48

48
Alaric’s POV
The morning started quietly enough, but it didn’t last. It never does. I should have known better than to hope for a quiet day in this world of mine.
My phone buzzed, the vibration sharp against the mahogany. I glanced at the screen and saw Allesio’s name flashing on it.
“Tell me it’s good news,” I answered, leaning back in my chair. I could hear the noise of the city in the background on his end-traffic, honking, people shouting.
“Not quite,” Allesio replied, his voice tight. “We’ve got a problem. A new group stirring things up in the city.”
The words hit like a punch to the gut. Problems were nothing new-we were always dealing with something-but a new group? That was different. Unpredictable. I sat up, the tension coiling in my chest like a live wire.
“Who are they?” I demanded. “Which family?”
“That’s the thing,” Allesio said. “The details are vague. Nobody knows who they are, but they’re making moves-pushing into our territory, hitting a few of our smaller businesses, causing trouble.”
“Vague,” I repeated, tasting the word like it was bitter. “You’re telling me we have a ghost group causing issues on our turf, and no one can pin them down?”
“Exactly. I’ve got guys out asking questions, but everyone’s either too scared to talk or genuinely doesn’t know anything.”
I slammed my fist down on the desk, the sound echoing through the office. Francesca’s drawings fluttered from the edge, scattering across the floor. It was like the city itself had shifted, the foundation cracking under an unseen force. This was bad-worse than anything I’d dealt with in a long time. Because an enemy you can’t see is an enemy you can’t predict.
“I want everything you can find,” I said, voice low and dangerous. “Dig deeper. Bribe, threaten, I don’t care-just get me names.”
“Already on it,” Allesio assured me, but I could hear the strain in his voice. This wasn’t like him. He was usually calm, collected. This had him rattled too.
“Meet me here in an hour,” I ordered, hanging up without waiting for a response.
The quiet settled back in, but it wasn’t peaceful anymore. It was charged, like the cold air before a storm. I rubbed a hand over my face, feeling the rough stubble against my palm. I needed to think, to figure out my next move before this new threat gained any more ground. But my thoughts were chaotic, tangled. The unknown had a way of doing that-throwing you off balance before you even knew what hit you.
I pushed myself up from the desk and left the office, my footsteps echoing through the hall. I wanted to see Francesca. Seeing her safe and happy right now was the only thing that could keep me calm.
I got to the living room, seeing Emilia and Francesca sprawled on the floor with coloring books and crayons. They were calm, giggling and laughing while drawing something. Emilia’s head snapped up, probably sensing my presence here, and her smile faltered when she saw my face. .
“Is everything okay?” she asked softly though her eyes were wary.
“Fine,” I lied, the word clipped. “Just a busy day.”
Francesca looked up, beaming. “Daddy, look! We’re making rainbows!”
“Looks good, princess,” I managed, forcing a smile. I had to be careful at all costs. Francesca was too young to understand the kind of danger that lurked outside these walls, but Emilia wasn’t. She watched me with those sharp, perceptive eyes, and I knew she could see the through the mask I put on.
The longer I stood there, staring at them, the more it felt like my air flow was being restricted.
I couldn’t stay here. I needed to move, to do something. Standing still was like waiting to be ambushed. I nodded at Emilia, turning on my heel before she could ask more questions. I wasn’t ready to answer them yet.
Back in the office, Allesio was waiting for me, leaning against the desk with his arms crossed. He looked up when I entered, his face grim.
“What did you find?” I demanded, skipping any pretense of pleasantries.
“Not much,” he admitted, shaking his head. “There’s talk, whispers of a new player, but nothing solid. No one knows where they’re based or who’s in charge.”
“Then we find out,” I snapped. “This isn’t a minor nuisance, Allesio. They’re testing us, seeing how far they can push before we push back.”
“I get that, Alaric,” he said, voice sharp. “But it’s like they appeared out of thin air. Whoever they are, they’ve done their homework. They’re being careful.”
I paced the length of the room, my mind racing. This wasn’t just a random attack; it was calculated. Someone had been planning this, waiting for the right moment. And that made it personal. I hated the idea of an unknown enemy slipping through the cracks of my city, disrupting the order I’d worked so hard to maintain.
“Start with the businesses they’ve hit,” I said, stopping in front of the window. I stared out at the city skyline, the buildings sharp and glinting in the sunlight. “There’s a pattern there, even if we can’t see it yet. They’re targeting us for a reason. Find out what it is.”
Allesio nodded, already pulling out his phone to send messages. He was good at this-efficient, ruthless when he needed to be. But even he looked worried, his usual calm demeanor frayed at the edges.
“And what about Emilia?” he asked, surprising me. “You said she mentioned a car almost ran her over at the mall. Could it be connected?”
I frowned, replaying the conversation in my head. He was right. It could be connected. The timing was suspicious, and now that I thought about it, it was too coincidental.
“Maybe,” I admitted reluctantly. “But who would target her? Only a handful of people even know she’s here.”
“Exactly,” Allesio agreed. “Which means whoever sent that car knew something they shouldn’t.”
I clenched my jaw, anger flaring hot and fast. If someone was going after Emilia, it wasn’t just a power play. It was a message-a way to show they could get close, even to the people I kept protected.
“They’re trying to rattle us,” I said, more to myself than to Allesio. “Testing how far they can go before we react.”
“Well, they’ve got our attention now,” Allesio replied, his voice hard. “What’s the plan?”
“We give them what they want,” I said, a slow smile spreading across my face. It wasn’t a friendly smile. It was the kind of smile I gave before tearing into someone. “We make them think we’re unprepared, that we don’t know what’s happening. And then, when they come out of hiding, we hit them hard.”
Allesio grinned, a predatory gleam in his eyes. “I like it. Draw them in, make them show their hand.”
“Exactly,” I said, feeling the tension start to ease, replaced by the familiar rush of anticipation. This was what I was good at-turning the tables, taking control. Whoever this new group was, they’d made a mistake coming after us. They’d underestimated me, and that was a mistake I’d make sure they didn’t live to repeat.
“Get the men ready,” I ordered. “I want eyes everywhere-on the businesses, on the streets. If they make a move, I want to know about it.”
“Consider it done,” Allesio said, already heading for the door.