68. Max
MAX
T he Head of the Camorra, Piero Greco, stared down at my dining room table and the face carved into its wood, courtesy of Ryuji Akiyama.
He wore a custom made suit that fit his frame perfectly, which was no surprise at all—since he had every single Italian designer in his pocket.
His attire hinted at his massive wealth.
As one of the richest men on earth, Greco never hid it nor flaunted it.
He simply was, and he carried himself as if everyone around him should know it and respect it without him speaking a word.
Power dripped from every part of his body, from the rings on his fingers to his perfectly styled gray hair.
He was the kind of man Luciano wished he could be.
The Camorra had arrived about thirty minutes ago, only a day after we’d hit The Obsidian.
They’d shown up at my house to demand the prisoner.
Greco, a few of his capos, and over a dozen made men pushed their way inside and began making themselves at home.
I’d been informed they’d elected to stay here rather than at a hotel in the city.
Apparently, Greco had decided that taking over my home—protected by my men—was a better display of power than any of the wealthy hotels .
I hadn’t yet told them I only had Arion Vokshi’s lifeless body.
Despite what I had told Leona, I had no idea what I was going to do to handle this. If he were alive, maybe they would have left—even that was a longshot. But I’d disobeyed them. They’d come all the way here for nothing, and now I was about to face the consequences.
“Maximiliano,” Greco said, clicking his tongue against his teeth as his fingers trailed over the damaged wood. “What a sorry state this table is in.”
My mother would agree.
“An unfortunate incident,” I answered, placing a small glass of my father’s finest grappa in front of him. I’d been saving it for some worthless, sentimental reason that didn’t matter anymore. “I’m having it repaired soon.”
He glanced down at it. “ Ma no. Vorrei invece un caffè corretto .”
He waved his hand at me, the order behind his words clear.
I kept my sigh to myself, but I made him the espresso with the shot of grappa without question.
He sat down at the head of the table and sipped it, gesturing for me to take the seat next to him.
The rest of his men stood watching from somewhere behind me, and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand.
“ Allora ,” he said while sitting in my fucking chair and crossing one leg over the other. He placed the espresso down on its saucer. “Where is Arion Vokshi?”
I took a deep breath. “Unfortunately, Vokshi died while I attempted to capture him.”
Greco’s eyes turned hard. “He is dead.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Yes, sir.”
Greco inhaled and exhaled through his nose. He tilted his head back. “Explain to me how this happened.”
I explained how we caught Vokshi at the Albanian’s club in Philadelphia, and during the mission he ran. I was forced to kill him so that he would not escape. When it came down to it, a dead Vokshi was better than no Vokshi.
“What about the Vero girl? Luciano’s daughter?”
Ice flooded my veins. I kept my face as passive as possible, because Greco was a master at reading even the slightest expression.
“What about her?”
“I am aware she was involved. My granddaughter tells me Leona is smart and cunning, with great potential. She’s been watching her.”
“I’m glad Lucia is safe at home again.”
He snorted. “If it were any other case, I would level New York without thought or question. I lent her to you , Maximiliano. You allowed Leona Vero to capture her. It is only through Lucia’s own word at her fair treatment—both from you and from Leona Vero’s men—plus the good faith in which she was returned, that I’ve decided to wait for the proper time to respond. ”
Fuck. I knew it was foolish to expect that to go unanswered. Greco never forgave and never forgot.
He took another sip of the espresso. “Did Signorina Vero kill Arion Vokshi? I’ve heard rumors she’s trying to be some sort of Donna , which is positively ridiculous.”
I shook my head, trying to keep my emotions in check. I sank into the dead space, which had become so familiar and comfortable to me it was like a second home. “I killed him, sir. It was unavoidable. I apologize for my error.”
He rubbed his chin. Silence stretched between us while he seemed to look at every part of my face. “ Dimmi la verità , Maximiliano.”
“That is the truth.” Partially. Mostly.
