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Chapter 14
Leda
Thirty minutes later, I had managed to get myself out of the building without waking Lucas and to Roosevelt Park without incident. I had opted to wear a hoodie over my clothing, obscuring my face from any prying eyes and cameras that might be looking for me. How I had done it, I wasn’t sure, but the sun was setting by the time I reached the nearly empty park, hoping that Emil wouldn’t be late. I didn’t like being out in the open like this, but there was no other way to get Emil away from Lucas and have him listen to me. We both wanted the same thing for Lucas, and it was time that we joined forces.
Only about ten minutes went by before I saw a lone person approaching, his hands shoved in his pockets. When he saw me, his eyes widened.
“What the fuck?” he growled, reaching for his phone. “Lucas is going to fucking kill you, Leda.”
I watched as he put the phone up to his ear and a moment later, a shrill ring filled the air. “Now that I have your attention,” I replied evenly as he lowered the phone. “I need your help.”
“This is dangerous,” he growled, grabbing my elbow and ushering me into the park. “Do you not know that people are looking for both of us?”
“Then you better listen to me quickly,” I said boldly, tucking my arm into his. To everyone else, we looked like a strolling couple enjoying the cool nip in the air. “Do you want to win this war?”
“Leda,” he started, but I tugged on his arm, silencing any other retorts he had for me.
“Do you or do you not?” I asked again.
“Of course I do,” he said darkly. “But I have to tell Lucas about this though. This was not smart.”
“I don’t care,” I shot back. “I’m worried about Lucas, and there is no way I am going to see him be harmed by something I can stop.”
“Stop?” Emil asked as we moved down the concrete path. “What could you do?”
Of course he wouldn’t believe me. Why would he? Even Lucas didn’t believe that I could actually be an asset in this brewing war because I was a Mafia princess. Well, I was about to show them that I was someone to be reckoned with.
“Have you found them yet?” I asked him urgently. “Did you tell the capos in hiding what we offer?”
Emil let out a short laugh. “You really think it’s that easy? The few that I tried to contact told me to fuck off before I could even pass along your message.”
I spun Emil around, forcing him to meet my gaze. “Try again, and tell them that they won’t just be speaking to you, but to me.”
“You?” Emil gave me a once over. “No offense, princess, but Lucas will kill anyone that touches you, war or no war. And who’s ever heard of a capo who listened to the Don’s plaything?”
My cheeks flushed from anger. “Call me a Don’s plaything again and I’ll kill you myself.”
Emil threw his hands up in mock surrender. “Consider me spooked.”
“Listen, asshole!” I smacked him and he winced at how hard I hit. “Surely you know which capos have been itching to take their rightful places in the sun, and which ones are looking to avenge their Dons.”
“I have a good guess, yes.”
“Then we have an audience.” I said. “The ones who want vengeance will be easy: all you have to do is insinuate that they’ve forgotten their honor. The ones with ambition will jump at a crown, even if that crown was fished from the gutters.
“Think about it, Emil,” I said. “Think about what they want.”
Emil finally let out a long, heavy sigh. “You might be on to something. But why not just tell Lucas about it, Leda?”
“Because it’s like you said. I’m just a Don’s plaything.” I answered hotly. “If capos won’t listen to a woman like me, why would a Don?”
Lucas could only see his revenge on Adrian and getting his title back. He couldn’t see the opportunity if it bit him in the ass.
Emil chuckled, rubbing a hand over his face. “You know he’ll have my ass for this.”
“But it will save his life,” I urged. “That’s what’s important, right? We can’t have him taking this on by himself. He won’t make it. You know it and I know it.”
It was the worst possible scenario, but it was the truth. Lucas was going to die if I didn’t step in and attempt to find him some help.
