AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Barbieri,” I growled, my voice dark and intimidating as I clenched my fists on my desk.
“I’ve been expecting your call, Buccini. You just caught me before my bedtime,” laughter in the voice of my arch nemesis had my blood boiling, but Max’s steady gaze kept me in control.
“You have Elenora,” I hissed, making it a statement rather than a question. I didn’t want to speak to this fucker any longer than required to find out where she was.
“I do believe I have a Buccini in my possession right now, si,” he replied with an air of arrogance and smugness. My nostrils flared and I gritted my teeth as I looked from Max and Enzo to Liv. She held my gaze and exhaled slowly, causing me to copy her.
“What do you want, Barbieri?” I forced the question out of my mouth with pure hatred.
He whistled into the phone and then chuckled, “Woah that is a loaded question. I want many things. I want to fuck your sister. I want to ruin her for all other men so that by the time I am done with her, she’ll never be satisfied by another man again. I want—”
Fury erupted through me as I jumped up from my chair, roaring into the phone, “If you so much as lay one finger on her, Barbieri, I will pull your organs out your asshole and tear you limb from limb!”
“How charming. Normally, I would expect dinner first before such a proposition,” he sneered into the phone. “If you let me finish… I want you to retreat from Venice completely and give Leone full territory.”
I glanced over at Max, his eyes wide in alarm. He instantly started shaking his head, knowing if we lost our hold on Venice, it was a slippery slope downhill from there. We would lose so much business, so many connections.
“I can’t do that, Barbieri. I’ll give them equal reign. 50% hold,” I tried to negotiate, even though my gut was telling me I had nothing to use as leverage here.
“No deal.”
I ran my hand through my hair as I looked from Max to Liv and pinched the bridge of my nose. “If I give Leones the territory, you give me Elenora unharmed,” I hissed as I held my hand up to stop Max from interrupting.
“Oh no, Buccini. You give Leone Venice and I keep my hands off your precious sorella for a few more days. Take your men out of Venice immediately and sign all your businesses over to Leone in the next 24 hours and she gets to keep all ten fingers.”
“I swear to god, if you touch a hair on her head,” I growled.
“Well that all depends on you, Giovanni. What kind of big brother are you? The one who puts business before family or family before business?”
“You do this and it will take years to regain our power over Venice and cost millions,” Max whispered.
“This is Elle,” Liv snapped back. I ran my hand through my hair and leaned over my desk, staring at the phone.
“If I agree, I want Elenora back as soon as it’s done,” I tried once more to gain his word, but he sighed on the other end of the phone, flicking something irritatingly in the background.
“You think it would be that easy? Buccini, have you heard of my reputation? Do you know who the fuck you are dealing with here? This is just the start. Let’s see if you can follow these simple instructions first and then we will talk about your sorella.”
I growled through my gritted teeth, knowing I was backed into a fucking corner. I had two options. Do as he said or go rile up the entire North (barr Leone) to go to war with the South. The problem was Barbieri had a ruthless reputation and the commission would refuse to go to war with them over one woman, even if she was my sister. We would be on our own. And we couldn’t stand against all the families in the South alone.
“And don’t even think of double crossing me, Buccini. Any sighting of your men in the South and you will never see her again. You want her back unharmed? Leone will be in contact tomorrow and you will do what he says. You want her back, piece by piece? Go ahead and retaliate. She won’t be as lucky as her bodyguard.”
“You fucking asshole!” Enzo jumped up out of his chair. “Once Elle is back safe and sound, I will kill you with my bare hands!”
I scowled at Enzo for getting involved and his nostrils flared as he huffed back down in his seat.
“Let me guess… the infamous Maximus?” Alessio chuckled.
“No. Enzo Aiani, Boss of the Aiani Clan,” Enzo stated, sitting taller in his chair to show he meant business. I shook my head as I moved towards the window. Idiot. There was a silence on Alessio’s end and I turned around, wondering if he had hung up.
“You have 24 hours, Buccini. Make a choice,” Alessio’s tone shifted to one of steel. He wasn’t fucking around anymore. He hung up the phone.
I grabbed the paper weight off my desk and started smashing it with violent blows into the burner phone, taking my rage and frustration out until the phone was in pieces. I fell back into my leather chair and hung my head in my hands. This was fucked. We were fucked.
“You can’t give them Venice, Gio,” Max said quietly from his chair. “Maybe Alessio is bluffing. He might not hurt Elle at all.”
“Are you willing to risk it?” I hissed, glaring at him. “You heard him. Rape. Torture. You saw what he did to Finn. It was a clear message. You are willing to risk Elle’s life to keep Venice?”
“No. Fuck no, of course not! But we have to think carefully about this. Try to find a way that would keep some footing but give the impression we are doing what they want.”
