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“Leonardo.” It was the first time we’d spoken, and without sharing my name, he knew exactly who I was.
He made that clear in his silence. Like a cliché, he thought he had more power by not speaking, but the truth was, he just wasn’t man enough to hold his own.
“You’re stranded on an island, and no one is coming to your rescue, Leonardo. Either starve to death or accept my terms.”
“We can discuss your terms in person. Give me the time and place.”
A smile pulled at my lips. “She’s not going to change my mind.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Laura was his final weapon. She wanted to protect her family from my wrath, so it wouldn’t surprise me if she offered to plead on her father’s behalf. She could pitch her case all she wanted, but her beauty wouldn’t faze me. Our memories together wouldn’t soften my resolve. “Won’t make a difference, but perhaps seeing your daughter work against me will teach you to appreciate her. It’ll teach you to respect her.”
* * *
It was three a.m.
The shops and bars were closed, so the Piazza Della Signoria was empty. The replica statue of David stood tall for locals and tourists to admire. The Duomo loomed over us with its height, casting a shadow in the darkness. I’d had several meetings in this square, one of the few places where there was enough space for two militias to meet out in the open.
I sat in the back seat of the SUV and waited, our crew driving off the road to park on the cobblestones. Our fleet of vehicles was bulletproof, and I was certain Leonardo’s was as well. An extra car was parked out back, armed with a bazooka if we needed it.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that.
Twenty minutes later, headlights appeared. They drove off the road and directly into the plaza, leaving their cars a hundred feet away.
Bleu sat beside me in the car. “How do you want to play this?”
“Leonardo will try to kill me.”
He pressed his fingers to his ear as he listened to the guys on the radio. “Our shooters say he has men positioned in some of the windows.”
“Take them out.” My guys would sneak into the buildings and knock them out cold.
“We’ll be ready to take down Leonardo.”
“When I deny Laura, it’ll be a shootout. The only way to keep his business and his legacy will be to put me in the ground.” If I killed her father, Laura and I would truly be done. There would be no going back after that. “Make sure the men get Laura out of there safely.”
Bleu gave a nod in confirmation.
The cars stopped, and the headlights went dark.
“Showtime.” I stepped out of the car, and that was when the rest of my men followed suit. A flurry of doors opened and closed, and Leonardo and his men mimicked our movements. In my leather jacket and boots, I approached the no-man’s-land between us, the statue of David watching on in horror.
Both sides approached the middle, illuminated by the lampposts spaced around the sidewalks. The other statues stared on, stone-faced, watching the late-night throwdown. I walked up to Leonardo and stopped feet away.
Victor and Lucas were there. Lucas kept his vicious eyes focused on me, probably still wearing the gauze underneath his clothes. Other men were stationed there, sporting their assault rifles and handguns.
I kept my eyes glued to Leonardo—but I wanted to search for Laura.
For a man in his fifties, he was in fairly good shape, but his gut was unmistakable. The product of too much wine and liquor. Probably too much bread too. He gave me that stone-cold look, like it might intimidate me.
A stretch of silence ensued, the city quiet. A man left one of the shops and locked the door behind him. When he noticed us, he looked scared shitless because he’d stepped onto the street at the worst possible time. He took off at a dead run.
Leonardo turned and gestured to his men.
Here we go.
The door to one of the SUVs opened and she appeared, dressed in formfitting jeans and boots with a tight sweater that showed off the tits I used to caress with my hands and mouth. When her eyes found mine, there was a hesitation, like a wave of emotions swept over her at the sight of me.