Vokshi had disrespected her. Vokshi had taunted her. His death was unavoidable.
“You understand, then, that you disobeyed my direct orders. Another failure on your part. ”
I held his eyes instead of lowering my head. If I had done, it would have been a sign of weakness, and he would have lost even more respect for me. “I understand.”
He pursed his lips and took another sip. “Do you know, when you first came to me in Italia , and offered me your proposal, every single one of my capos and my consigliere thought it was a poor decision to accept you?”
I resisted the urge to glare at the same capos currently somewhere behind me. “I did not, sir.”
“They thought it was foolish to even entertain the idea that you would secure the Five Families for me, here in the States. They thought we should just kill you all and be done with it.”
My jaw clenched. “What did you think, sir?”
He waved a hand while pursing his lips. “I thought there was no risk, so I might as well see how it played out. If you succeeded in our deal, and eliminated Luciano and the other Dons, then I’d win.
If you failed, then it would give us an excuse to invade New York anyway because now we knew the extent of their treachery.
All we needed was a foot in the door, which you provided. ”
I said nothing.
“That was our deal, was it not? That I would back you against Luciano so you could have your revenge and keep this Family alive, but in exchange, you’d turn all the true power over to me.”
“That was our deal, yes.”
The deal that was supposed to keep our Family safe. The deal that was only supposed to work when Cas and Leona were both outside the city.
“And as part of that agreement, I ordered you to bring me Arion Vokshi. Alive.”
“Yes.”
“Which you failed to do.”
“Yes.”
“Clearly, Maximiliano, you can see that you are not living up to your side of our agreement. ”
I inclined my head while my heart thumped a steady beat inside my chest. “What can I do to correct my failings?”
He took another sip of the espresso, taking his time to consider his next words. “Which Dons remain alive?”
“Sandrini and Rossi.”
And me.
And Leona.
Though, as she would say herself, she wasn’t a Don. She was a queen.
“And Leona Vero,” he added. “My men tell me she’s partnered with the Shadows, of all people.”
Fuck .
“Leona Vero isn’t a threat,” I blurted.
His palm slammed down on the table, knocking over the espresso and spilling the rest of it across my table. It took everything in me not to flinch. “Did I ask for your opinion?”
“No, sir.”
“ Esattamente .” He lifted his hand and placed it back in his lap. “Bring them to me. All three of them.”
My mouth went dry. “Why?”
“Again, you question me, Maximiliano.”
My lips pressed together while my mind raced.
I knew exactly what he wanted. There was no question in my mind that he would kill her.
He’d demand her obedience, which she wouldn’t give because she was stubborn as fuck and so were her men, and Greco wouldn’t hesitate to make an example out of them all.
He was already looking for retribution against her because she’d held Lucia captive.
I didn’t give a fuck about Rossi or Sandrini, but there was no way I could deliver her to Greco. I wouldn’t. I’d already done enough to hurt her.
I inhaled, trying yet failing to hold on to that empty space.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t do that.”
“You can’t do what? ”
He stared me down, putting the full force of his command behind the glare in his eyes. Piero Greco was not a man used to being disobeyed. Piero Greco killed for far less than that. His look communicated one simple thing: Piero Greco wouldn’t hesitate to kill me.
I steeled myself. “I won’t bring them to you.”
“Them? Or her?”
I didn’t answer. He could read it on my face.
Greco nodded. “I thought so.”
He looked over my shoulder, and I only had half a breath to react before his capo’s fist came flying at my head. I ducked to the side to avoid the blow, but I couldn’t avoid the four men who immediately jumped me, yanking me from the chair at my parents’ table.
Two held my arms while the other two laid in on me.
Blow after blow landed in my stomach, my chest, my face all while Greco watched on.
Only when my eyes were rolling back in my head and I was about to pass out did Greco hold up a hand.
His men paused, throwing my body to the ground.
I caught myself just before my face slammed into the hardwood.
