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Frankie’s stern tone took over as he took the seat across from his desk and looked between all of us. “You did get out, and you’re not coming back,” he said adamantly. “You’re just here until we get this handled. I’ll make sure of that.” He would, too. He’d torture and kill everyone in his path to ensure we were all happy and alive.
“So, what’s the new game plan?” Tommy asked, wincing lightly as he shifted.
“Me.”
I turned and found Sierra in the doorway behind me. She looked nothing like she had before going to the bathroom. The trembling was gone, and the blank smile and chipper tone had returned. The girl I used to know stood before me, but there was still something off about her. Something I don’t think anyone else was noticing. I could try to chalk it up to the scar, but I didn’t think that was it. Not entirely.
“Who are you?” Tommy asked.
I glanced at her as she replied, “I’m a friend of Carlo’s, and I’m waiting for a little more information on how I’m supposed to help you guys.”
Tommy shot a displeased look at me. “You’re not involving her in this shit, man. That’s messed up.”
“Maybe so,” Frankie cut in, “but we’re not losing another brother when we have a solution in front of us. Do I make myself clear?”
Silence fell around the room as we all caught his meaning. Louis looked at the floor, his jaw ticking. Tommy’s expression grew more guarded. Frankie…well, he never let his emotions slip. But I felt the sadness that had grown between us at the reminder. It was the reason I even considered bringing Sierra into this. I would never let myself lose another brother—not after feeling that loss once.
Louis shot a hard look at Sierra, and I knew that Frankie’s words reminded him of his place here—the skeptic. The one who didn’t trust anyone. “We’re sure we can trust her?” he asked.
“We are,” I told him.
“Sierra, come and sit down. There’s a lot we need to tell you.”
Sierra didn’t hesitate, passing me by without a second glance. It hurt to see her so uninterested in communicating with me, but I didn’t let it show. Not as I nodded and followed her, standing behind her chair as she sat.
“I might be at my threshold for retaining information after all the bombs you dropped in the car,” she admitted.
Frankie, to my surprise, gave her an empathetic smile before looking over her shoulder at me. “You mean a lot to Carlo, and we’re going to do this in the most discrete, safest way possible. You’re going to get the information we need to take down the Luccheses, and you’re going to get out without them ever knowing.”
She nodded slowly, her head turning downward for a moment before she took a deep breath. “I have a lot of questions,” she admitted.
“As you should,” Frankie replied, winding his fingers together over his desk and leaning forward.
“What am I getting? Why do you need it? Why is this so important? How dangerous is this going to be if I get caught? Why—”
I rested a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t need to be afraid.”
She shot a brandishing look over her shoulder at me, pulling away from my touch. Louis approached her other side. “No, she should be,” he told me. “This is dangerous. We need you to gather information on the Lucchese movements, their connections, their alliances, and most importantly, their plans regarding us.”
Sierra stiffened as she looked at Louis, and I shook my head. “Louis,” I said firmly.
She shook her head and looked up at me. “I’d rather someone be real with me than sugarcoat what I’m about to do. Louis, continue.”
I looked at my straight-faced brother, and I knew my expression told him to proceed carefully with what he wanted to say next.
“Virgil Lucchese wants us dead—all four of us. Without an heir, the Commission that oversees the mafia will designate his holdings to other families, and he believes he stands to gain a lot by taking us out. With the death of my father, we’re the most unstable power structure among the other fourborgate, so he’s been trying. He recently sent a hitman to kill Tommy.” He gestured to where Tommy sat in a chair across the room, and my youngest brother gave an uncomfortable wave. “We can’t let him succeed. We’re not losing another brother to this shit.”
“Another?” she asked quietly.
“That’s irrelevant to you,” Louis said harshly. He couldn’t bear to talk about the loss when he’d been partially responsible for it. “We need you to focus on the Luccheses, and we need you to report back to us.”
“To me,” Frankie said adamantly.
Sierra nodded slowly, taking it all in. “You’re not going to kill me when I finish this, are you? To cover up evidence or whatever?”
A small smile pulled on Frankie’s face, and he shook his head. “No, Sierra. We’re not like that. Organized crime might be brutal, but we don’t hurt the people who help us. As long as you stick to the plan and remain loyal, we’ll do everything in our power to keep you safe.”
When Sierra turned her head to look over at Tommy again, her long hair cascaded over my hand, wafting the floral scent of her shampoo into my nose. I tightened my grip on the back of the chair, knowing I needed to keep my cool. I was the level-headed man who went between Frankie and the outside world. I was the one who made people feel comfortable, but I couldn’t seem to be that person for Sierra. This wasn’t going to be easy. “Nobody is going to hurt you here,” I said, shooting Louis a glare.
