Or at least he had.
My breath caught in my throat, a combination of extreme sadness and a numbing feeling, coldness wrapping around me like a stiff, wet blanket. “I’m never going to leave you alone, Sierra, but there’s been a change in plans.”
“A change? Because I lied to you?” she asked, her lower lip quivering even as she took a rebellious stance.
“For exactly that reason.”
“Don’t you dare tell me that I belong to you even one more time. I will honor our deal, but we don’t have to be friends or even lovers. I’ll merely perform like a seal. You won’t even allow me to comfort you.” She held her head in her usual defiant manner before turning very slowly around to face the wall. The act of insubordination caught me off guard. I was thrown, several seconds slipping by.
Then I closed the distance, only inches apart, every ounce of me longing to grip her by the shoulders, shaking her free of her despondence. That wasn’t possible. I was the cause.
“My father called a meeting of our family, including several Capos. His favorite restaurant. Protected. The meeting secretive. No one knew we were there. Or so we thought.”
She cocked her head, her mouth pursed yet remaining quiet.
“Someone in my own organization betrayed us, gunmen entering the restaurant. They killed two of my men, injuring my father and…”
I heard her slight gasp and when she turned to face me, there was such pain crossing her face. “What?”
I fisted my hand, rubbing it against my leg, doing everything I could to curtail my anger. “My brother, Stefan. He’s in a coma, not expected to survive. He was innocent, not a part of my family’s business. He didn’t deserve to take the bullet intended for me. I should be the one lying in the hospital bed attached to tubes. Not him. Not the man who was the only good portion of this family.” I was sick inside, every muscle tense.
She reached out, her fingers delicately touching my face. “You never told me you had a brother.”
“Yeah, well, he’s been away for a few years in the Peace Corps. A good man. An honest man. Now, he’s clinging to life because of the fucking bastard.”
“I’m so sorry, Lorenzo. I’m so very sorry but you are a good man. You simply need to start believing it.”
That wasn’t going to happen. I leaned into her hand, closing my eyes and accepting the comfort for a few precious seconds. The warmth of her hands was stimulating as well as comforting. I gripped them, pulling them against my lips, pressing kisses on every finger. “I can’t protect you, not in the way I want.”
“What does that mean?”
“That means that you’re not safe here. Axel Movino has obviously figured out that you’re with me.”
She sucked in her breath, her eyes darting back and forth. “But… You said you could protect me.”
“Yeah? That was before when I also thought my family would be safe for the time being.”
“My fault.” Her eyes opened wide, her face flushing.
I tugged the flat of her hand against my chest. “I’m not blaming you. Axel doesn’t follow any code of honor. He’s likely been watching my house for all I know. He’s using the near massacre to move in on my family’s turf. An all-out war the likes this city hasn’t seen. I can’t risk losing you.” I was surprised the words left my mouth. “However, I doubt Axel will react quickly. He’ll need time before taking me on. I have important meetings to attend to. Dante will be here within the half hour. You will follow his directions without question. I’ve sent a soldier to your house to find out if I’m correct in my assumptions, but that doesn’t mean you can go back there even if it’s untouched. Dante has been instructed to take you to my version of a safe house. No one other than the two of us knows the place exists.”
“And where will you be? You aren’t safe either.”
I kissed her knuckles, allowing the touch to linger. The last thing I wanted to do was be away from her, but I knew what had to be done. Time was of the essence. “I’ll be fine, doll. I have a safety net of sorts. I’m going to say this. Do not try and escape. The streets are full of men looking for you. You’re a problem Movino can’t afford right now, not in his attempt to take over my family’s legacy.”
“All right. If you say so.”
“I’m serious.”
She pressed her other hand against my chest, her fingertips kneading my skin. “I’m never going to be safe, am I? Even if you kill Axel, his men will follow through with his orders.”
I was honestly surprised she’d issued the words without any emotion. “Likely, but there are methods of crushing my enemies that the cartel isn’t aware of. Have faith in me, doll. I made you a promise and I intend on keeping it. And trust me. I never lose.”
“Don’t gamble with your life, Lorenzo.”
I’d been a gambling man all my life. Neither fear nor anger was going to stop me. “You gotta trust me.” I backed away, holding my breath.
“I wrote down a few notes on Axel, but honestly, most of what I know about the thug I learned either from certain stories in the press or warnings from my father. Nothing substantial.”
“Anything might help,” I said in passing.
“Remember something. I know there’s an amazing man inside clawing at the surface to get out. I’ve seen him, so you can’t fool me. Try and keep that in mind.”
I wasn’t a decent man, not in any regard. Maybe she needed to learn that firsthand. My heart ached at the thought, but I made another promise to myself.
Axel’s head would be on a silver platter within forty-eight hours.
The day had only proven to provide details I hadn’t wanted to learn. Business was down, several of our protected clients pretending they didn’t have the money to pay their weekly fees. All but one of the cocaine shipments had been pulled for no reason, which would piss off another set of customers. Another part of the game. My leadership was being challenged.
At least Dante should have reached the cottage by now. I’d made the right decision to send her away. Too many things were spiraling out of control.
One of my low-level soldiers had gone to her apartment. It had been trashed, anything of value stolen in an effort to make it look like a basic robbery. I knew better.
I’d called a meeting of the alliance later in the day, a request I knew the others wouldn’t refuse, even if it was out of the ordinary. I wasn’t the kind of man to ask for help, even from men just as ruthless as I was. The setting was crude in comparison to the posh club in New York where we usually met, but time was of the essence. I also needed to make certain that no one was told of the get-together. In order to do that, I’d secured a location of one of the Francesco family’s oldest ‘clients.’ I snickered at the thought as I drove into the parking lot of the Italian restaurant, pulling my Porsche around back.
The joint was off the beaten path, the owner the grandfather I’d never had, even attending my christening. Luigi was trustworthy. Or so I fucking hoped to God for his sake. There was too much at stake and it was hard to ascertain just who and how many of the business owners under my protection had been turned by the Movino clan.
I walked in through the back, weaving my way through the kitchen.