Chapter 37: A test of loyalty

"Boss," Leo began. "I think Franco could help us with this."

"Are you made?" Marco glared at him. "You tortured him until he passed out; now you are thinking of using him?" He complained but agreed.

"Come," Santino said coldly, pressing his cigarette into the ashtray. "Let’s pay our guest a visit."

He walked out first, with Marco and Leo following close behind. They headed down the stairs to the basement, where two armed guards stood outside the door.

The guards bowed and opened it for them.

Inside, Franco sat chained to a metal chair. His wrists were bruised, his clothes were stained with dried blood, and his face had turned pale.

The moment Santino entered, his body began to tremble as fear filled his bloodshot eyes. He moved forward as far as his chains allowed, dropping to his knees on the cold floor.

"Mr. Selvaggio!" Franco cried, his voice rough and raw from lack of strength, making him sound desperate. "Please, hear me out." He cried as he tried to reach Santino’s feet.

Santino stopped a few feet away and crossed his arms. He looked down at Franco without showing any sympathy. He said nothing, letting the silence continue until Franco could barely control his breathing.

"I was a fool," Franco begged, lowering his head until his forehead almost touched Santino’s pointed shoes. "I surrender. I swear I thought that if I hurt you, people in the underground would respect me. I wanted them to fear me. It was just a fool, Santino! I was wrong, and I know that now!"

Leo leaned against the doorframe with a slight smirk, while Marco stood nearby, watching Franco without saying a word.

Franco raised his head. Tears ran down his face as he looked at Santino. "I can still be useful to you. I have men along the coast and informants everywhere. Please, don’t kill me. Use me instead... I’ll do whatever you want!"

Santino stared at him, his expression unreadable. After a long silence, he slowly crouched down to look Franco in the eyes.

"Useful?" he asked in a low voice. His calm voice made the question even more frightening. "You tried to kill me, Franco. In my world, men like you don’t get second chances."

"I’ll prove myself!" Franco said, pressing his chained hands together. "Just give me one chance to prove my loyalty."

Santino studied him for a moment, weighing his options. Killing Franco would be easy, but keeping him alive could be useful in the fight against the Spanish Syndicate; after all, he had a significant number of people himself, which could be used to fight on the front lines when a bloody battle broke out.

"A test of loyalty," Santino repeated. He slowly stood up and looked down at Franco. "Fine. I’ll give you one chance to keep your head."

Franco let out a breath of relief and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Anything. Just tell me what to do."

"Enzo Furtado," Santino said sharply. "He’s one of my port managers at Coast Ridge. He’s been communicating with a burner number registered in Spain. He’s the rat feeding information to the Spanish Syndicate."

Franco blinked at the name. "Enzo... I know him. My men have dealt with his crew before." A ray of hope flashed in his eyes.

"Good," Santino replied. "From now on, you’ll keep an eye on him. Use your men and informants along the coast to follow his every move. I want to know who he meets, what documents he handles, and everything he says. He must not know he’s being watched."

"I can do that," Franco said quickly, nodding several times. "I’ll send my best men after him tonight. He won’t do anything without you knowing."

Santino stepped closer, his tall frame casting a shadow over Franco. His expression turned cold again.

"Listen carefully, Franco," he said in a low voice. "If Enzo finds out he’s being watched, or if the Spanish Syndicate hears even a word about what we know, I won’t just put a bullet in your head."

He leaned forward, holding Franco’s terrified gaze.

"I’ll hunt down every man who carries your name. I’ll destroy your gang, your allies, and everyone who stands beside you. I’ll wipe you and everything connected to you off the map. By the time I’m done, no one in Italy will even remember you existed. Did I make myself clear?"

Santino had said those words with such calmness that Franco shuddered. He wasn’t trying to scare him with empty threats. He meant every word, and Franco knew he had the power to carry them out.

"I... I understand," Franco stammered, lowering his forehead to the floor again. "I won’t fail you. I swear on my life."

"See that you don’t," Santino replied.

He turned and walked out of the cell without looking back. Marco and Leo followed him, and the door slammed shut behind them, its sound echoing through the corridor.

As they climbed the stairs and walked toward the living room, Marco glanced at Santino.

"Do you think he’ll keep his mouth shut?" He asked, looking at Leo and then at Santino

"He’s terrified," Santino replied, adjusting his cuffs. "Fear is a better motivator than loyalty. He knows what will happen if he makes a mistake."

"And what if Enzo acts before we expect him to?" Leo asked, checking his tablet.

"Then we strike first," Santino answered.

He stopped near the grand staircase and looked toward the second floor, where the bedrooms were. The war beneath the surface of his world was exhausting, but thinking about what waited upstairs gave him a sense of peace he rarely found elsewhere.

"Get Franco cleaned up and send him out quietly under guard," Santino ordered. "I want our men watching Coast Ridge by morning." He then added. "Do not forget to cross-check all the information you get from Franco; if it is correct, then make sure he’s rewarded according to the family rules."

"Understood," Marco and Leo replied before leaving to carry out his orders.

Santino took a deep breath and loosened his tie. He left the basement behind and headed upstairs toward Soraya’s room. He hoped she had eaten dinner and was finally getting some rest.