285

Dante shook his head. “Have you heard anything from your brother?”
I opened my eyes wide. I stood up slowly. “Why?”
Dante tensed, concern painted on his face.
“Because he didn’t show up for a meeting with your father this morning . I thought you might know what was going on, and it looks like you were right.”
“He just called. A few minutes ago.”
“And?” asked Dante cautiously as he set Leonas down before approaching me. He touched my shoulders, scanning my eyes. “What did he want?”
I had a feeling Dante knew something was wrong. What was Horatio doing? I cast a glance at our children, not sure I wanted to have this conversation in front of them. I picked up my plate and went to the sink. Dante followed me.
“We had a video chat and he told me he had to leave
because he was going to marry a girl named Lucy,” I whispered .
“Holy crap,” Dante growled, his face lit up with anger.
“Dante?” A cold fear spread through my body.
The way he looked at me made me worry about what he had to say. “Is she a Chinese girl?”
I shrugged my shoulders. I wasn’t sure of the girl’s nationality, but the fact that Dante knew made me wonder how long he had known . “Did you know?”
Dante shook his head, but his thoughts seemed miles away. “Before we were married, your father told me about his problems with Horatio. It was about that girl. Horace refused to leave her for a long time, until your father finally convinced him.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t Chief then, and even if I had been, I wouldn’t have gotten involved, as you know.”
“So they’ve been together for years? That makes sense.”
“Really?” Dante asked angrily. “Your brother is bound by his vow. Betraying the Outfit puts the lives of his fellow Made Men at risk.”
“He just wants to be with the woman he loves. How could he hurt his fellow Made Men if he hid to be with her?”
Dante’s fingers on my shoulders tightened. “Because you know I suspect there is a spy among my soldiers.
Maybe it wasn’t Fabian…”
I exhaled abruptly. “Do you think it might be Horatio?”
Dante sighed and pressed our foreheads together. I wrapped my arms around his waist, trembling. “Tell me he wouldn’t.”
I wanted to say it but I had seen the look Horace and Lucy had exchanged, and I didn’t want to lie to Dante.
“I can’t,” I whispered hoarsely, my eyes tingling.
“Val,” Dante said softly, in a tortured tone. “If Horatio helped the Family…”
I didn’t want to imagine it. I couldn’t.
“Do you know where he might be right now?”
I shook my head. “No. But he was in the car.”
Dante grabbed my head and closed his eyes for a moment.
“Please don’t kill him.”
Dante took a deep breath. “I would do almost anything for you, Val. I have already chosen you over the Outfit and part of me would like to do it again, but if Horatio betrayed the Outfit by working with the Family, I must punish him accordingly.”
“Mom will be devastated-and Dad. God, I can’t even think about it. Maybe it’s not what we think.” I swallowed, straining not to cry, not to lose my temper before I knew all the details.
Anna headed toward us with her empty plate. I blinked quickly and swallowed, then forced myself to smile. “Do you want mom’s toast?”
Anna shook her head. “I’m full.” She looked at us as if she could sense that something was going on.
I had noticed it before. Anna was perceptive, especially when it came to assessing people’s emotions. It was a wonderful talent but also worrisome because I wanted to protect her from so many things in our world and her empathy would make it harder for me to succeed.
The news of Horace’s disappearance spread like wildfire in the Outfit . Peter had tried to do damage control but the men who had worked with Horace had obviously spread speculation. Rubbing my temples, I stared at a report of an attack on a depot and laboratory near Cleveland.
“When will my father arrive?” asked Valentina, holding Leonas to her chest as she entered. She was wearing only diapers and a T-shirt, and was already twisting her arm to get down and undress more. She looked tired, which was not surprising because worrying about her brother had kept her awake at night and during the day Anna and Leonas kept Val busy, so she could not try to catch up on sleep at that time.
With the escalation of the Family’s situation and Horace’s defection, my workload had doubled and even if I tried, I was not much help. I got up and went to her. ” Do you want me to take care of him for a while so you can take a hot shower and have a cup of coffee in peace?”
Val raised her eyebrows, looking down at herself. “Do I look that bad?”
I touched her hip, my thumb slipped under her cashmere sweater to feel the smooth skin underneath, then leaned down to give her a lingering kiss. “You look beautiful as always, Val.”
She tightened her lips. “I don’t feel it now. I feel like a mess.”
