Teo nods grimly.
“How did they even pull that off? There must have been at least four shipping containers.”
“That’s the worst news,” Teo replies. “The Cartel pulled off the heist before the ship had even docked.”
A disgruntled murmur begins around the table. “Could the South Africans have screwed us over?”
I shake my head. “No. Dante saw the shipment off personally. He’s traveling back to the US as we speak.”
“Then how the hell did they know it was coming in?”
“One of Rubio’s underlings squeaked about something interesting a few days ago,” Alessandro speaks up for the first time since he’d managed to get his nose to stop bleeding.
I brace myself for his next words.
Amos Rubio commands an admirable amount of respect from his Cartel. Which unfortunately means the most effective way to get anything out of them is through a more hands-on interrogation.
Though knowing Alessandro’s preferred methods of extraction, it might be more appropriate to call it a hands-off approach. Nails and fingers were often the first to go missing.
“Said ‘only Rome can topple Rome’.”
A silence falls across the room as the implication sets heavy upon our shoulders.
Teo, God bless him, breaks it. “Technically, I think the Germanic forces toppled Rome.”
“Save it, Teo.”
“I’m just pointing out that the Cartel might not be as clever as they think they are.”
“Yet they keep landing their blows time after time.”
“Information has to be getting out to them still.”
“How is this still happening?”
“I thought Carmine was the informant.”
“But what if he wasn’t? Or if he wasn’t acting alone?”
“Great, so there’s another rat.”
“Probably in this room.”
I stand up, slamming my hand on the table. “I will not let a dead man sow discord among us.”
“What did Carmine say to you that night at the docks?”
I turn to look at the woman sitting at the opposite end of the table. So far, she hadn’t contributed at all to the meeting, but she had a habit of making people listen when she did speak up.
“Not a lot.” I match her icy gaze.
Her silver hair ripples as she shakes her head. “Perhaps you should have prevented him from blowing his brain out.”
“I’m glad you feel confident offering this advice retrospectively, Esther.”
The lines on her weathered face pull into a cruel smile. “Your father would have acted with greater wisdom. Maybe Giuliano would be a valuable consultant on this issue.”
“Bold of you to undermine your don at a time like this.” I let her see the wrath boiling behind my eyes.
