I can’t tell my dad yet. He’s in too fragile a state. And besides that, the betrayal would crush him. That would break my heart.
I decide to hold the meeting in my father’s office at the house. No formality. Just truth. Once they all file in and sitaround the desk, I take a seat in his chair, behind the desk, and steeple my fingers.
I examine each and every one of their faces. I see some skepticism, a little suspicion, and a lot of concern. Rightly so. The head of the family was almost killed not too long ago, and the interim head was kidnapped, drugged, and duped by a man they saw as a leader and ally.
But as I look between them, I also see slivers of respect in their tense expressions. And it gives me hope.
“Thank you for coming,” I say. “I’ll keep this short. I know you’re all busy, but there’s a lot to discuss, especially about how we move forward after these attacks. I want to be transparent with you about my plans.”
I lay it all out for them… Vincenzo’s betrayal. Eamon’s manipulation and power grab, the alliance with the Kozlovs that almost killed my dad and nearly crippled our organization.
“Vincenzo is dead,” I say, resting my hands on the top of the desk. “Eamon Molloy disappeared during the firefight at the warehouse. And the marriage contract with Lochlan Molloy is being dissolved.” My heart cracks at that last part.
A few of them exchange looks. I grit my teeth and keep talking.
“Until my father is well enough to take over, I’ll be running things as I have for the past couple of months.” I lift an eyebrow and scan their faces for any sign of disagreement. “If anyone has a problem with that arrangement, speak now.”
The silence is deafening.
DiMarco clears his throat. “What about the Kozlovs? They’re not going to just walk away without what they were promised.”
“Well, the person who made the promises didn’t own what he was offering. And so now, we need to come up with another solution, a way to work with the Russians without resorting to violence. And I’m handling it.”
“Handling it how?”
“I’ve requested a meeting with Viktor Kozlov to discuss howwe can peacefully coexist here in Boston. We’ll negotiate terms that work for both sides.”
Fiorentino leans forward. “You’re going to negotiate with the people who tried to kill you?”
“I’m going to do whatever I can to protect this family. The Kozlovs wanted an alliance. Vincenzo and Eamon promised them one. Now both of those men are out of the picture, and the Kozlovs are left with nothing. They can either accept my new terms or prepare for a turf war.”
“And if they choose war?”
“Then we’ll be ready.” I let that hang in the air for a minute. Judging by their faces, they don’t like it any more than I do, which is good because it means I’ll get their support to fix this shit show. “But I don’t think they will. Viktor Kozlov is a businessman. He understands that a war costs money, resources, and lives. If I offer him something worth more long term, he’ll take it.”
“Good luck,” DiMarco says with a nod. “We’re here if and when you need us.”
The rest of the capos mutter and nod their agreement.
I smile for the first time today. “Thank you. That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”
I blow out a breath after the last capo leaves the office and sit back against the cool leather of my dad’s chair. I swing the chair around and stare out the window at the sun shining bright in the clear blue sky.
One down. One to go.
But first, there’s someone I need to see.
My father is already up when I get to the hospital.
He smiles when he sees me.“Tesoro.”
“Hey, Dad,” I say, rushing over to give him a kiss on the forehead. The trach tube is gone, although his voice is still rough andweak. He still looks small and fragile against the stark white hospital sheets, but he gets stronger every day, and the doctors are all happy with his progress.
“Adriana.” His voice is barely above a whisper. “Luna told me... what happened.”
“I know she told you some of it.” I take his hand, cradling it with my other one, his skin cool and papery against mine. “But I need to tell you the rest.”
My heart shudders at the sadness in his eyes when I rehash all of the details of his closest friend’s betrayal.