“This is hard,” I said softly and took Leonas from her . Her eyes snapped up to me and she smiled. “Daddy, play in the garden!”
“So when is my father coming? I know you will discuss the Horace situation with him again.” This was another reason for Val’s sleepless nights.
“In ten minutes. Your brother is not our only topic. The war with the Family is taking up a lot of our resources.”
Val nodded slowly. “You have no clue where he might be.”
“Not yet.” Val looked at me as if she wasn’t sure I was telling the truth. She had every reason to be cautious. Although I still had no clue where Horace was, I wouldn’t have told her even if I had. When I got Horace, I didn’t tell Val. John and I agreed on that.
Leonas wiggled in my arms. “Please get off!”
I put him down and he staggered over to my desk chair, trying to get on it.
“Okay,” he said. “I’m going to take a shower now.” With one last look at Leonas and me, he slipped out of my office. I lowered my gaze to my son, remembering Giovanni’s shaken expression when he had found out Horace had escaped. Giovanni didn’t know it yet, but I wouldn’t have told him even if I had ever caught his son. Maybe Horace was smart enough to hide somewhere where we had no contact; Scandinavia or Asia would have been good options. The desk chair spun in on itself, making it impossible for Leonas to get on it. I walked over to him and grabbed the chair by the backrest.
Leonas eventually managed to pull himself up and then sat in my chair with a proud smile. His blond hair was all tousled , definitely in need of a cut. So far it had not darkened much, but when I was her age my hair was lighter too.
I tried to imagine how I would feel if he ran away from his family, from his duties. The very idea hit me like a punch in the stomach. Perhaps John should have been more lenient when it came to Horace’s desire to be with Lucy.
But the Outfit would undoubtedly have been against the union.
An Asian woman, or really any woman without Italian ancestry, would have had a hard time being accepted in our circles.
I hoped that would change when Leonas was old enough to fall in love.
The doorbell rang. Anna’s scream of joy followed, and despite the tension in my body, I could not help but smile. I took Leonas in my arms and walked to the front door where John was hugging Anna to his chest and lifting her up while Gabby held the door open for him. He looked as if he had aged ten years since the news of Horace’s disappearance. “There’s my favorite princess,” Giovanni said as he kissed Anna’s cheeks. She smiled radiantly across her face, then smiled at me with flushed cheeks. Giovanni walked toward me, his smile becoming more strained. He put Anna down and gave her another kiss on the top of her head.
“Your father and I have business to discuss, child, but I’ll read you a story later, shall I?”
Anna pouted but nodded. I stroked her head. “Why don’t you help Gabby?”
Anna nodded even though she looked disappointed.
John shook his head at Leonas, who giggled in response.
Gabby grabbed Anna’s hand and led her into the kitchen.
Giovanni peered at Leonas wiggling in my arms.
“He has already grown so much.”
I handed Leonas to Giovanni, who cradled him to my chest with a wistful smile. Leonas calmed down for a moment. “I remember when I held Horace for the first time…” He fell silent and I realized he was struggling with himself. I squeezed his shoulder. “Maybe it’s better if he stays hidden. Right now, we have no resources to waste looking for him.”
John looked up, realizing what I was saying.
I was not going to actively search for Horatio. That was my gift to him and Val.
“If you take him, he will be seen as a traitor…”
I sighed. “We will cross that bridge when we reach him. Right now, we don’t know if he has done anything that could be construed as treason.” Running away from the mob was treason, but if that had been his only crime, perhaps I could have been lenient, even if it would have sent a fatal message to other Made Men who were considering abandoning their duties. For the best outcome for all of us would have been if Horace had never shown up again.
I led John into my office, and he dropped into an armchair with Leonas on his lap, who broke free and rushed to my desk chair. This time he was able to climb up without my help, which made the chair turn in on itself with him. Leonas laughed with joy.
John sighed. “What are we going to do when I retire?
Who will be the Sub-Chief?”
“We still have many years to decide. You won’t be retiring anytime soon.”
“I will do my best. Livia is already torturing me with a low-carb diet. As if a real man couldn’t stand pasta and bread.”
I stifled a smile.
Rocco would arrive in thirty minutes for our meeting. I always met John a little earlier because I trusted him more and because I enjoyed our conversations.
“The attack on the Cleveland lab was a success,” I told him.
