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The boss of all bosses.
They’d be right.
When I approach, he immediately turns from Nick and reaches out his hand for me to kiss his ring. “Samuel, he was a good man. Have you found the person who set the bomb yet?”
“Thank you for coming today, Thomasso. We may have found him. I’m expecting the final piece of information soon.” This man is a legend, and he and I have spoken more than once this week. His agreement was crucial to my plan for Sabatini.
“I look forward to hearing from you later.” He shakes my hand, then Nick’s, before walking away, surrounded by a group of his loyal soldiers.
Turning my attention to Nick, I tell him, “Louis Tremblay was here.”
Nick starts to speak, but I cut him off. “Make sure every man we have has a picture. If they’re not guarding the house today, they need to be looking for him. I’ll have something to go on as soon as Mike gets back to me.”
Nick looks skeptical. “Sammy...” He grabs my shoulders, and I step back, breaking his grip.
“That’s an order. Fucking find him. And when you do, bring him to the goddamn warehouse alive. If you’re not up for this, I’ll find someone who is. But let me know now, Nick, because this is the last time you get to question me. This is the last time you hesitate. I love you, Uncle. But you do it again, and I’ll put you in the ground next to my father. Do we understand each other?” He’s hesitated twice now. I get it. I’m not Pops. I’m not who he’s used to. But I know he never would have questioned my father and lived to see his wife that night.
“This ends now. Go. Make sure everyone knows who we’re looking for, and make sure Marco has eyes on Amelia wherever she goes.”
I turn without another word and see Declan walking the girls back to their cars.
I want to go to her.
I want to tell her that she should be by my side.
But I’ve got to deal with the rest of this fucking day before that can fucking happen.
* * *
Back at the house, Bash, Emma, and I follow Nonna inside together before everyone else arrives. I take my grandmother’s coat and am stopped when she takes my hand in hers, then Bash’s. “Get through today with spines of steel.” She glances at Emma, then adds, “Do what you’ve got to do, then get everyone the hell out of my house. I’m tired.”
Knowing what I have to do, I look at my brother. “I’ll be in my office. Dean will grab you when we’re ready.”
“Sammy...” Emma’s voice shakes, underscoring the fear she’s doing a shit job of hiding, but Sebastian can deal with that.
It’s not my job to coddle her.
Once the door to my father’s office closes, I take stock. Over the past week, I had more security cameras installed around the compound, and an additional monitor sits on the desk, split into nine windows showing various locations around the house and grounds, twenty-four/seven.
The cars are beginning to line the driveway.
The men are in place.
It’s time for the show to begin.
* * *
When my brother walks into the office an hour later, it’s finally time to extinguish the first fire. “I thought you’d want to be in here for this, Bash. You earned it. If you hadn’t remembered what Emma told you, we’d still be trying to figure out a way to deal with this shit.” I pour us both a glass of scotch and pass one to Bash. “I’m crossing a line by allowing you to sit in on this conversation, but it’s your life, and you deserve to hear this.” A knock on the door has me checking the security display. “Showtime.”
Carlo Sabatini walks in alone, having no idea what’s about to happen, and an eerie calm settles over me.
“Carlo, please take a seat.” I gesture toward the leather chair across from Pop’s oversized desk, feeling more comfortable in this seat than ever before.
Carlo glares across the room to the couch Bash is slouched on, his black tie hanging loose and his scotch in one hand while the other grips his thigh. Bash looks like a string that’s strung too tightly, fraying at the edges and waiting to snap. The discomfort he’s causing is evident on Carlo’s face. “What’s he doing in here?”
Leaning forward, I rest my elbows on the manilla envelope sitting on the desktop. A knowing smile spreads across my lips. This isn’t something I’d typically enjoy. But my hatred for this piece of shit runs deep enough that I’ll make an exception. “He’s here as a witness. After all, it’s his life you bargained my father for years ago. And it’s his life I’m about to give back to him.”
Sabatini chuffs at the statement. “What the hell are you talking about, Beneventi? That was an agreement made between men. You can’t break it now,” he declares, spittle flying from his fucking lips.
