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I nodded, gesturing for him to take a seat. “We need to discuss our options regarding the Pappas family. It would be lax of me to let this slide.”
He nodded, his expression serious. “I’ve been giving it some thought as well.”
I leaned back in my chair, frustration, rage, and determination burning in my eyes.
“They’ve crossed a line, Andreas. They’ve touched what’s mine, and I won’t stand for it. I can’t afford to,” I growled.
Andreas looked at me closely for a moment before he nodded in agreement. “I understand, boss. We can’t let them think they can get away with this.”
I leaned forward, my voice heavy with steadfast resolve. “We’re going to war. We have to.”
Andreas, always the voice of reason, studied me carefully. “I understand your anger, boss. But we need to consider the risks and consequences of a full-blown war.”
I clenched my fists, my jaw set in resolve. “I don’t care about easy, Andreas. I care about vengeance. They’ve crossed a line that can’t be uncrossed, and I’m going to make them pay for it.”
Andreas sighed, knowing that he couldn’t dissuade me. “Very well, boss. We’ll prepare for war. But remember, it won’t be easy. We need a strategic plan to ensure our victory.”
I leaned forward, my voice low and unwavering. “I want you to gather all the information we have on the Pappas family—everything, every connection, every vulnerability. We need to be one step ahead of them so we can make our move.”
Andreas nodded again, jotting down some notes. “Consider it done. I’ll also reach out to our contacts and see if we can gather any more information on their recent activities.”
I nodded, feeling a surge of energy as I began to form a plan. “Good. We’ll hit them where it hurts, Andreas. I’m going to make them regret ever crossing me.”
Andreas met my gaze with a determined nod. “We’ll show them, boss. They won’t know what hit them.”
* * *
Several hours later, Andreas knocked on my office door, and I called out for him to enter. When he walked into my office, his expression was grim. Immediately, I didn’t like it.
Hastily, I gestured for him to take a seat, my heart already heavy with anticipation. “What is it, Andreas?”
“I’ve come across some information that you should know,” he began. His expression was cautious, a little bit shocked even, and he cleared his throat.
“Well, spit it out then,” I replied, my own impatience building.
He cleared his throat before speaking, his voice measured. “It’s not just the Pappas family that took Maci. They were acting on behalf of the Stefanidis family, under their orders.”
My brows furrowed in surprise and anger. “Stefanidis? As in, Antonios Stefanidis?”
What the actual fuck? I had just secured an alliance with the man, and he’d been actively moving against me the whole time? Was he playing me for a fool?
Fuck that.
Andreas nodded solemnly. “Yes, boss. It seems he hired the Pappas family to target Maci to get to you.”
I leaned back in my chair, seething as I tried to process this new information. I clenched my fists, before pressing them against the surface of my desk, trying to keep calm, but it was futile.
“How did you find out?” I questioned.
“One of the mobsters involved in Maci’s kidnapping was captured and adequately convinced to give up the information,” Andreas explained, his calm demeanor making the whole thing seem less barbaric. “Amongst every detail we could squeeze from him about the men he worked for, he revealed the connection to the Stefanidis family. Antonios Stefanidis paid a lot of money to Alexander Pappas for the successful delivery of your goddaughter as collateral to hold against you throughout the terms of your negotiation.”
“You’re sure of this?” I pressed, not wanting to believe it, but knowing that it was likely the truth. Treachery amongst the reigning Greek families was not uncommon, which was exactly why I had been trying to secure myself against it in the first place.
The truth was, I should have seen this coming.
“We captured one other mobster that was involved in the kidnapping, and he confirmed the information before we disposed of him too,” Andreas answered.
My fists clenched involuntarily at the thought of what they had done to Maci and the web of deceit that extended even further. I remembered the look of terror on her face when she’d first laid eyes on me in that shipping crate and my vision turned red.
