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“I think this could work,”Alessio says seriously, his gaze thoughtful when they land on me. “Though, there are a lot of variables that we need to consider. Especially since we don’t know when the Parisi bastards are going to show up.”
“I say we send some of our men to find them and keep an eye on them,” Dante suggests. “Make sure we know where they are, and there are no surprises.”
“I think as soon as your invitation reaches the De Luca family, they’ll all be mobilizing,” Aurelio comments. “And that means Giovanni isn’t going to want to let you get the upper hand, which could force him to move sooner than he plans. Especially so he doesn’t piss off Rafaele.”
“Rafaele will definitely be pissed once he realizes he no longer can have Gia,” Pietro says grimly. “And that makes him unpredictable.” He looks at me. “I will add some of our men with yours, but we’ll need to have the majority of them here to ensure that if bullets start flying we can protect your bride.”
“What about Marco and Leonardo?” Dante asks me. “Marco will probably lose his shit once he realizes who is here with us.”
“I’m counting on that,” I say with a cool smile. “It will also tell me what Leonardo knows. If he’s surprised, then we know Marco was doing this all without his father’s knowledge. If not, then he’s fully aware of his son’s dealings.”
“Speaking of which, I got a message from our informant,” Dante tells me, pulling out his phone.
I look at the message and curse under my breath at the message from Eion.
Eion: Looks like you were right that it’s one of Seamus’s daughters in the apartment, but not the youngest who’s name it’s under. It’s the second daughter, Sinead. Sinead and Marco have been having an affair for the last four months, and they only spend time there when they’re both not on the radar of their parents. Seamus is suspicious of her and has started putting surveillance on her, so shit is probably going to hit the fan soon. I’ll let you know if I find out more.
“Looks like Marco has been colluding with the enemy,” I tell the others. “We have an informant from the Irish that oversees territory in the Bronx. Seems Marco has been having an affair with the don’s second eldest daughter.”
“And do you think that’s on purpose to get secrets out of her, or because he wants an alliance with them?” Alessio asks, sitting forward and bracing his elbows on his knees.
I make the split decision to tell them what we know. Because if tonight is going to go the way I think, the more they know the better. “I think he’s trying to merge and take over both territories. His father and the Irish. A merger through marriage to Seamus’s daughter will give him an in, and then I’m sure he’ll outright kill him and take over. Marco is power hungry, and he got his ambition from seeing his father and uncle and their idiotic squabbles.”
“And you think he’ll come for your territory,” Pietro summarizes.
“He can try,” I say with a cool smile.
“But there is another family he could go after first,” Aurelio points out. “Those Russian fuckers.”
I nod. “The Russians are in the smallest of the areas of New York, but they have the best docks, which means they have a lot of routes in and out of the city. So it would make more sense for anyone to go after them first. The Irish have the best hideouts for their businesses, but they have more options for women when it comes to marriages and the like.”
“And you and De Luca have the bigger territories and routes to the rest of the inner states,” Alessio says thoughtfully. “So it really depends on what his end goal is. If he’s looking to take over the city, and if he’s actually got a brain in his head, he’ll go after the smaller territories first before he comes for yours.”
“Not looking good,” Massimo says grimly.
Pietro narrows his eyes at me and I can see his mind working. “But if I recall in the information I reviewed before coming here, the Irish and Russians are already fighting.”
I’m careful to keep my expression exactly the same. “There have been skirmishes,” I acknowledge. “But they usually spring up every few years. The Irish have fiery tempers, and the Russians rarely think before they do anything.”
Pietro nods, but I know he’s trying to work out how I fit into that equation. He may be a new ally, but there is something to be said for not showing all your cards at once.
“Well I for one am excited,” Lazaro announces with a grin. “A good fight to liven up the place and get the adrenaline pumping is one good way to end a day.”
“Well then I suggest we get ready to split up into teams,” Aurelio says briskly. “Let’s get ourselves ready for any possibility, and if we’re lucky, we’ll avoid any bloodshed tonight.”
One can hope, but at the same time, I hope not, because if it’s up to me, I’ll put the De Lucas down like the dogs they are for the way they’ve treated Gia. But I’ll be patient. I look at Dante and give him a quick nod. It’s time to get this plan in motion, and I for one am ready to ensure that a statement is made tonight.
Because the moment Gia is my wife, nothing will stop me from ensuring her safety.
CHAPTER35
Nico
I’m growing moreimpatient with each passing minute and I check my watch for the millionth time. Not that anyone else seems to care. Nor do I miss the knowing looks that the Caruso brothers share, and those of my men. The majority of the staff have come to witness the nuptials, now that the ballroom is set up. I glance around the room.
The lights are dimmed, and the curtains drawn so no outside light filters through. There are flowers spread out throughout the room in different arrangements and vases, with glowing gold of the lights from the lit candelabras on the round tables also set up. The ballroom is large enough that there are food stations set up in the back corner, along with a small dance floor. A dark red aisle runner comes from the closed double doors and down to the center of the room where I’m standing with the judge and Dante, and there are a few rows of chairs on either side of the runner.
I don’t think Sofia got the memo that asked for simple, but too little too late now. I just hope that Gia is happy with it, or I’ll be very displeased. Though I’m already displeased they’re taking so damn long. We don’t have a long window of time, and with each minute, the chances of the plan going awry increase.
