5. Emilio
B enjamin and I exchange shocked looks. I’m not even sure what to say, although Benjamin gesturing rapidly at the phone reminds me I need to respond. Straightening, as if they could see me, I clear my throat.
“Someone is very foolish to take on us both, and it will be to their detriment.” Shifting into the role I’m expected to take, I shove down the need for immediate violence and ask, “Will the Amato Family host us this evening to discuss strategy?”
The silence on the other end of the line lets me know that even Roman is having a difficult time adjusting to being the Head of the Family. “We will. However, you are limited to only four additional members.”
I quickly run through my list. Benjamin, as my Second; Marcus, as he was there for the initial truce; Ignacio, because he’ll be the best if they are trying to double cross us. And…sadly, if Luca is here, he may as well be useful. “Very well. I agree to your terms. Seven o’clock?”
“Make that eight.”
I almost snort at the byplay. If he wants to assert himself this way, I don’t give a fuck. My priority is getting Il Padrone back. “We will see you then. And Hollis—I look forward to what you find.”
I hang up immediately, ignoring Benjamin’s glare. I mean, they wanted to fuck with me, so I don’t see the big deal. Benjamin, however, seems to have a different opinion.
“Is there a reason you wanted to antagonize our allies?” Benjamin’s unimpressed stare does nothing for me.
“Roman wanted to play around. I merely reminded him I have a bigger dick. From the little I’ve been able to glean from Roman and the others, Hollis is the one to be afraid of, so I went right to the source to show I’m not afraid of them. They can either get with the fucking program, or we’ll do it our damn selves and they can fuck off.”
“I…don’t even know where to start with that. I’m going to ignore most of it, and instead, go with… are you fucking crazy? As your Second—and most importantly, your best friend—I’d rather not see you killed, or at minimum, stabbed. Because even if you’re right that Hollis is the scary one, he still comes with Tennant. And uh, I’d just be a tad bit cautious there.”
“This isn’t a life you can live in fear. Sure, I made a calculated risk, and maybe it’ll pay off, maybe it won’t, but I can’t hide. Not if I’m supposed to be the Head of this Family—as you reminded me. You need to get more accustomed to violence. In fact—” The knock on the door stops our conversation abruptly. Changing my pitch, I call out, “Enter.”
All of the Boys shuffle in, with various different expressions on their faces. Marcus still appears shocked as he sits next to Benjamin. The way Keegan stands behind his lover is both protective and challenging. Only I’m not sure if it’s challenging to me or the way Master has been taken. I’ll keep an eye on that situation.
Ignacio goes right to Benjamin, placing his hand on his lover’s shoulder. His teeth are clenched together, and the fierce look would intimidate most. Finally, Antonio takes up a spot at the wall, blending in, just like the Ghost he’s meant to be. He radiates pain, and I refuse to let him separate himself from the family. Not now. Not when we need everyone.
“Antonio, come closer. We all need to be on the same page here.” Stiffening his
shoulders, he takes careful, measured steps toward the desk, stopping next to Ignacio. Nodding, I continue speaking, “Alright. We know that our Master was taken this morning, while stopping for wedding invitations. This is not a normal stop for him at all. That means we should look at anyone having inside knowledge.”
“—Fuck. Not another damn mole,” Ignacio hisses, side eyeing Marcus.
Clearing my throat, I redirect them. “I think this one is far easier to figure out. The only person who would have asked him to make such a stop would have been one of the wedding organizers. It was a dumb fucking move. Ignacio, I want you to get her and bring her to the special room we have for such guests. Marcus, where are we on videos?”
“I believe I’ve managed to get them all, but I haven’t had a chance to go through them. That was my next step.”
“Don’t bother. Send them over to Hollis at the Amato Family. He made it clear that he believes he’s better than us, so let’s give him the data to deal with.”
“Wait. Why the fuck are we bringing in a rival organization? Sure, we have a damn truce with them, but we trust them enough to admit we’re without Il Padrone?” Ignacio slams his hand down on Benjamin's shoulder, making him wince.
“Ignacio, back the fuck up. Now. You will respect me, and you will sure the fuck respect my Second. I don’t care what you do in your private life, when you’re here, he outranks you.”
Ignacio stiffens, gritting his teeth before bowing his head, “Sorry, Boss.”
I wave it away, not interested in starting a pissing contest with my own family. “To answer your question, Cristian was also kidnapped. It appears there’s been a coordinated attack on us both. Roman and I have agreed to meet tonight to discuss working together. He’s limited it to me and four others. Benjamin will attend. As for the other three, I’d like Marcus, Ignacio, and…there’s a chance Luca will be here.”
Their shock over Cristian quickly changes to grumbles of complaint. Luca doesn’t have many friends here anymore. Fuck, I don’t even want him near this shit show, but unfortunately, he does have insight as Master’s former Second that could be valuable.
Keegan cocks his head and asks, “I thought he was with Allesandro’s cousin? Isn’t he supposed to be trying to take over his own territory?”
Frowning, I tap my fingers on Master’s desk before cringing, hating the feel of being on this side. “He’s supposed to be. That’s the other thing I want checked. Antonio—I need you to be my Ghost. Can you confirm that he was actually where he was supposed to be when this happened? And that he flew in on this flight? You can use the excuse of picking him up, but I need to know he’s being honest.”
“Something seem off, Boss?” Marcus asks, biting his bottom lip.
“Not necessarily. But aside from the people in this room, nothing gets taken for granted. Nothing goes outside us when it comes to any secrets. Not unless it comes from me or Benjamin. He’s authorized to speak for me. Let’s get this done. Those I mentioned, we need to be ready to go at seven pm.”
Benjamin pales, but I ignore it. This is trial by fire, and unfortunately, I don’t have time for him to catch up. Hell, I don’t have time to catch up. In almost perfect stereo, they respond in the affirmative. I dismiss them, knowing that those without a specific task will work their contacts, they’re well trained and don’t need hand holding—thank fuck. We need to find Il Padrone. Now .
First though? It’s time I had a little chat with a certain wedding planner. It appears that for all of the lists she had, she forgot a shit list, because she just ended up on ours. And fuck if she’ll survive it.