Alessio
“Boss, you should know that your fiancee and Miss Pilar followed you to your last location,” the voice on the other end of the phone informed me as I sat in the car.
I had instructed some of the guys to discreetly watch over Jimena if she ever left the mansion. It was only a precaution, nothing as bad as that tracker in her ring.
Hearing this made me feel irritated. “Where is she now?” I demanded.
“She was headed to the mall,” he replied.
“Keep me updated. Make sure she doesn’t follow me to my next location,” I instructed before ending the call.
Cursing under my breath, I let my forehead fall to the steering wheel. The thought of Jimena seeing me at that escort agency made me nauseous. It wasn’t a good look, and I knew it looked wrong.
I had been working hard to protect her, to keep her away from everything-yet she felt the need to track me down.
Why would she do that in the first place?
All she had to do was sit back and enjoy her day.
It was a good thing I had chosen to visit the agency before my meeting with Leonardo Baldini. That was something she shouldn’t have to witness at all.
~
After an hour’s drive, I arrived at the chosen location for the meeting. A restaurant just outside of the city, of course owned by the Fanuccis because it was still our territory.
As I stepped out of the car, I saw a few of the guys already waiting outside. I had about ten Fanucci men and a few of my cousins by my side. My uncles couldn’t be part of this meet-up. They were only out for blood, and today both sides had agreed to a temporary truce.
Breaking that word would give both of us a bad name.
Although this was framed as a peace talk, pushed by Gustavo Caselli, I knew better than to expect any real chance of peace. We weren’t waiting to shake hands with anyone, and neither were the Baldinis.
I figured Leonardo had agreed to this meeting to laugh in our faces about Uncle’s death, Gian’s hand, and provoke us. To make me look like the crazy one.
I had already made up my mind about what would happen. There was only one possible outcome, and that was revenge.
Nothing other than revenge could put my mind at ease about what happened to both Gian and my uncle.
“How was your visit?” Donni walked over. It took some effort from his side, but I had eventually spilled the details of my plan concerning Mikael to him and a few others.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Levi catching up with us as we began walking.
“Good,” I replied, not really wanting to get into it. For now, there was something else on my mind, and it wasn’t Mikael or the Baldinis. No, it was Mena and her actions.
“By the way,” I began my rant. “Did you know Frankie called to tell me Mena followed me to the escort club?”
“Mena?”
“Yes, Mena.”
Donni couldn’t help but laugh, while Levi looked at me, surprised. “From all places, that club? That’s not looking good for you.”
I scoffed, “Yes, I’m aware.”
“Be honest, have I given her a reason not to trust me?” I asked a serious question, looking for some validation from my friends. Mena following me was just too disrespectful, I couldn’t find the words for it. It was an insult.
Both Donni and Levi mumbled something under their breath about the tracker, indirectly taking her side.
No matter the situation, because of the tracker, everything that would follow would always automatically be my fault-and I would not let that happen.
“And you once again had her followed without telling her,” Dante had sneaked up from behind.
I turned to look at him. “Ah brother, you’re also in this conversation?” I rolled my eyes, a bit annoyed by his sudden interest.
“Always when it’s about you being a hypocrite,” Dante shot back.
“I’m not being a hypocrite. I’m only saying I think she’s wrong for following me.”
“I would too if I were her,” Donni snickered. “Just a while ago, you were sticking your dick in every hole while you were engaged to Maxine, and now you suddenly want to be a ‘family guy’,”
“You know what? Fuck off, all of you!”
I wasn’t a small kid who wanted people to be on his side, but for some reason, I felt like I was the one being attacked right now.
It was just impossible for them to see that I wasn’t the one at fault here.
Sure, I had Jimena followed-for my own benefits, but also to keep her safe.
But she followed me because of her lack of trust, and that stung. I bet she was waiting for me to screw up and hurt her, same as everyone else expected.
The difference in our actions and intentions were as clear as day.
~
Once inside, I greeted the rest of the guys before heading upstairs to the room we had prepared for the meeting. All of us were in the room, and I sat at the table as we waited for Leonardo Baldini’s arrival. The only thing I knew was that this man wouldn’t be on his own because he was a wimp, scared to come alone into this territory, even with the truce.
Better yet, if I had known he wouldn’t be bringing anyone with him, neither would I.
Minutes ticked by slowly, and I wondered if he was even going to show up. Levi, who had been looking out the window, turned to face me. “He’s here,” he said.
“How many?” I asked.
Levi counted before answering, “Around fifteen in total, his daughter and…” he trailed off, hesitating.
His daughter? This wasn’t the kind of meeting that required Maxine’s presence.
“And who else?” I asked, though a part of me already knew the answer.
“Anson,” Levi confirmed.
At the mention of Anson’s name, my teeth gritted, and my jaw clenched tight. We knew Leonardo was low, but this was lower than the pits of hell. Bringing the one who had decapitated my uncle to a Fanucci spot was another war declaration.
It was a message from Leonardo which I didn’t want to ignore, but we had a deal-so I had to. I had to sit there and look in the eyes of the one who had destroyed my family and the one who had hurt the woman I love.