John nodded distractedly as he stood up and turned his desk chair around, causing Leonas’ laughter to grow louder. Fortunately, he was still too young to understand most of what we had discussed. When he grew up, I would have to be careful about what I shared in his presence until he reached an age that would allow him to deal with the problems of our world and keep secrets. Val wanted Leonas to remain protected as long as possible, but I had to prepare him.
My phone rang. It was Rocco, which immediately made my heartbeat quicken. He wouldn’t call like this just before a meeting unless something happened. “Yes?”
“I’m on my way, Dante. I have bad news.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve contacted the MCs in the Family territory.
They are impossible to deal with and stupid as toast , but they can’t keep their mouths shut. And they mentioned a very unfortunate development…”
My patience was running out quickly. “Spit.”
“Horace has found refuge in the Family. It is said that he will take their tattoo and serve under Vitiello.”
My eyes darted to Giovanni, who was watching me with a slight frown. Despite Leonas’ loud protest, he stopped turning his chair and came toward me.
I swallowed. “Are you sure?”
“They mentioned a pregnant Asian cunt, their words, not mine, by his side. They moved into a condo on the Upper East Side. Maximum security.”
I looked away from Giovanni, feeling as if someone had punched me in the stomach. My fingers on the armrest tightened as anger and trepidation overcame me. This was the worst possible news.
“I’m sorry, Dante,” Rocco said. “I know what it feels like to be betrayed by the Family. The Family has stolen too many of ours. I’ll be at the mansion in ten minutes.”
“All right.” I hung up, then lowered my gaze to my fingers clutching the phone. This war had become very personal.
More personal than I had ever thought it could be.
“Dante?” asked John softly.
I met his gaze, wondering how I could tell him that his son had betrayed us in a way that made it impossible for me to show mercy. And to be honest, I had absolutely no intention of doing so, not even my love for Valentina changed that.
“Horace deserted for the Family.”
The color faded from John’s face. He shook his head slowly, then stared at Leonas.
I could only imagine how he felt now.
“I can’t tell Livia. I simply can’t,” he croaked as he let himself fall into the chair. “She was already heartbroken when she just thought he would run away, but now… this? God.”
She covered her eyes with one hand and took a deep breath.
When she looked at me after a couple of moments, her expression was more controlled. “What are we going to do?”
“We have to tell Val and Livia. The news will spread. It is impossible to keep something of this magnitude a secret.”
John nodded but said nothing. His hands were shaking. I thought of saying something to ease his pain but the words seemed meaningless. What could I have said to make the loss of your only son easier? Especially since I was the man who was supposed to hunt him down and kill him.
John stood up and I did the same. He came toward me on unsteady legs and straightened his shoulders as if he had made a decision. “I will resign my position as captain. I have no heir-my son-my son has become a traitor to the cause. Our men will ask you to find a new Captain to take over.”
Leonas jumped down from his chair and staggered toward us.
He hugged my leg, smiling at us. I grabbed Giovanni’s forearm tightly. “I will not allow you to give up your position, Giovanni. You have a duty to the Outfit, to me, and to our family. I don’t care what people say. My word is law and I want you as my Sub-Chief. No discussion.”
John hesitated, then bowed his head. “If that’s what you want.”
“It is.”
“I have to go to Livia now. You’re right. She needs to hear it from me, and I too need some time to accept the news. You don’t have to take me to the door. Take care of Leonas.” John stroked Leonas’ head with a sorrowful smile before hurrying out of the room.
“Dad! Grandpa, go away.”
“I know,” I said softly. Leonas frowned, then hurried back to his chair.
Valentina appeared in the doorway, confused, her hair still damp and piled atop her head. “I hurried to say goodbye to my father, but he practically ran away from home.
What’s going on?”
I didn’t know how to tell her the horrible truth. My eyes flicked to Leonas in my chair. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.
Val stiffened. “Dante, you’re scaring me-is this about Horace?”
I approached. “Let’s take Leonas to bed for his nap and then I’ll tell you.”
“Dante,” Val whispered.
I touched her shoulder. “Later.”
Val nodded mechanically and looked at me as I lifted Leonas who rested his cheek in the crook of my neck, a clear sign that it was time for him to rest. “Come, Val.”
We climbed the stairs in silence and I laid Leonas on his bed. I shook his hair out of his face, then straightened up.
