“Buon pomeriggio, signori.Santino Buccini. Here to see my father-in-law,” I said, smiling at them as I flipped the visor up so they could see my face. Theyglanced at each other, and the one in charge nodded towards another who disappeared into a small booth to call up to the house.
“Is Mayor Caruso aware of this meeting?”
“Just thought I’d drop by for brunch.”
“There is a strict no-visitors policy in place today. It is best you leave and try calling instead.”
“Family doesn’t call. We turn up unannounced. I’ll wait here until he agrees.”
The security guard narrowed his eyes in distrust as he did a quick sweep of my body, searching for any weapons. I’d left my gun and my knife with my men to show I had no intention of threatening him. I climbed off my bike and spread my arms.
“Go ahead. Pat me down and feel me up, I know you want to.”
He stepped forward and began a body search as I grinned at the guard behind him, who stood with his hand on his own gun.
“If he’s unarmed, he’s cleared,” the third man shouted from the booth.
“Ah, see.” I winked. “Family privileges.”
They all stepped back and let me through the gate, the main guard walking a few paces behind me all the way to the front door. A butler led me through the ground floor towards an office where two bodyguards waited outside, then knocked to announce my presence.
I strolled in as Piero rose from his chair, looking deeply unsettled and, if possible, even worse than he had last night. Clearly, he hadn’t slept at all.
“Buccini.”
“Caruso.” I held out my hand to him as I had last night. He shook it hesitantly and gestured to a chair in front of his desk. I spotted the nearly empty glass of whiskey.
“Can I offer you a drink?” he asked when he saw me staring.
“It’s a little early, but why the fuck not?” I replied. I frowned as he tried to stand again, wincing in pain. “Let me get it.”
I moved over to the drinks station and poured us both two new glasses. He downed his in one go as I sat back down in my chair, studying him. He was a man on the fucking edge.
“So… you changed your mind?” he asked, searching for the divorce papers on me.
“About the divorce? Never.”
“Then why are you here wasting my time, Buccini?”
“Because your daughter,my wife, loves you. And if someone she loves is in danger, I make it my business to keep them safe.”
His lips parted, but he quickly masked his surprise by narrowing his eyes. “That’s an odd kind of threat.”
“Let’s cut the bullshit, Piero. We both know I’m not the danger I’m referring to. If I’d wanted to harm you, I’d have done it a long time ago.”
He swallowed, and sweat began beading above his brow. “I don’t know what you are suggesting, Buccini. Is there another rival of yours trying to destroy my city? We both know you are the most dangerous man in Rome and the only threat to me and my daughter.”
I lifted my chin, my tongue rolling in my mouth as I studied how much he was shitting himself. Yes, it could have been because I’d stormed into his office without warning, but I’d had enough one-to-one conversations with this man over the years to know he didn’t normally spook this easily.
His eyes shifted to the wall cabinet behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder to see what he was looking at. There was nothing but photo frames, many of Aria, and ornaments. He grabbed a piece of paper and wrote something down.
“My daughter is the most important thing to me, Buccini,” he said, his throat tightening with emotion as he continued to write. Then he twisted the paper and pushed it silently towards me.
Can I trust you to protect her?
I glanced up at him as it clicked. He thought his office was bugged and that this conversation wasn’t safe to have out loud.
“Same. I’ll always protect her. You don’t need to worry about her safety, Piero.”
