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Massimo walks over to stand next to me. Seb approaches me and flanks me on the other side. They each reach for a glass. I grab mine and the remaining one, then walk over to my desk and place it in front of Luca.
He folds his arms across his chest and ignores it. I turn, raise my glass in Massimo and Seb’s directions, before I down the alcohol.
Massimo and Seb follow suit.
"Good liquor." Massimo turns and snatches up the bottle, then whistles. "Macallan’s forty-year-old, eh?"
"I like my whiskey." I raise a shoulder.
Massimo pours more of the alcohol into his own glass, then tops up Seb’s, before walking over to pour more liquor into my glass.
"So," he places the bottle on the desk behind me, "you going to tell us what this is about?"
"Where’s Michael?"
"He couldn’t come." Seb scowls as he sips from his glass, "Karma wasn’t feeling well so he opted to stay behind."
"Is she okay?"
"Is Theresa okay?" Luca shoots back.
"None of your business," I say without turning around.
"Ah, but it is,stronzo." He swings his legs off the desk and rises to his feet. "You made it our business when you pulled a gun on the Don and left with a woman who is under his protection."
"I confess, I don’t see the logic in what you did." Massimo scratches his chin. "Hell, you married her. If you had asked Michael, he would have let you both leave with his blessings."
"And this way, I didn’t have to ask anyone." I roll my shoulders. "I left with what’s mine."
"After you threatened the Don in front of the entire town and in church." Luca clicks his tongue, "Either you are very foolish or—"
"You have a plan," Seb cuts in. "By drawing attention to us, and making us seem weak, you ensured that every single rival clan looked on this as the opportunity to go on the offensive against us."
"In fact, you counted on it." Massimo takes a sip from his glass. "You hoped we’d be so preoccupied by attacks it would take us time to regroup."
"I had hoped it would land you in enough heat that it would delay your coming after me, yes."
"Something which, clearly, didn’t work. As you can see," Luca rounds the desk, grabs his glass and stands next to Massimo, "we are here to take the two of you back to Palermo."
"And if I refuse?"
"This isn’t us asking," Seb says in a mild tone. "We have come to accompany you back to the bosom oflafamiglia,whether it’s with your consent or not."
"Oh?" I take a drink of my whiskey. "It really is good, isn’t it?" I tilt my head, "Although, it’s nothing like the one-hundred-year-old whiskey, which isn’t for consumption by the likes of you."
"Likes of us?" Luca’s features darken. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
"He’s trying to get a rise out of you," Massimo warns.
"Well, he’s succeeding," Luca growls.
I turn to him, "You realize you are the vulnerable point in this entire family? The one who talks without thinking. Who shoots before he is ready to face the consequences of his actions."
His features distort. The next second, he moves, but my gun is already in my hand. We aim our guns at each other.
"Cazzo," Massimo scowls, "put ‘em down, youstronzos."
Neither Luca nor I move. We glare at each other. Luca’s jaw is hard. The skin around his eyes tightens. A nerve pops at his temple as he holds my gaze.
