Grave Digger – Brothers At Arms #4

Leon frowned. “I don’t understand.”

Alfredo nodded. “Not many would but when my boys were young, I gave them each one of these little boxes. I know its small and it’s been welded shut for a long time. I got it from my grandfather the day my sons were born. At the time, my father scoffed and told his dad those boxes weren’t worth a dime, but I didn’t care. It was something he took the time to pass down to my sons. He also told me there was something inside that he was willing to pass down through the next generations. I asked him what it was but he shrugged and told me that the box belonged to my sons, not to me. He also said that he would leave me something after he was gone. Again, my father scoffed and said the old man didn’t have anything of value to give to me.” Alfredo shook his head. “My grandfather was a modest man, he never flaunted his money or power, but when he died, he left me enough to start my own business. My father was shocked when his will was read and he realized just how much money his own father really had. Then he got pissed because my grandfather hadn’t left everything to him. I used the money and I increased my wealth while my own father had to lie and cheat to get his money.”

The group all sat and listened to yet another incredible story of the infamous Raggetti family.

Alfred nodded as he continued, “When my own sons grew up, I passed the boxes down to them. Carlos took his and Barrett did as well but Barrett got his box open and he found a golden coin in his. He thought it was fake and took it to a pawn shop. The shop paid him a hundred dollars for it. A few weeks later, the owner sold the coin for almost a million dollars. He’d known all along the coin was worth some big money but he pulled a fast one on Barrett. Barrett felt cheated and rightly so. He tried going after the pawn shop owner but the man laughed in his face. The next night someone set his pawn shop on fire and Barrett was arrested but there was no proof so he was released. The pawn shop owner suddenly left town with his money and Barrett felt cheated out of his inheritance, all over again.” Alfredo shook his head. “Barrett turned out to be as greedy as my father. He tried to get Carlos to open his box and share his wealth with him as he had so foolishly squandered his own but Carlos wouldn’t do that.”

Leon cocked his head at him, as he knew where this was headed. He let out a sigh as he shook his head.

Alfredo went on, “The next thing I knew, my Carlos was dead. The police said he’d been mugged but I didn’t believe them. My Carlos was smarter than that. They spoke to the people he was with that night but they didn’t know what happened either. Now I know it was all a lie and that Barrett was there. How else would one of his sons have Carlos’s box in his pocket after all this time?”

“Why didn’t Barrett just open the box like he did with his own?” Leon asked.

Alfredo shrugged. “I would imagine he didn’t want to be cheated again, so he kept the box intact until he could find an honest man to make the exchange. How Romano ended up with it I have no idea but I will find out.”

 Delaney growled and got to her feet. “I don’t want you being verbally abused by any of them, anymore,Grandpa. We will handle this.” She then went over to the doorway and looked back at Zeus. “Are you coming with me?”

Zeus nodded. “I am indeed. You aren’t facing your brother without one of us around.” They walked down to the lower cell area.

When they entered, Romano looked up and saw her. He rolled his eyes at her. “What the hell are you doing here, bitch?”

“Nice greeting brother.” Delaney scoffed. “I haven’t seen you in over ten years now, and the first thing out of your mouth is to call me a bitch? You are such a lowlife, brother.”

Romano sneered. “Quit calling me that. You ain’t nothin’ to me.”

“I’m your sister, you idiot.” She growled at him.

“No, you are my mother’s daughter, that’s all. Raggetti’s only breed boys, not useless girls.” Romano snorted.

“If I’m so damn useless, why am I out here and you’re the one behind bars?” she quipped.

“I’m behind bars because these men don’t know who I am and what Dad will do to them when I don’t come back,” Romano stated arrogantly. “Dad is coming after me and then you’ll all pay the price.”

Delaney walked closer to the bars of the cell and stared at her brother. “There’s only one problem with that, you fool. Dad doesn’t have the right to come in here. This place doesn’t belong to the Raggetti’s anymore. Grandpa sold it a long time ago.”

Romano shook his head. “He had no right to sell it.”

“He had the legal rights…” she paused. “Oh, but I forgot, you and Dad don’t believe in that. You live your life, raping, stealing, and killing. He had every right to sell it. Dad made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with the house and you guys didn’t give a shit about it either.”

“That old man sold it before we had a clue as to what was hidden here!” Romano screamed at her. “He sold this place without telling us anything.”

“Oh, I beg to differ brother,” she argued. “You and the others all knew he was selling it. He told you all what he was doing and you never said a word at the time. Not until much later. Why is that? Maybe because Dad never told you what the old man left here? Is that it? Because Dad never told you boys, what great granddad left for you? Well buddy, that’s too bad. The bikers already found everything, the gold, the diamonds, and the pressure tank. They found the safe with the money great grandpa hid from the world and they turned that over to the authorities as the money was stolen.” She paused then told her brother, “Leon took custody of the gold, the diamonds, and the items in the tank. It’s gone from here and well on its way to Boston, where Leon will get it back to the families it belongs to. There is nothing left for you boys to fight over.”

Romano just glared at her. “Who is this Leon character and what right does he have to all of it? Huh? Why is he taking it all?”

Delaney slowly shook her head in disgust. “Man, Dad just set you all up for a damn nasty fall.”

Roman stood up. “The fuck you say, he looks out for us!”

“If that is so, then why did he not mention me?” Leon strode into the cell area.

Romano rolled his eyes. “Maybe because whoever you are, you aren’t important to our plans.”

“No, maybe it is because he knew you would not follow him, had you known.” Leon glared at him. “I see that I was remiss by not introducing myself before. I am so sorry.” His glare belied his apology.

Delaney smiled, as did Zeus.

Looking confused, Romano stared at them and at Leon.

“I am Leon Vincinti. I run the Boston Family.”

