Trust Me
      Chapter 2
 

Michelle lay in bed alone tossing and turning. She glanced at the clock on her night table for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. 12:15 AM glared back at her in the dark.

"Well wonderful! It's been exactly six minutes since I looked the last time.", she groaned. "Where are you Danny?", she asked out loud. "Ha! Now I'm talking to myself."

Danny had been working long hours for weeks. Michelle rarely saw him. Usually she fell asleep waiting. It had been over three weeks since they had made love. She remembered the last time only because it had followed the confrontation in the hallway. After that night he had begun to work harder. The time they spent together he was quiet and sullen. Most mornings he was gone before she woke up. Try as she might she couldn't get him to open up to her. He never discussed what was going on .

Michelle turned over and grabbed his pillow. She brought it close to her face and inhaled.

"Hmmm...I miss you. I miss us.", she sighed.

The honeymoon was definitely over.

Danny parked his car and turned off the headlights. He ran his hand through his hair and breathed out, "Whew!" .

The weeks and weeks of work amounted to nothing. Tonight he had finally realized, after almost 3 months, his goal of being free of the family business was probably farther away than ever. Each and every one of his moves had been anticipated by Carmen. He had tried negotiating with Bernard, only to find that Bernard's loyalty would always be to Carmen Santos and the old regime. Ben Warren was now the president of SanCorp. There was nothing he could do to remove him from the post. He tried making a deal through one of the families in Chicago. Nothing.

The meeting he had just come from proved that the life he thought he was going to have, after renewing his vows with Michelle, was not the life he was leading. He couldn't believe it had come to this. He closed his eyes and leaned back into the seat...

"Daniel, it has come to my attention that Nino is not done with his plans to destroy our family and he's not working A-lone.", Carmen had said as they sat eating a late dinner at Towers.

"Annnd...? Come on Mother, spit it out.", Danny replied aggravated. Carmen had the tendency to end every sentence like it was a cliff-hanger.

"After much investigating, I know who he's working with. The informant has also shared some of Nino's plans with us.", Carmen continued.

"So, what do you know? Who's working with Nino? Say it already.", Danny said getting angrier pointing his fork at her.

"Danny, you have to be prepared for what I'm going to say. This information comes from a highly reliable source. In fact, Bernard is aware of Nino's betrayal. He has chosen to take care of Nino himself. Out of respect for him and our long-standing relationship I have agreed. His accomplice will be our problem...", she stared at him letting her words sink in.

"Who's the accomplice? Mother? You know, I'm tired. I haven't seen my wife in days and, your attempts at building suspense are making me angry!", he whispered furiously so the other patrons at Towers wouldn't hear him.

Carmen sat back and sipped her wine. She frowned and said, "You still haven't learned that I do not like it when you speak to me like that."

"Mother, get on with it.", Danny said disregarding her statement.

"Nino's accomplice is someone we all trust. I am disturbed by this information and I want you to be the one to take care of the problem."

"Take care of the problem?" , he questioned. Hoping she wasn't saying what he thought she was saying.

"Yes. You know what I mean. Nino's accomplice is... Dietz.", she finally said.

"Dietz? How do you know this?, he asked not believing what she was saying. Dietz had been a trusted employee. Danny's father had hand picked him. For as long as Danny could remember Dietz had been there, working beside his father and then his mother.

"The man in charge of the bomb at the church has confessed all. He has also given us more...", Carmen leaned in and spoke in a hushed tone.

"Apparently, Nino believes that the way to finish this war he's started is to get to you."

"Get to me? How? How?", his eyes flashed angrily.

"I don't have those details yet. I do know that Dietz has betrayed us and it's up to you to solve this problem for our family. I want you to do this. He's tried to destroy this family. He almost killed your sister, me and Michelle, your precious Michelle..." ...

Danny opened his eyes and looked up at the house. No light shone in their bedroom window. He'd checked his watch. 12:15 AM .

"God, I hope your asleep Michelle. I can't face you now. Not knowing what I have to do.", he thought.

He'd driven around town for hours, after the meeting with his mother, not wanting to arrive home early. Danny knew that Carmen hadn't chosen him for the job on a whim. Carmen knew that he would not be able to walk away.

Danny got out of his car and walked towards the house. Each step he took made his heart feel heavier. He held his emotions in check because he knew that once he saw his beautiful wife, sleeping in their bed, it would take all he had to not break down. He choked back his tears. Tears, for the disappointment he knew he would see in Michelle's eyes of she knew the truth...