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I narrow my eyes at him. “We’ve already established that whoever ends up as Aldo’s bride will end up dead.”
“No. You would end up dead because you’re not like him. He will take your strength as a challenge and try breaking you. But he doesn’t know you like I do. You might bend, but you will never break. And when he figures that out, he’ll kill you.
“Gia’s different. He won’t need to break her to mold her into the woman he wants because she is already perfect for him. You don’t see it because she’s careful around you. She can’t afford for herdaddy”—he spits out the word viciously—“to find out what she’s really like.
“She’s cruel for the sake of it, has a sadistic streak a mile long, and she will not care what her husband does with other women as long as she has access to his wallet.”
I want to argue and say she’s not that bad, but I’ve seen glimpses of the evil that lurks just beneath the surface.
“You should run. I have money saved for this very day. Go live your life away from all this.”
“And leave you here to die?”
“If you stay, you’ll die too. Don’t ask me to stand by and watch. Seeing you fade away was hard enough. I can’t witness you being snuffed out, too.”
“Then help me come up with a plan because I’m not leaving. They would hunt me down anyway. I’m the last Fiore and the sole heir to the empire. I’ll be hunted by people in our own camp as well as by all our enemies. I’m the new shiny prize.”
“Why would he do this after everything we fucking sacrificed to make you safe?” he bellows.
I shrug. I don’t have the answers he’s after. Everything is about to come crashing down, and the only person who won’t be caught up in the wreckage is Vigo because he’ll be dead.
“Okay. What about the other families?”
“We’re powerful but not popular with any of them anymore, you know that. There is nothing I can offer them that they don’t already have except my inheritance. But nobody is going to want to take on Aldo and our family. It’s a death sentence for anyone that gets involved.”
“We’re Cosa Nostra. We are death.”
I don’t argue with him. It changes nothing. “I thought about the Russians, but?—”
He starts cursing, so I lean back and let him have his moment.
“You done?” I ask when the room goes quiet.
“The Russians would take your money and whore you out.”
“Then they’re no worse than Aldo,” I snap, frustrated. “I need someone in my corner that Aldo is scared of. Someone he won’t want to cross.”
He opens his mouth to respond, probably with a series of curse words, then stops himself and tilts his head in thought.
“What is it?” I can practically see the wheels in his brain turning.
“I met with one of my contacts while I’ve been here. They keep me informed about all of the other families. They told me that they heard something the other day they weren’t supposed to.”
“Okay…”
“Giovanni Moretti wants to step down as the head of his family. His health is failing, and his heart’s not in it.”
“That’s not surprising. He’s one of the oldest dons. Not that I know too much about them, thanks to the feud between their family and ours.”
“Dano is in position as the underboss to take Giovanni’s seat. The problem is people are whispering, saying he’s weak without his attack dog.”
“Dano is Giovanni’s son, right? People might whisper, but I doubt more will come of it.” I frown. “I thought Giovanni had two sons. I’m sure I heard there were two underbosses.” Which is unusual but not unheard of.
He nods. “He does. Vice Moretti is currently serving time behind bars for manslaughter.”
“Vice Moretti,” I say. “I don’t know anything about the man,” I admit.
“Vice is… how do I put it?”