Romano looked at him as he stammered, “W-what family?”

“The Family,” Leon stated. “The one your dad tried to get into. The one that sent him to prison, if I may be honest. The one your great grandfather stole from.” Leon stepped closer. “The one who will judge you and the others, before we fit you for a cool looking pair of cement boots.”

Romano gaped at him, then he stumbled back.

“So dumbass, Romano.” Delaney sighed. “Yeah, men are so much smarter than women. I think not.”

Romano shook his head, as he still looked stunned. “My father will burn this place down around your ears. It won’t matter!”

“Your dad will be shot before he can throw the first torch,” Zeus told him. ‘He’ll die for nothing if he tries. Or maybe, it will be his men that will die first because I can’t see your dad putting himself in danger without having his men go first. He’s too much of a fucking coward.”

Romano curled his lip and said, “If my hands weren’t tied you’d find them around your fucking throat and I wouldn’t stop squeezing until you were dead.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’re behind bars then isn’t it?” Zeus showed he wasn’t worried one little bit. He stepped closer and added, “But I’m not a victim like you are used to. I will be a bit harder to kill.”

Delaney shook her head. “I do have a question, Romano. How the hell did you get that little mint box anyway?”

Romano sneered at her. “Alijala lost it to me in a card game, why? It’s just a worthless tin box.”

Delaney shook her head. “And that answer again shows how fucking dumb you really are. Do you have any idea what’s in that box or where it came from?”

Romano shrugged. “Dad’s had it for a long time and when he went to jail this last time, he left it behind. Alijala found it years ago but didn’t open it. Why the sudden interest in that old thing?”

 “That box was never Dad’s to have,” she explained. “It belonged to Uncle Carlos. It came from great-great grandpa. One was given to Carlos and one was given to Dad when they were born. Dad opened his and found a gold coin, he pawned it for a hundred bucks, then he found out the coin was worth over a million dollars.” Delaney smiled. “Grandpa says he was royally pissed and set the pawn shop on fire. Then Dad killed his own brother Carlos and took his box. I’m surprised you boys haven’t opened it yet.”

Romano scoffed at this. “There is nothing left in that stupid tin. You are lying now.”

“Why would I lie?” Delaney asked quietly. “I’ve got nothing to gain by lying. Does Dad know you boys have the box?”

Romano was already rattled as sweat rolled down his face from his forehead. “I don’t know but I don’t imagine Alijala told him about it yet.”

“No I don’t suppose he has and don’t be surprised when he throws you under the bus to cover his own actions.” She smirked.

“Don’t you laugh at us! We’re better than you will ever be.” Romano sneered.

“Yeah, you boys sure are better than me,” she taunted. “Vincent is under arrest by the Marshals and you’re behind biker’s bars. Waiting to be shipped out to Boston, I might add. That sure makes you better than me by a long shot, right?”

“Shut your mouth, bitch!” Romano screamed at her.

“Make me brother,” Delaney challenged him as she stepped closer to the cell. When Romano charged the bars, she threw a throat punch at him.

This move caught him totally unaware. He flew back and crumbled against the wall, then slid to the floor.

“Yeah brother, you sure are better than I am.” She turned and walked out.

Leon smirked. “Nice punch.”

Zeus chuckled.

When they entered the main room, they found Memphis and Diabolus back from their tunnel run.

Zeus nodded at his brother and asked, “What did you guys find down there?”

Memphis snorted. “One hell of a mess is what we found. And you just ain’t gonna believe what else we found.”

“Will you just tell us what you found without the drama?” Zeus swore under his breath.

“The tunnel we found runs parallel to the tunnel that ends up in the still room,” Diabolus explained. “There were some cave-ins along the way, so that tunnel isn’t really secure anymore and whoever travels it, runs the risk of more cave-ins. The tunnel ends up in the still room and I think that’s how they found it. One of the walls was caved in from the blast and Barrett had a few of his own men outside the room. They were standing there talking and boss, we heard something interesting.”

“And what was that?” Zeus asked.

“Barrett thinks there is still something hidden here and he’s not leaving until he gets it.” Diabolus raised a brow at him.

“And just what is left here to find?” Zeus queried. “Did you happen to overhear that part?”

Memphis nodded as he answered this, “There’s supposedly another vault here in the clubhouse and no one knows what’s inside yet but Barrett told his men that it’s a big prize.”

Zeus turned his head to glare at Alfredo. “What the hell did your father leave behind this time?”

Alfredo shook his head. “I have no idea, as I personally never knew this. But maybe I’ll find the answers in his own words when I finish the books he left behind.” He turned to Delaney and asked, “What did your brother have to say?”

Delaney stared back at him. “He’s so dumb, Grandpa. I can’t believe how much Dad did not tell them.” She glanced over at Leon then back at him. “But he believed that tin had nothing in it. Dad never opened it apparently. He said Alijala found the box after Dad went to prison and he kept it for a long time but then he lost it to Romano in a card game. He also said Dad hadn’t asked for it yet.”

“And she told him to prepare himself as Alijala tosses him under the bus when Barrett finds the box missing,” Zeus added.

Alfredo nodded. “And that’s exactly what will happen. These brothers act only for themselves, never for each other. Barrett raised them that way and now it’s coming back to bite him in the ass, isn’t it?” He brought the box out of his pocket and studied it for a moment then said, “This box isn’t Barrett’s to have as it belonged to his brother. Carlos should have carried it to his grave.”

Delaney reached out and took his hand. “It is odd though, how it came back to you in the end. Fate has decreed that they won’t get that box. My father will only get what all he reaped. Sons who will turn on him. This time, I feel that he won’t be going back to prison.” She glanced at Leon and Zeus. “He has been mistaken about many things. But he will not survive this latest mistake.”