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“We can keep our eyes and ears open for you,” Frank relented. “It’s the least we can do to help your transition to power run smoothly.”
Sal looked like he wanted to do nothing of the sort, but he wisely kept his mouth shut for once. I let him stew. There was no need to continue poking the bear, especially when the cub was in my bed. I would deal with Sal later when I had more time to focus on him. Right now, we had more pressing matters at hand that I needed to give my full attention to.
The other Dons stood, and I followed suit. Frank and Claudio shook hands with me, while Moretti and Costa simply headed for the door. Russo at least gave me a nod. But Sal ignored me entirely, sweeping past me on his way out.
We didn’t get five steps within the door before it opened. Something hard and metal bounced across the floor, already spewing gas. There were a few cries of surprise, the Dons closest to the door bolting back. I instantly covered my nose and mouth with my suit jacket, but I knew it wouldn’t hold out the gas for long. I could hear cursing as the room became too smoky to see. The others must have realized that they’d left their weapons outside, just like I had. Outside…where the smoke bomb had come from.
When nothing happened, I tentatively stumbled towards the door. Either we would die, gassed in the room, or we would fall with bullets in the chest. I’d much rather go out fighting back than cowering behind the table like Costa was at the moment. Yanking the door open, I stepped out into the hall.
And nearly slipped in the puddle of slick blood on the floor.
The security detail we’d posted outside were either unconscious, about to die from blood loss, or were already dead. It looked like they’d been shot from behind, which meant they’d been distracted. From the way their bodies were lying on the ground, they must have turned to the right before being shot by someone on the left.
I stepped back behind the door frame, checking the hall. There was no one else in sight. My eyes scanned the corridor for any sign of movement, any flash of a barrel. But there was nothing but smudges on the wall across from me.
No, not smudges. I squinted, trying to keep the smoke from clouding my vision. Now that the door was open, it was dissipating into the hallway. Behind me, I could hear the others coughing still. They hadn’t seen the message written in blood…yet.
“What the hell is that?” Frank demanded, coming up behind me.
“A message,” I replied dryly. As if it wasn’t obvious.
Maroon liquid dribbled down the otherwise clean wall across the hall. The letters were smeared, as if whoever wrote it hadn’t had time to finish their masterpiece. But the words themselves were clear as fucking day.
Sienna
My name. That was all that was there, but the message wasn’t lost. I highly doubted that the perpetrator meant to send me a love letter written in blood. I knew exactly what this meant. I was next. They had already killed my father. Now they just needed to get rid of me.
But who had written it?
No one but us had known about the vote tonight. Sure, my family knew it was happening, but they wouldn’t know when or where. The only other people who knew who hadn’t just been gassed were my mother and Dante.
Dante.
I darted down the stairs, ignoring the shouts of protest from the other Dons. The first floor was undisturbed. No one knew what had just happened a floor above them. The doors to the banquet all were closed, but I could hear the faint clinking of glasses and utensils beyond it. Throwing them open, I slipped inside. I scanned the room, searching for those dark locks, that infuriating smirk. But Dante wasn’t here.
He wasn’t here.
There was no way it could have been him. At least, that’s what I told myself. My heart constricted, leaving me breathless. If Dante and his father actually were the Snake, I would have to kill each of them. I’d wipe their entire family off the map, forcing my ledger to bleed red. But thinking that was one thing—doing it was entirely another.
All I knew right then was that I needed to find him.
A few attendees were openly staring at me now, standing just before the doors, probably looking like a damn mess. My eyes were watery from the gas. Turning on my heel, I stormed back outside, grabbing the first server I saw.
“Where is Dante Scarano?” I demanded. “Tall, dark, curly hair. Wearing a gray suit. Grey eyes.”
The server gaped at me, speechless. I probably looked like a madwoman to her, but I didn’t give a shit. If I didn’t find Dante, then there could be no more excuses. No more lies to tell myself.
Disgusted, I pushed the server away. The Dons had appeared at the top of the stairs, looking murderous.
“Dante!” I shouted his name, heading towards the kitchens in the back. “Dante! Where the fuck are you?”
He wasn’t on the first floor. Wasn’t in any of the other empty banquet halls. I brushed past the others on the stairs, ignoring Sal’s biting responses about calling his son like a dog. I was too pissed off—too worried—to give a shit. Though I’d never admit that last one.
“Dante!” I started opening the doors to the right.
Empty. All of them fucking empty. Turning, I tried the first door on the left of where we were holding our meeting. It was locked. I shook the handle, knowing full well that it wouldn't do shit. Pressing my ear to the door, I shouted his name again.
At first, there was nothing. Only the dead silence. And then I heard it: a groan. He was there. Turning, I found one server hesitantly standing at the top of the stairs, looking as if they’d been forced to come and deal with me.
