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“You’re not meeting with them alone.” I take a deep breath and get up, heading to my bag to start packing it. “We are meeting with them together, and if they say something that I think is going to get us caught, we’re leaving.”
Aria gets up and crosses the room, throwing her arms around me. I smile and hug her back, pressing a light kiss to her temple.
“Thank you,” she says, her voice soft as she looks up at me. “I know this is a lot to ask but I think it really is our best chance.”
“If this is what it takes to keep you in my life, then this is what we’ll do.” I kiss her temple again. “We’re going to get through this together.”
25
ARIA
The room is dark and damp, hidden so far deep in the woods that I wouldn’t be able to escape it even if I tried.
There isn’t much furniture in the cabin, and I suspect Gio likes it that way. He’s the kind of person who doesn’t want to settle down in one place for too long. Even though all of the Russo children are taught to be able to leave a place easily, I don’t know if Gio’s ever considered staying somewhere.
“Why are we meeting?” Salvatore says as he walks in the room.
“Weapons in the box,” Gio says, pointing at a box in the corner of the room.
Tyson’s hand lands on my thigh beneath the table. His fingers drift along my leg slightly as Salvatore dumps several guns and knives into the box.
“Is that all of it?” Tyson asks, raising an eyebrow. Salvatore just glares back.
I sigh and look at my brothers as they gather around the table. They make a show of flipping out their empty pockets and lifting their clothing to reveal nothing hidden. Tyson gives a nod and leans back in his chair, his hand still on my thigh.
My brothers take their seats around the table, each one of them glancing at me. It’s been years since we last called a sibling meeting. Most meetings happen with my father present, his presence silencing us into compliance.
“What are we doing here?” Matteo asks, glancing at me.
My heart’s racing as I take a deep breath. None of this is going to be easy to explain. Though Damien already knows the truth, I don’t know how much my other brothers know. I suspect that Gio knows a little, but Matteo and Salvatore are the ones I’m really worried about.
Neither of them have ever been predictable. I don’t know where their loyalties lie. My confession to them might be my death sentence.
Damien looks at me and raises an eyebrow. He gives me the stern older brother look, and I know that he isn’t going to intervene if the others start losing their shit. Though he has always protected me, I can hold my own against my brothers.
“I’m working with the FBI to put Dad in prison for what will likely be the rest of his life,” I say, looking each of my brothers in the eyes as I speak. “You all know that he is slipping. He’s making decisions that are dangerous for the family and he’s killing without considering the consequences. Lately, he has been drawing more attention to the illegal side of the family and putting us at a greater risk from the FBI.”
Matteo leans forward across the table that separates us. I can see the dark look in his eyes. It’s the look of a man I don’t recognize. One who might hate me for what I’ve done.
That thought doesn’t sit well with me, but I’m doing what I have to. The only way to protect the family and all that has been built over the years is to take down my father.
“Let me be clear. You think that the best way to avoid the FBI is to work for them?” Matteo asks, his tone harsh. “Are you fucking stupid?”
“I’m doing what is best for the family. This is the only way to get Dad out of power without the capos coming after us.”
Salvatore shakes his head. “I always knew that you would be the traitor. You’ve never been with the family. You’ve always been eager to turn your nose up at us even though you benefit the most from everything everyone has done.”
“Let’s not forget about everything I’ve done for the family,” I say, venom in my voice. “You’re not the only one who could spend their lives in jail. I haven’t given them any information yet, but Tyson has been deep undercover for them.”
Matteo lunges across the table but Tyson is already on his feet. He and Matteo go tumbling to the ground. Tyson is quick to flip Matteo onto his stomach and grips Matteo’s arms behind his back. He kneels beside him. Tyson whispers something to Matteo that I don’t hear before letting him up.
To my surprise, Matteo goes back to his seat and sits down.
“I’m outta here.” Salvatore glares at me, a look of disgust clear on his face. “If you’re willing to turn against Dad, who knows who you’ll turn against next. We are done.”
I nod, my chest constricting. Even though it hurts, I expected it.
“I told you that I would kill both of you.” Salvatore looks at Tyson as he stands up. “This is the second time that you’ve gotten lucky. Don’t make the mistake of crossing my path again.”
