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“Were you?” I ask, my teeth gritted as I wait for him to confess that he ridiculed Tony in the same manner.
But Noah isn’t Joaquin or Renzo. He’s not a sarcastic prick like his cousins. He’s much more reserved. Observant. The type who lurks in the shadows and waits for the perfect opportunity to strike. Always around but never seen. Loyal and deadly, willing to lay his life down for his family.
“My father had just been killed,” he says. “The timing wasn’t right. But I did listen.”
“Did he tell you anything that isn’t in these documents?” Uncle Ray asks.
“He was trying to determine why Stephen Black was taken out,” Noah says. “I agreed to speak to Joaquin after I buried my father. Didn’t get the chance. I ended up having to bury him too.”
“The better question is,” Marco Tadesco interjects, “why the fuck did it take so many of them to kill one man?”
Tadesco, who has been smart enough to refrain from any activity that could mark him as a head of anything in Chicago, scratches the scruff on his chin.
“And better still, why is his son coming after us, when the ones responsible are all dead?” Gavin Alexander asks.
Although he runs a large portion of Vegas, his brother was heavily linked to Tadesco. Gideon must view him as a threat because he purchased an entire block near one of Alexander’s casinos.
“And is Gideon the new Ferryman?” Noah asks.
“I don’t have the answers to any of those questions. Which is why I called you in today.” I stand and adjust my tie. “We must form an alliance. That is, if you want to keep the power that belongs to you.”
“Jou don believe we can handle him on our own,” Ruiz states. “Miami has olguays been able to handol isself.”
“So has New York. Yet here we are,” I say.
“All organizations require a leader. What fucker in this room will take that role?” Kane asks.
Cocking my head, I allow my lips to tug upward. “You’re looking at him.”
20
CARINA
The sound of men’s voices carries up the stairs to the landing, where I’m sitting. I press my ear tighter between the railing, straining to hear the conversation.
Ugh. I feel like I’m back at home, eavesdropping on Daddy when he’d shut the door to the office. And thank God I did. I learned enough to help him fix many poor decisions he made later on.
I should be down there right now, not up here relegated to the sidelines. Not when it was me who discovered all of this shit in the first place. While I can’t explain the why of it, I’m irked by it.
“Proper attire” my ass! There was no mistaking Luca’s meaning. He wasn’t talking about my T-shirt, although that is also a problem. But having balls isn’t a requirement to be in his world, as evidenced by the woman who not only fucked Luca up, but Gunn as well.
My lips quirk at the thought. A part of me is glad that he got roughed up a bit.
Well, she’s not the only one with the guts to go up against him. I’m done being his obedient, hanging-around-half-dressed, just-here-for-a-fuck wife. If fate insists on dragging me into this underworld, fine. I’ll play along. On my fucking terms.
With newfound determination, I go into Sofia’s old room. Surely there’s something in her closet that will be more appropriate for a criminal conference than what I’m in.
But I’m sorely disappointed when, after scrounging around in her closet, dresser, and an armoire that smells of cedar, all I find are clothes made for a ten-year-old.
“Shit.” I blow out the hair that’s fallen over my eye.
While I sit here searching for something to wear, important things are being discussed.
Damn Luca and his T-shirt!
Well, if he wants to keep me in clothes unsuitable for public outings, I’ll play that game too.
Getting to my feet, I go to his closet and rummage through it until I find the perfect thing. A crisp white button-up shirt. Perfect for a business meeting.
