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No ambulances anywhere.
Which means my princess is in there and all right.
My body relaxes just enough that I can turn my attention to the main house. It’s heavily guarded, but the Volini soldiers part ways as I bound up the front steps and barrel into the house.
Within seconds I’m outside the boss’s office. The doors open just as I get there. Carlo Giani’s face is drawn with a seriousness I’ve never seen on the faithful old dog. Behind him Anthony Volini is standing at the window, staring out over his estate, lost in thought.
He turns when I walk in. “Zedd. Good. Carlo will fill you in. Then I want your advice.”
Carlo closes the heavy oakwood doors, then paces the office, rubbing his jowls as he talks.
My body stays absolutely still as I listen. I’d already figured the first part out when I realized there was no groom in sight, no Romero Family soldiers anywhere to be seen, no Romero Family cars exiting as I arrived. That bastard Ralph Romero had always planned to stand Amelia up at the altar, a slap in the face of the Volini Family, a public insult that would force Anthony Volini to respond to save face, maybe start a war that he couldn’t win.
But the rest of what Carlo says stuns me into silence.
“Ralph’s father, Don Romero, apparently died in his sleep last night,” Carlo says with an edge to his voice that makes it clear nobody really believes the old man justhappenedto pick this very day to die of natural causes. “And Ralph’s older brother was killed in a car accident this morning. Along with his pregnant wife and two sons.”
It takes a moment for the seriousness to sink in. “Ralph Romero just wiped out his entire family?” I growl. “The bastard had his father smothered or poisoned? Then killed his own brother in a fake accident, along with the wife, an unborn child, and two innocent kids? Which makes Ralph the undisputed head of the Romero Family.” I shake my head to clear it. “So now Ralph is the fucking Don? And he had the balls to have one of his henchmen call and inform you that Amelia is now beneath his class, that the wedding is off? Making the insult explicit, clear as day, forcing a response.” I shake my head to clear it. “But going after him now that he’s the Romero Family boss means all-out war.”
Anthony Volini turns from the window now. He’s aged about ten years since the last time I saw him twenty-three days ago. “Exactly. Masterful move. Nobody will be able to prove Ralph had his father and brother killed. Everyone willknowhe did it, but without proof the Consortium won’t be able to rule against him. They’ll have to recognize him as the legitimate Head of the Romero Family.” He rubs his eyes, sits down heavily in his chair. “He planned all this because he wants our territory, wants to own Florida along with Georgia. Everything was timed to happen on the wedding day, after all the guests arrived and there’d be no hiding the insult from the mafia world. Standing Amelia up at the wedding was the cornerstone of this move. He couldn’t start an unprovoked war because the Consortium would intervene. But if he provokes us to start the war, it’s fair game. His move now forces us to make a counter-move.”
“Except we’re in a no-win situation,” Carlo growls. “If we go after Ralph directly, now that he’s the boss, it’s a declaration of war. The Consortium won’t stop it because we’re entitled to respond to the insult, but no other Family will intervene. They’ll let us fight it out, and that will not end well for the Volini Family.”
The boss takes a grim breath. “We can choose to do nothing, of course. Ignore the insult, maybe pretend like the deaths forced the wedding to be postponed even though it’s clear Ralph never intended to show up, staged the whole thing to force us into a corner. But choosing to do nothing is still a response. It’s no different from bending the knee, acknowledging that we’re weak, that we’ll take the disrespect and do nothing about it.” He shakes his head firmly. “That’s a slower death, but it is absolutely a path to defeat. We lose face and it snowballs. Maybe not this year, maybe not the next, but once we show our brutal world that we’re weak, that people can disrespect us without consequences, it’s the beginning of the end for the Volini Family.”
Carlo nods. “Makes it harder for us to recruit the best new soldiers. Other Families are less likely to do deals with us. Politicians demand bigger bribes to take our sides. Same with district attorneys, judges, union bosses, cops, customs at the docks. It’s a death spiral. Eventually our bookies and dealers and enforcers start to jump ship. Nobody wants their future tied to a Family that’s been disrespected and simply bowed its head and taken it. Our world is about power and dominance. We’re fucking trapped.”
My head doesn’t move. Breath comes tight and shallow. My eyes are riveted on the old man now, curiosity quickening my heart. After all, he called me here even though this is a private Family matter.
Of course, I know why he called me here.
And I know I'll say yes.
Even though it’s basically a suicide mission.
“I’ll do it,” I say without hesitation even though I know it’s insane. Ralph Romero will be expecting a hit, and he’ll be more protected than the fucking President. “I’ll kill him.”
Carlo chuckles dryly, glances at the boss, then shakes his head in my direction. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, tough guy. We called you back here because you did a couple of freelance jobs for the Romero Family back in the day. You know something about their mansion’s layout, about any possible vulnerabilities. It’s probably outdated information now, but might still be useful.”
I rub my grizzled jaw, raise an eyebrow at the boss. “So you’re going to try to blatantly attack Ralph Romero in his own home with Volini soldiers? Start an all-out war even though you’re outgunned and outnumbered? It’s just what Romero wants and you know it. If you start a war and he wins, all your territory goes to him.”
The boss takes a slow breath, his eyes darkening with a savageness that reminds me Anthony Volini is an alpha dog in his own way. He’s not going to just slink away. He’ll attack to protect his territory, even if he knows it’s going to end in defeat.
As for me?
I’m a damn alpha dog too.
Except I don’t give a fuck about territory.
Notthatkind of territory anyway.
I want blood just for the insult to my sweet Amelia.
Yeah, an hour ago I was ready to murder Ralph Romero for marrying my woman.
Now I’m ready to murder him fornotmarrying her.
It strikes me as darkly funny, but I’m not in a laughing mood.
