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“Don’t defend my wife to me!” I refused to feel concern for Allegra, not as long as she twisted her knife deeper into my chest with her lies and defiance.
“Something has happened. You’re not the same man who suffered with guilt for what happened with Francesca. You said Allegra would challenge your idea of marriage. You never did like a challenge.”
“Enough! The decision isn’t yours. Get on the plane. When you arrive, don’t interfere. I have enough to worry about with the fucking Irish and Allegra.”
“We’ll be there tomorrow.” Anna’s clipped reply was followed with an abrupt end to the conversation when she hung up on me.
I tossed back the rest of the liquor, crashed into the chair in the corner, leaned my head back, and closed my eyes. I was so fucking tired.
A soft knock broke the silence in the room. “Boss?”
I cracked my eyes open as Ant entered. “Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”
Ant laughed and sat in the chair next to mine. “Keep me stupid.”
“And don’t get caught.” Two phrases my father had used when we were growing up and looking for trouble. More times than I could remember Ant and I had come home with blood and bruises from street fights or from the hedonistic play of two young, arrogant mafiosi with too much money in their pockets and no fear of consequences.
Like Orlando and Emilio now.
“You’ve always been my voice of reason” –my gaze met his– “even when we were debating which bone to break.”
Ant rubbed a scar on his knuckle. “Nah, we only ever argued about which girls were mine.”
“Because you wanted them all.” I smiled. “They were all yours.”
“You were too busy working, trying to prove to Roberto you were ready to be his underboss.”
Five years ago, I’d taken position next to my father after my uncle Sammy had trusted the wrong man. He along with two wealthy Americans, a businessman from Mumbai, and a tycoon from Hong Kong had been taken hostage and held for ransom.
No one did a shakedown on Roberto Bruno. When he refused to pay, they were all executed.
“How many rats are in my house, Ant? Luca, now Roberto. I thought they were connected, but now…I don’t know what to think.” I pressed the heels of my palms against my eyes. “Allegra’s never been to Italy. Her family’s established here. She wouldn’t have any connection to Adami. But she’s secretly meeting with Byrne’s soldier. I can’t torture her, but I can’t fucking trust her.”
“The phone is registered to the BrioFagan Group.”
BrioFagan Group was the public face of Patrick Byrne’s crime syndicate. Restaurants, local pubs, and private clubs mostly north into Boston and New York, but he preferred to stay south.
The Irish were busy pimping and prostituting, a den of iniquity full of deadly vipers. Patrick had a taste for young girls and liked to spread his bounty around to his friends. That Allegra would be within a hundred miles of one of his soldiers tightened my chest.
“Maybe she doesn’t know her friend is connected with Byrne,” I said.
An icepick of pressure pierced into my right temple. I wanted there to be another explanation. But the messages, especially the last one couldn’t be explained away.
Ant finally spoke. “I don’t know why she’s involved with the Irish, but I don’t think she has anything to do with Roberto. Do you want my advice?”
“Always.”
“Keep her close and get her to trust you.”
“Fuck her for information?”
He rolled from the chair. “You’re going to fuck her anyway.”
My dick kicked and stretched at the thought of getting between her thighs and sinking into the soft, wet seduction of her pussy. But that was the fucking problem. Allegra made me weak.
“Play the game,” Ant said. “We both know how this works. If you’re not going to seduce her, then you’re going to have to force the information from her.”
I followed him out of the office. “What of Timoteo? Is his loyalty stronger for Allegra or her brother?”
