Chapter 48

"Well…" his father muttered as he thought about if Don Gambino had twin daughters," I remember… Yes. I think he did. He was the youngest Godfather in the five-family history and was very big on protecting his own family. I know he had a set of twin boys too. I thought I told you this story."

"Apparently you and mother forgot to tell me a lot of things."

"We're sorry, Son, but the girl was right. You don't listen when people are talking to you. We have told you this before but you were most likely on your phone or ignoring us," his mother snapped.

"Twins run in their family," his father rambled on. "Your grandfather didn't let me spend much time with the Ricci's, just like we didn't allow you as a kid. You didn't bother the Godfather back then unless it was business. We only went there a few times during parties or big events when invited. They were a very private family, and he didn't like people just hanging around. Something to do with an issue when the children were babies that made him have trust issues."

"More like because grandfather was a tyrannical asshole and Ricci probably hated him." Tony chuckled.

His father fell into a fit of laughter. "You may be right about that. Hell, he was my dad and I hated him too. Drunken bastard. Anyway, whoever that girl was, I knew it wasn't Claudia. She was too damn sweet."

Lilith Gambino agreed. "She was smart too. Claudia wasn't the brightest young woman. So, who is the girl, if it wasn't her?"

"App-Apple... I remember the child was a name to do with apples," Mario recalled. "My mind is failing but I remember that because it reminded me of pie."

"Appolonia?" Tony asked his father. "It's a popular old Italian name."

"Yeah, that's it. Their family had a hard time. The Ricci's even had a child that went missing years ago, if I recall. Eh, maybe this woman was right at the opera house, Luke. Maybe you don't listen. Maybe she was trying to tell you then she wasn't Claudia all along."

Looking across the room, he saw the letter on his desk. Clapping his hands together, he knew his father was right and that was all it took to shake his memory. "The letter! She was trying to tell me. It was a clue. 'Things aren't what they seem.' She was telling me in that letter she's not Claudia."

"Do you think Claudia was blackmailing the woman if she really is her double?"

"Mom, really?" Tony chuckled as he sat back in the chair across from her. "Blackmail and hustling lonely losers, like my brother, is Claudia's game."

"Antonio!" his mother scolded.

"Yeah, what the hell?" Luke asked, completely offended as he walked over and slapped his brother in the back of the head.

"What? It's true. She targeted you because you were lonely. That bitch would blackmail her own damn father if it meant she got ahead. The fact is, I ask our men and we all agree. There is no way that was Claudia. Know what I think?"

"What?" Luke snapped, still a little perturbed at his bother saying he was a loser.

"I think she skipped town with that money you're missing. Look at what she's done to you, Luke. We all know she was holding some secret over your head. You may not admit it, but you wouldn't marry a woman just for money and family connection. She had something on you. She used Roman's brothers' death to cover up skipping town, too. The perfect distraction."

"That was weeks ago."

"Exactly. You need to talk to Roman. He may not even know that girl is Claudia himself."

Shaking his head, he groaned with a sigh. "He'll never talk to me. He hates my guts."

"Well, you better figure it out, because if not, and he finds out she's a plant, he'll kill that girl. If it's Ricci's daughter, we'd all be as good as dead if that happened."

Hearing a giggle across the room, Luke's eyes went to his mother. "What? Don't look at me that way. I doubt Roman is going to kill a woman he can't keep his hands off of. We all know damn well he wanted Claudia, and the look he had in his eyes at the opera house said he was ready to make a meal out of her. If he found a woman who looks like her, with a heart of gold, he's going to want her more than he ever wanted that evil temptress. And face it, Ricci would want nothing more than his daughter to be involved with Roman. He already plans to make him his successor one day."

Raising a brow, Tony agreed. "She was hot. That woman at the reception was kind and caring, nothing like Claudia. I watched her when she talked to Luke. She was trying to be your friend. Whatever is going on, that girl is a victim in all this. Unless she's just a damn good actress, she's innocent here too."

Rubbing his chain, Luke went to the note, looking it over. "Tony, take a few of our guys to the Pink Halo and look over every inch of the place. I want a name. If she is Apollonia, maybe we need to talk to her father and find out why she's really here."

His father stood, rushing across the room. Snatching the note from his hand, Mario shook his head no in repetition as he shook the paper at him. "Hell no! You talk to Roman first. If you go to the Godfather alone, he'll kill you before you even reach his doorstep. You need Roman to help you."

"Dad, Roman hates me. I told you this."

"No, he thinks you betrayed him," he said sadly. Dropping his head, the old man rested his head on his son's shoulder. "You didn't, I did. He'll understand I was sick. I'll take my punishment. But don't you dare let him hurt that girl. If he knows about this, the girl is sure as dead, too."

"How do we know she isn't involved? She may be in cahoots with Claudia, and if she is, she deserves a bullet in her head."

Shaking her head, his mother protested, "No. I know evil, and the woman wasn't one of us. She was scared. I felt it, but couldn't understand it then. I thought she was just worried about the wedding."

"You really think she was forced to do this?"

"I do. Talk to Roman. Then we can figure out our next move with Don Ricci. I won't have my sons go into the lion's den alone. Roman is our only hope. It's time you and the D'Amico's make amends. As a matter of fact, you should have told us a long time ago there was a conflict between the families. We could have helped."

Luke rolled his eyes as his tongue ran over his teeth with angry tension. "Roman. Ask Roman for help. Do you people hear yourselves? Damn... Just my luck. My only hope not to get myself killed over Claudia's nonsense is the one man who hates me most. Either way, I have a target on my head. If I'm going to make this work, I need to find out who that was that really killed Beau. It's the only way he'll ever trust me."

Smacking his brother on the back, Tony laughed. "Damn, bro. You're in this shit thick. I'm glad I'm not you."

Slowly Luke's angry eyes slid to meet his. "Tony... If you cherish your life, I suggest you get out of my office. I'm not above shooting my own brother. Don't test me. Besides, had you taken over like a man and not coward out, I wouldn't be in this mess."

"Eh, go ahead shoot. Gotta die someday. At least dead Momma will stop bugging me for grandkids."

"Speaking of…"

"Momma!" Tony mumbled as he covered his ears and turned to leave.

His mother was fast on his heels. Pulling her husband along she kept nagging Tony far down the hallway. She wanted a grandchild and would get one if she begged with her last breath.

Watching them leave, Luke slid into his office chair, covering his face with a groan. He wanted to just die right then. It was time to talk to Roman, and he wasn't looking forward to this. He worried even Remi hated him, and the thought of that was more than he could bare.

Who was Claudia? Who was Apollonia? And who was this mystery woman? And most importantly... what did Roman know about the entire thing?