Chapter 119

Ethan

Between Aldo and Layla, I wasn’t able to think clearly. Thankfully, work wasn’t particularly busy to where it required my full attention. After my meeting with Aldo, I proceeded to return to my desk and let my mind drift off into endless thoughts.

Well, more like an endless debate.

I truly felt as though I was trapped between a rock and a hard place. Layla wanted nothing to do with me; yet, Aldo had reached out about wanting to work with me. Of course, I wanted to find a way to help them and ensure Eli’s safe return.

But my reservations when it came to anything mafia-related still stood firm. They were nothing but bad news who only knew one way. Mindless killing.

However, Aldo seemed pretty persistent in wanting to find a safer—legal way to get his son back. He hadn’t actually given me a literal plan to think over. Just the idea in general of being willing to work with him.

That in itself was enough to cause my stomach to knot up in concern. What kind of police officer would agree to work with a notorious mafia leader who has more than likely killed more than I have singularly put away in prison?

Even if I agreed to work with Aldo and we did manage to get Eli back, would I still be considered a good cop? Or would everything I’d specially been trained for be brought to nothing?

But in the meantime, the clock was ticking. Vanessa wasn’t going to hold out forever and I knew damn well that neither was Layla.

What am I going to do?

Having spoken with Aldo, I at least learned more about the situation Vanessa Rossetti had put them in. My heart still ached for Layla and the turmoil she was getting swept up in.

She didn’t deserve this. None of it. For such a kind-hearted person, this matter was literally taking every last ounce of her goodness and draining it to nothing. I could tell just from listening to her voice on the phone.

It came out hollow and lacked all real feeling.

The path she was headed down was the wrong one. She had to know that. But, much like me, what choice did she have? Based on what Aldo told me, she had the entire Marcello family hanging on her every word.

Ever since Aldo fell injured in that explosion, she’d stepped into his position and taken the reins.

Perhaps, all of this wasn’t what she really wanted. Layla didn’t seem to have much of a choice either when it came to stepping up. Did she really have to? No. My guess was that if it hadn’t been her to do so then it would have very likely been Carlo.

The mere thought of him taking control of the Marcello family while Aldo was in recovery, was hair-raising.

“Hey, Ethan?” One of my colleagues called out to me across the room, pulling me out of my lost train of thought.

“Yeah?”

“You good, man?” they asked. “You look as though you’re trying to solve all the world’s problems on your own.”

I wanted to share in the laughter that filtered through the room. Little did any of them know that was exactly what it felt like.

Worst of all it wasn’t just one world’s problems I was trying to help solve...It was two. Two completely different worlds that had no business getting involved with each other.

Yet the consequences grew more dire the longer I went without making a final decision...

“...I used to be able to see the world in black and white too...” Layla’s words drifted through my head on a constant repeat. “...When you’ve been through hell enough times, you realize that life isn’t so two-dimensional as you once believed...”

As a police officer, my adopted father had instilled in me the mentality that there were only two sides to life. The good and the bad. The right and the wrong in accordance with the law.

But what about that fine line that runs between both sides? What color is it? Black or white? Good or bad?

It was the ‘in-between’ that he never spoke of—like it didn’t exist. What if it wasn’t morally good or morally bad?

What if...What if it was a place where neither side existed? Or, perhaps, came together in a mutual understanding?

Aldo was trying to be better, he wanted peace between both his world and mine. It was like he was extending his hand out from the dark side of the barrier, looking for mutual ground.

Maybe, I can do the same from my own side...And the two of us can meet within the gray line of our worlds.

Layla

I was partially surprised that Aldo had decided to attend the meeting earlier today. I would have figured, after our fight last night, he would have still been too irritated to listen to my plan. He seemed attentive and interested just like the rest of them.

Although, I could tell that his disposition was changing toward the end when he began asking those questions. When I came to admit the plan of wiping out the Rossetti family entirely, he immediately shut down. His eyes flashed with a look of pure disappointment. It hurt.

I sort of half-anticipated that kind of reaction, though. What surprised me a little was that he called Carlo in for a brief meeting after I had closed out mine.

Once I got the ‘OK’ from each group leader, confirming their accessibility to each Rossetti member, I was going to make the call. It was only a matter of time now.

I made my way back to the bedroom, needing a few moments to collect my thoughts. Just as the ache in my chest was fading, the door opened and closed. I peered over my shoulder to find Aldo standing there.

His eyes were fuming with anger.

I let out a long breath. “Let me guess, I’m about to get a lecture on how I shouldn’t be going out of my way to hurt anyone when the sole objective is to get our son back. Am I right?”

“Don’t be a smartass,” he bit out. “What the fuck are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking about the future of this family—something you clearly have stopped doing,” I said back.

“All that matters is Eli, right? Isn’t that what this whole thing is meant to be about?”

“It is about Eli,” I confirmed sternly. “But it’s also about putting a stop to any other future issues that could potentially happen. By taking out the Rossetti’s, it not only limits our issues with them but it will also count for sending out a message to the other smaller families.”

Aldo gaped at me before tearing his eyes away.

“‘Wipe out the Rossetti family?’ ‘Sending a message?’ Do you even hear yourself right now?” he asked, furiously.

The pain in my head was beginning to resurface. “It’s what needs to be done, Aldo,” I stated. “You’ve been so busy playing peace-maker and look where it’s gotten us.”

He snapped his head around to glare at me. “Don’t you dare throw all of this on me,” he snarled. “Last time I checked, I wasn’t the one who invited a fucking psychopath into our home and family. Look where that’s gotten us.”

My heart cracked in my chest. My eyes went wide while my mouth fell open. A beat went by until Aldo’s entire expression shifted. It was like he realized what he’d said and instantly wanted to take it back.

But I wasn’t willing to hear any of it.

“Layla.” His tone softened. “You remember you once accused me of putting Eli’s life at risk when I had fired a gun at his kidnapper, and now here you are planning on doing the exact same thing.”