“Possibly. But backing down would be worse. They'd see it as weakness. And they will crush any hint of it.”
I think about the capos yesterday. The way they looked at me. The way Riccardo's lip curled when he talked about PowerPoint presentations and MBAs, like he thought he was superior to me because he’s an egotistical criminal and I’m not.
They're all waiting for me to fail. To prove them right.
“Give me a minute,” I say.
I step away from Vincenzo and move toward the windows at the end of the hallway. Lochlan follows, keeping a respectful distance, giving me space to think and feel my way around this shitshow of a situation.
“You don't have to hover,” I say without turning around.
“I'm not hovering. I'm just… present.”
“There's a difference?”
“Yeah. A subtle one.”
I turn, my arms folded across my chest. “The Russians are testing me,” I say, thinking out loud. “They know Dad is incapacitated. They know I'm new. They're poking the bear to see what happens.”
“Makes sense.”
I pace in front of the windows. “If I send men, it turns into a pissing contest. Everyone keeps pushing, people get hurt, and we're in a war nobody wants.” I stare out at the parking lot below. “But if I don't respond, they’ll think I'm weak. And then they push harder to break me.”
“Sounds like you need a third option.”
“Yes.” I nod. “I need to change the game.”
He watches me with that steady, penetrating gaze, waiting for what comes next. He doesn’t jump in with his own solutions or take control of the situation. He just stands there, ready to back me up, no matter what direction I decide to go. He knows who and what I am, and has complete trust that I’ll make the right call. And even though I question myself a lot more these days, he never has. Not once.
I step slowly toward him. “Dominic Castellano,” I say. “I know him. I consulted for his company five years ago and helped them restructure their shipping routes to avoid congestion fees. Saved them about two million annually.”
Lochlan nods. “So he owes you, yeah?”
“Well, he likes me. That's different.” I pull out my phone. “But way more useful.”
I dial Dominic’s number, and he picks up on the first ring. “Dominic, this is Adriana… Colonna. I know you’re aware that I’ve taken over all DiMicheli business for my father.”
“Adriana,” His voice is shaky and scared. “I am so sorry about your father. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. And I hate to put you in such a difficult position right now with everything you have on your plate.”
“Thank you. You were smart to call Vincenzo, and I promise you that I will take care of this. Now, I need you to tell me exactly what they said when they came to your office.”
He takes a breath and gives me the run down. Two men, Russian accents, polite but very threatening. They said the DiMicheli family is finished, that their boss is in a coma, his daughter is playing dress-up, and anyone with half a brain cansee the writing on the wall. They offered him "better terms" with the Kozlovs. Protection that actually means something. And they made it clear that refusing wasn't really an option.
“They took my shipment, Adriana. Two-hundred-thousand dollars of inventory, stolen. They said it was a message. That if I didn’t respond to it, next time it could be my warehouse. Or my trucks. Or—" His voice breaks. “They mentioned my daughter's school. They know where to find her.”
Ice runs through my veins. Those fucking bastards, targeting an innocent kid. But I keep my voice steady.
“Okay,” I say when he finishes. “Here's what's going to happen. You're going to call Viktor Kozlov directly.”
“What?” Dominic's voice rises. “Are you insane? I can't?—"
“You're going to call him and tell him that you appreciate the offer, but you already have partners. Specifically, you're going to mention that your company is currently in negotiations with Harrington-Cole Logistics for a major distribution contract.”
Silence on the other end.
“Harrington-Cole?” Dominic says slowly. “You mean the British company?”
“Yes. They're expanding into the Northeast, and they've been looking for a shipping partner. I happen to know Jenny Whitmore, their VP of Operations. We were on a panel together at a logistics conference last year.” I pause. “If Viktor thinks you're about to sign a deal with a major international player, then suddenly you're not just some small shipping company he can push around. You're a company with legitimate connections, contracts, and lawyers. Lots of lawyers. Lots of scrutiny. Lots of protection.”
