Page 113 of His Sinful Need

CHAPTER45

MAX

Brickerand I sleep in a while, and spend the rest of the morning preparing for a meeting with Anna-Vittoria, gathering up all the evidence we’ve collected against the rat bastard who sold us out. She’s already aware of his betrayal, but we want to make her decision easy for her. The fingerprints are the clincher, but I only worry a little about her accepting it from a Castellani. Jack is still working on a few things, but we get together what we have.

And I trust Anna-Vittoria Esposito to make the right decision here. From what I’ve seen of her so far, she’s as fair and honorable as Sandro is…and she has a few decades’ experience on him, too.

Meanwhile, the three older crew members are still digging into all Pony’s haunts, but so far he’s a ghost. Vanished to his PacSyn masters, no doubt.

But even that can’t dampen the mood between Bricker and me. I keep catching him looking over at me when he thinks I’m not paying attention. Little smiles that make warmth spread through my chest.

And after everything he’s been through, it’s good to see the light back in his eyes.

* * *

We’re shown into the salon, where Anna-Vittoria sits as usual on that little silk embroidery-covered settee. She gestures for us to sit.

Giancarlo Barone is there, along with Martino Gargiulo—the most powerful Capo in the Esposito Family—and of course the Shadow is there, doing his Shadow thing.

“Fabrizio.” The Maestra’s voice is cool. “You have news for me regarding the mole?”

Bricker clears his throat, a little nervous. “Yes, Maestra. As I reported initially, Anthony Palombino betrayed his crew, his Family…and you.”

We begin laying out the evidence, and with each new piece, Anna-Vittoria’s expression grows tighter, those carefully-painted lips thinning into a harsh line. But she doesn’t interrupt, letting us present the full picture.

Finally I hand the fingerprint analysis to her. “This proves conclusively that Palombino handled the burner phone that was used to set up the ambushes. He’s responsible for the bank setup that killed Rocco Laguardia—and nearly got the rest of the crew killed, too.”

Anna-Vittoria is silent for a long moment. When she finally speaks, her voice is deathly quiet. “This is the little worm who dared betray my Family?”

“Yes, Maestra,” Bricker says.

She swears under her breath in Italian, before turning cool eyes on Barone and Gargiulo. “Well?”

“Blood for blood,” Gargiulo says immediately. We convinced him, at least.

Barone is more hesitant. “It’s convincing, Maestra, certainly. But I’d be more comfortable if our own people looked at these things.” He gives me an apologetic smile. “You understand, I’m sure, Pedretti.”

“Whatever the Maestra wants, she’ll get.” It’s not my place to make decisions for the Espositos.

“No, I will waste no more time,” Anna-Vittoria announces after a moment of thought. “I am convinced. The Castellanis have proved themselves valuable friends and with Soldano’s support, I have no reason to doubt this evidence. PacSyn will pay for this. Turning my own people against me, against their Family…it cannot go unanswered.”

“I’ll organize a crew myself,” Gargiulo rumbles. “Hit them tonight.”

“Maestra, if I may?” Bricker waits for her nod before continuing. “Pedretti and I took the liberty of developing a plan. With your permission, we’d like to move on it right away before they realize we’ve rallied.”

He outlines our plan, which involves targeting PacSyn’s distribution network at the docks. A quick, surgical strike with hopes to cripple them financially for at least the next six months. When he finishes, she sits back, steepling her fingers, and looks at me. “I wish that we had benefited from your experience and advice many months ago, Signor Pedretti, when we first started down this path. But I thank you for it now. I can see you have been of great help to Soldano.”

“He’s a very capable Capo,” I tell her. “I’ve learned a lot being here, too.”

“I’m glad to hear it. And you want to take part in this strike? You are sure?”

“Damn sure, Maestra.”

She gives a brief smile, but her eyes are hard when she says, “Then make them hurt, gentlemen. Show them what happens when they provoke the Espositos.”

“With pleasure, Maestra,” Bricker says, with a cold smile that echoes her own. But as she stands and nods a dismissal, Bricker speaks again. “If I may, I’d like a word in private, Maestra. Alone.”

“Give us the room,” is all she says.

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