ARMANDO
I strode into the house with my men behind me, each step deliberate, every move sending a message of who owned this place-and that wasn’t just a figure of speech. The others stayed outside, taking their positions at every entry point, covering each corner of the house the way they were trained to.
Inside, I shrugged off my hat and then my coat, passing both to one of the men who’d followed me in. He moved fast, hanging them on the coat stand without a sound.
Stepping farther into the room, I caught sight of Eleanor cleaning the seats, her hands moving quickly over the spotless leather. She’d been at it for a while from the looks of it. I expected her to greet me as usual, and she didn’t disappoint.
“Good evening, Mr. Armando,” she said, dropping a slight curtsy as she spoke. She kept her head low, respectful-tame. The wildness she’d once shown, that fiery defiance, was nowhere to be seen. Now, she worked quietly, doing exactly what was expected. That was more like it.
I didn’t respond. What was the point? I didn’t care for her greeting, but it was good she knew better than to skip it. Otherwise, she’d have been reminded of her place in a way she wouldn’t like. But for now, I had other priorities, and I needed her gone.
With a flick of my hand, I motioned for her to leave. She looked at me, a slight hesitation in her expression, like she wasn’t sure what I meant.
I let out a sigh.
“You may leave now,” I said, my voice steady, calm, but with enough edge that she understood. She nodded quickly, stepping back and then out of the room, her footsteps fading into the hallway.
When she was gone, I turned to the three men who’d come in with me. They stood waiting, as they should, not saying a word until I did.
I took a seat, giving each of them a hard look as they stood there, waiting for my signal. Lorenzo, Alessandro, Giuseppe-my most trusted men. They were the backbone of my operations, the ones who’d been with me through more storms than I could count. And yet, here I was, knowing that one of them had likely betrayed me. If there was a rat amongst my crew, it had to be one of these three.
I gestured for them to sit, and they moved to the chairs, careful, each of them watching me for whatever came next. It was unspoken, but they knew the drill-nobody moved, nobody made a sound.
They were reading me just as carefully as I was reading them.
After I gestured that they could speak, Alessandro cleared his throat, breaking the silence, his voice careful. “If I may ask, boss… are you alright? You’ve been quiet since we picked you up at the airport.”
I looked at him, then deliberately shifted my gaze to Lorenzo and Giuseppe, studying each of them in turn. Silence could make men uneasy-more so if they had something to hide. A flicker of something crossed Alessandro’s face, but he stayed steady, meeting my stare.
“You care for me too much Alessandro,” I said, my voice low as I settled deeper into the chair. “Anything special about my mood that has you worried?”
His eyes flicked down for just a second, but he caught himself, staying calm. “No, boss. Just… checking.”
“Checking…” I let the words linger, watching him.
“It’s nothing really boss,” Alessandro insisted, his voice steady. “Just want to make sure you’re alright, that’s all.”
Lorenzo chimed in, shifting in his seat. “Yeah, boss, we were all a little worried. You didn’t say a word the whole drive back.”
Giuseppe nodded in agreement. “We’ve all been on edge, sir. Figured you’d let us know if anything was wrong.”
I let out a low breath, my gaze moving over each of them. “You’ve been on edge, have you?” I asked. “Since when did the three of you start worrying about me? I don’t recall asking for it.”
They exchanged a quick glance before Alessandro answered, his voice respectful. “We just wanted to make sure… after everything going on. We know there’s been a lot of trouble recently, boss. We’re all in this together.”
I gave a slow nod, taking in their words, then leaned forward. “I appreciate the concern,” I said, my tone steady. “But I’m fine. I handle my business. I know where every piece fits, and when the time comes, things will get sorted. Nothing you need to lose sleep over.”
They each gave a firm nod, the quiet tension binding us together.
After a while, Giuseppe cleared his throat as well, glancing at the others before speaking. “If I may ask, boss… how was the trip?”
I paused, letting the silence stretch long enough to make them squirm. Then, leaning back, I settled into the chair, placed my hands on the armrests, and crossed my legs slowly, taking my time. I looked each of them over, one by one, keeping my expression unreadable.
“Well,” I said finally, my voice calm, “it was… a visit to an old, distant family member. We had a few things to talk over.”
I watched them carefully, studying their faces for any hint of unease or understanding. Their expressions stayed neutral, but I could feel the faint shift in the air, the tension growing as my words sank in.
“A family matter, huh?” Alessandro said, his voice steady, though his hands twitched slightly at his sides.
“Family has its own demands,” I replied smoothly, “and sometimes, you have to make time for it, no matter what’s going on.”
“I also had to take care of a few things,” I went on, “rearrange some business ties overseas. You know how it goes. It’s not all just what’s happening here in the city.”
“Things seem stable for now,” I continued. “It’s a funny thing how quickly alliances can shift. How fast someone you trust can turn.”
They exchanged quick glances, each trying to read the other’s reaction. Good-I wanted them thinking, second-guessing each other.
“The thing about family,” I said, letting a small smile touch my lips, “is that it teaches you a lot about loyalty. Trust. Knowing who’s there for you and who… might not be.”
They nodded again. If they suspected anything, none of them let it show.
They stayed silent, watching me, the weight of my words hanging in the air.
“Trust…” I let the word hang a second longer. “That’s the one thing I expect from each of you. And I know that doesn’t come easy-not in our world. But that’s why I brought you three here. We’ve got history. Loyalty.”
I saw the flicker of something cross Lorenzo’s face, a small reaction, but not enough to give away anything. Alessandro nodded, looking down at his hands, and Giuseppe kept his expression steady.
“So,” I went on, “If there’s someone out there undermining me, taking opportunities to mess with what we’ve built here-well, that wouldn’t sit well with me.”
Giuseppe shifted in his seat, his brow furrowing slightly. “We’re with you, boss,” he said, his voice just a touch too eager. “All the way.”
“Of course you are,” I replied, my tone unchanging. “That’s why I have the three of you sitting here. Because trust… well, it’s earned, isn’t it?”
They nodded, but there was a tension in their eyes, a quiet awareness that something was at stake.
Giuseppe continued, his voice steady. “Boss, we’re with you. Whoever’s been messing with our operations, we’ll find them.”
Alessandro looked at me, his eyes sharper. “And if it’s someone close to us?” He asked carefully, testing the waters.
I tilted my head, narrowing my gaze at him. “What are you suggesting, Alessandro?”
He paused, measuring his words. “I’m just saying, if someone inside was involved, we’d need to handle it… carefully. Quietly.”
I let his words settle in the room, nodding slowly. “You’re right. But let me be clear,” I said, my voice dropping lower, “anyone who has a hand in these recent shenanigans, they’ll wish they were dead. Because once I find out who it is, they won’t be around long enough to enjoy the rewards.”
A silence filled the room, heavy and tense. I kept my eyes on each of them in turn, letting them feel the weight of what I was saying.
“I trust each of you to do what needs to be done. I want eyes everywhere, every corner, every alley, every contact-whatever it takes. Whoever’s fucking with me is still out there. We find them, and we make an example out of them.”
The three of them nodded, each one murmuring their agreement. Yet none of them broke eye contact.
“Good,” I said, leaning back in my chair, my voice calm again. “Let’s keep things as they are. Business as usual. If any of you hear even a whisper, you bring it to me first. Understood?”
They nodded.
Lorenzo’s jaw tightened, and Alessandro crossed his arms, leaning forward just a bit. Giuseppe kept his eyes on me, quiet and attentive.
“Alright, that’ll be all,” I said, watching them stand.
They exited one by one, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The twelfth disciple was in the room-I knew it. And I was one step away from finding out exactly who amongst them had crossed me.