, feeling left out. “Do you want me to go with him?”
“No,” Dad replied. “You should ask around discreetly and stay by my side.”
Without Uncle by his side, Dad sounded a bit vulnerable. Even though he had built the empire with his father, he wasn’t used to being alone-because he had always had Uncle by his side, advising his every move.
The thought that both Uncle and Gian might be in trouble was slowly becoming a reality, but I remained hopeful. For their sake, I hoped they had a good reason for their silence.
“I’ll find them, Dad,” I reassured him. “Don’t worry-and in the meantime, try to relax. I’m sure they’re fine.”
“Yes,” Dad forced a smile. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
~
We hit the road with a clear mission. Donni and Levi were with me as always, but this time I also brought two more of the guys along. Jay and Sal, two of my aunts sons who had been working within the business for years.
To avoid any rumors, I figured it would be for the best to keep this a family matter for now.
The first three warehouses we checked were not a success, and each time we moved on to the next one, the pit in my stomach deepened.
I couldn’t shake off the feeling of being forced to consider possibilities I rather wouldn’t have.
How could I, when Dad made it seem like a recover mission rather than a rescue mission.
As we pulled up to the fourth warehouse, I scanned my surroundings. This one stood isolated, somewhere on a landscape where Dad was planning on building another vineyard.
The locations gave me the chills. It was a perfect spot if you were looking to get rid of someone without a trace.
I had to remind myself to stop overreacting. Uncle and Gian were both strong, hotheaded and wouldn’t dare to let anyone mess with them.
Whatever it was, it wouldn’t have been different this time.
Right?