A flicker of hope bloomed in my heart that he might not kill me, but I knew the truth. I was barreling toward my end.
Still, my answer wouldn’t change.
“Maximiliano, I am disappointed.”
Your father would be pretty fucking disappointed in you, Max .
Cas was right, per usual. Look at what I’d allowed to happen.
I’d opened the door, and the Camorra had simply walked right through it.
I thought this was the way to save us, but I’d only spelled our doom.
I’d told both Leona and Cas that I couldn’t let them ruin everything I’d worked for, but look at this. I’d done it my-fucking-self.
I wiped the blood from my mouth, holding back a choked laugh. “Join the fucking club.”
Greco stood, staring down at me from that perfect fucking suit.
He toed me with his leather loafer, jamming the tip right into a bruise on my chest. “I had high hopes for you, but it seems I’ll have to finish the work you started.
You’re just like your father, after all.
Far too sentimental. If one thing could be said for that figlio di puttana Luciano, it’s that he at least had ambition. ”
Sentimental? Logic over emotions. It’s what he’d taught me my whole life.
“Kill him,” Greco said.
“Wait,” I started, reaching out a hand. What did he mean about my father? What was he saying?
Greco’s capo kicked my hand, and I hissed in pain, clutching it to my chest.
“ Andiamo ,” Greco spoke to his men, completely ignoring me while turning on his heel. “We shall retrieve the Dons and Signorina Vero ourselves.”
Most of the men followed him out, leaving only three behind to deal with me. I struggled to breathe. My lungs were on fire. My ribs had to be broken. No .
Hands grabbed my shoulders, yanking me to my knees. A gun cocked at the back of my head. In the distance, I heard the sounds of cars starting and doors slamming shut. Suddenly the house felt so empty, so silent.
I closed my eyes.
Dead at my father’s table. Nothing to show for it except driving the people I loved most in this world away. If this was going to be my end, then what had I done everything for?
What was the fucking point?
No.
Not fucking happening.
Fight! My father’s voice echoed in my ears.
Fight, Max! Her voice.
My eyes flew open.
I yanked the knife I kept strapped to my ankle ever since Leona stabbed me at Club Thunder and stabbed it into the capo’s leg. The gun fired, but the bullet missed my head and embedded into the wood floor in front of me.
I rolled to the side while twisting his wrist, forcing the man to drop the gun.
I caught it using a move Cas did to me once while we were training together.
Within a second, I fired one bullet into the first capo’s head and another into the second man.
Both dropped dead, but the third came at me with a knife.
He sliced my arm, and the pistol flew from my grip, landing somewhere beneath the table and its chairs.
He lunged for it, but I dropped my shoulder and slammed into him, locking us together in a flurry of fists and blades while we rolled around the floor.
My teeth grit together when his knife jammed into my side.
I only had a moment to be grateful that the blade didn’t cut my heart in half because it instead scraped my rib bone and turned, tearing up the flesh of my torso.
I barely held in my scream, but I didn’t know if there were any other men outside, and I couldn’t afford to fuck up again.
I head-butted the capo , disorienting him, and then I kicked him off me.
I followed, wrapping my hands around his neck and squeezing.
He scrambled, scratching and kicking, to get free.
When he lost enough oxygen that his fingers became weak, I snatched the knife and dragged the blade across his neck.
He gurgled his lifeblood onto the floor.
Fuck.
I sat back, pressing a hand to my side and holding in my groan.
Blood gushed beneath my fingers. My eye was already swelling shut. Everything hurt. I slumped to the side while trying to catch my breath. How long did I have until I passed out from blood loss?
I looked around the room. I had nothing, and no one. My house—the one safe haven I’d had my entire life—no longer belonged to me. The Camorra were on the move. My heart sank to my feet when I caught sight of my father’s watch face, shattered, the time stuck at the moment my life utterly fell apart.
I struggled to my feet with a groan, hoping for a plan to take shape in my head, but for the first time in my life, I came up empty.