Without a word, I led Val into the hallway and approached her, cradling her face. Her eyes were full of fear. I wished she had no reason to feel this way.
“Our contacts in the Family’s territory informed us that Horace showed up in New York, where they welcomed him.”
Val’s lips parted, but he said nothing. Incredulity followed by horror crossed her beautiful face.
“I’m sorry, Val.”
She slowly shook her head. “Does that mean he is a traitor…? I don’t understand why he joined the Family. Why not run away?”
“I think he might have been working with them for a while.”
Val pressed his forehead against my chest, shivering.
“Why couldn’t he just run away?”
“His girlfriend is pregnant.”
Val looked up, realization painted across her features.
“He wants to protect them. Running away with a baby is impossible. She probably thought they would be safer in the Family.”
I maintained a neutral expression. Val needed to make sense of it all, and his reasoning certainly had merit. Horatio had probably acted with the goal of protecting his pregnant girlfriend, but he was far from safe. He was going to be hunted down. I could not stand by and watch when the son of a high-ranking member of the Outfit defected to our enemies. I had to eliminate him as soon as possible to make an example of him. The situation could have gotten out of control if I had not been careful.
Val peered into my eyes. Even without saying a word, I knew what he hoped to find, but not this time. Mercy was not going to wait for Horace once I had him. “You’re going to hunt him down now, aren’t you?”
“I have to.”
She shook her head. “You won’t. You are the Chief. You can determine what direction the Outfit will take in the future.
Why throw everyone into a bloody war that will get us nowhere? Why can’t we just ignore each other?
There must be no peace between the Outfit and the Family until we kill each other.”
“Because Luca made it personal. He killed one of my men, kidnapped Rocco’s daughter, and now he’s taken my brother-in-law. I will not ignore this, Val. My men expect me to show strength and accept when others disrespect me and Outfit doesn’t show strength. They will face the full force of my brutality and vengeance.”
Val took a step back and walked slowly toward our bedroom where he let himself fall on the bed. “What did my father say?” Her voice was forcibly calm, and I hated that she had created a barrier between us. I followed her. Her gaze was directed to her hands fumbling with her sweater.
She did not want me to read it.
“Now she’s going to tell your mother. She understands the consequences of Horace’s actions.”
Val huffed. “The consequences of his actions. Could you look more indifferent?” His eyes fixed in mine, filled with anger and anguish. “This is my brother, Dante. He’s not an enemy, he’s not a traitor, he’s not a name on a list you can cross off as if he meant nothing. And no matter what Dad says, this hits him hard. And Mom…” Val turned away again, clutching the edge of the bed tightly, her shoulders shaking.
I repressed my anger and frustration. Val had a lot to digest, not to mention two demanding young children to take care of. She was exhausted and emotionally vulnerable. “I’m aware of that. What do you expect me to do, Val? I’m Chief. My people expect me to lead them through this crisis. A crisis that, I might add, may have been made worse by Horatio’s actions.”
He stood up again. “He did it for the woman he loves and for his unborn child. What would you do to protect our children?”
I pulled her against my chest. “I would do anything to protect you, Anna and Leonas. Absolutely anything, which is why I have to make sure the Outfit stays strong. Luca will not hesitate to demolish everything I have built. The Outfit is Leonas’ legacy. It is the legacy of our family. I will not be lenient with people who jeopardize the safety of our family.”
“Maybe we would be safer without a war…”
“Val,” I growled. “Luke started this war and sooner or later I will end it, on my terms and when the Outfit comes out on top . Don’t blame me for what your brother did. He knew the consequences of his actions and accepted them. How do you know that he did not pass information about you, Anna and Leonas to Luca? We still don’t even know the extent of his betrayal.”
Val considered my words but I could tell he did not want to believe them. “Do you really think Horatio would have told Luca anything about Anna and Leonas?”
I gripped the back of her neck with my hands until she looked at me again. “I don’t know and that’s the problem. Now that Horace is in New York, you can be sure he will give Luca everything he knows. He has to remain useful to deserve protection.”
Val slumped against me and let out a trembling sob.
I hugged her as she cried. I understood her pain and it hurt to see her in that state, but I felt nothing but anger at Horatio’s actions. He would receive no mercy if I ever laid hands on him. He was no longer my family. She was the enemy, even if Val couldn’t see her that way.