Despite myself, I smiled, which quickly faded when the tapping of a cane on cobblestones preceded Rocco Demente, his presence tightening the heavy air like a blade being drawn slowly from its sheath. A blade about to fall on my brother’s throat.
“Against my better judgment, I took this meeting, but I don’t have time for your games, Demente, so get to the point.” Luca sounded so much like Enzo, my fingers curled against the stone.
“Quite a backbone for such a young pup, but very well.” Rocco chuckled with feigned humor. “Your uncle is planning to take over the Dynasty, and you, my boy, are in a unique position to tip the balance of power.”
“You can’t possibly know what Giovanni is planning,” Luca countered with a snort. “My uncle has never wanted the Don’s throne before; he does not want it now.”
Rocco’s smile only grew sharper. “Power runs thicker in Giovanni’s veins than blood. Perhaps I was wrong about you. Perhaps you are as dull as they say.”
“Insults won’t get you what you’re after, Rocco.” Because Luca wasn’t completely untrained, he shifted with the guards, keeping all three in sight. “But you’ll have to do better than some vague accusations against my uncle to convince me there’s some…conspiracy.”
Just go home, Luca, I urged silently.Recognize this for the trap that it is and go back home.
“Oh, there’s a conspiracy happening, right under your nose. Firstly, your uncle has been poisoning Marcello formonths now. According to my spies, the Don is on his deathbed. Is thatspecificenough for you?”
The three soldiers closed ranks—predators pretending bored indifference. I leaned forward, ready to launch myself off this roof and between them, recognizing that maneuver for what it was.
An attack.
“Giovanni has been planning this for centuries,” Rocco continued in that bland, amused voice. “The moment Marcello’s dead, your uncle becomes Don.”
“And what about Gabriel?” Luca asked. “He’s next in line, or have you forgotten?”
Rocco didn’t hesitate. “Gabriel is already dead; he just doesn’t know it yet. The Dominicos are finished. It’s up to us to save this Dynasty, Luca. To save our people. Your uncle is about to do something monstrous, and I need your help to stop him, son.” The lie—and the endearment—slid effortlessly into place.
Luca faltered. My heart dropped when I saw his pause—the exact moment my brother pictured himself saving the Dynasty, the moment his inexperience and his good heart became all the leverage Rocco needed to bring him over to the wrong side.
Fucking get down there and stop this.
Before you’re too late.
“You don’t even have to get your hands dirty,” Rocco sounded so convincing. “Just watch. Listen. Tell me if you hear anything about, say… a prison being destroyed. Or your sister’s husband returning from the dead. Or if Gio takes any meetings with vampires outside of the Dynasty. That sort of thing.”
Luca swallowed. “If my uncle was to find out…”
“He won’t. Not if you’re careful,” Rocco cut in quickly. “And I know you can be careful, Luca. You’re a chip off the old block, aren’t you? Enzo and me, we were like brothers, did you know that? He used to confide in me, and one thing about me, I always keep my friends’ secrets.”
You lying piece of shit.
I had to intervene. I had to stop this before my brother got himself killed.
Silence stretched between them, and just as I was sure Luca was about to tell Rocco to fuck off, my brother nodded. My stomach—and the ground—dropped out from under me.
Rocco melted away into the shadows along with his henchmen while I frantically scanned every nearby roof, every shadow at ground level to make sure I was the only witness to this atrocity. This meeting was a death sentence for my brother because if my uncle found out…
Well, Giovanni didn’t forgive betrayal.
And Luca… gods, Luca tried so hard to be clever when he needed to keep his head down. Now it was too late. Rocco had him in his sights, and I’d be lucky if I could manage damage control.
I chewed my bottom lip as I followed my brother out of the square, down one alley, then the next, debating my options.
Luca was shit at keeping secrets. Like, totally hopeless, and there was too much at stake to risk my brother finding out the truth—that I was alive and kicking.
But I wasn’t fool enough to think my brother was safe. If he walked into the palazzo, and Giovanni knew about tonight’s meeting… my brother would meet the same fate as me. I had to warn him.
But knowing I was alive only put him in even more danger.Fuck.
Back and forth I debated, then, halfway to the palazzo, I decided doingsomethingwas better than doingnothing.
