Chapter 10 #2
“Joey Galiz is a challenge. He never leaves his estate, and we can’t get in. He’s paranoid, as he should be.”
“So what are our terms?” I glanced between them.
“We’re going to propose a partnership deal.
We agree to no more bloodshed, and they leave our territories in exchange for limited rights to one of our ports, while we gain exclusive access to one of their American arms transport lines.
We both release any captives on either side,” Alessio said, his tone carrying an edge of authority that challenged me to argue with him. Finn refused to look at me.
I scoffed in disbelief. “You’re joking?”
Neither of them responded; their silence was answer enough.
“That’s fucking bullshit,” I growled, slamming my fist on the table. I’ve always had a short temper, especially when things didn’t make sense to me. “That’s surrender.”
“It’s not surrender, it’s survival,” Alessio replied calmly, yet there was a lethal edge to his tone that warned me to watch myself.
I shook my head, glaring at Finn. “Since when does working with The Americans, the fuckers who killed my cousin, have killed countless soldiers in our streets, stolen and fucked huge deals through our channels, and burned our warehouses—”
“I’m well aware of their crimes against us, Aiani,” Alessio snapped, clasping his hands together and placing them on his desk.
His blue eyes had hardened to ice as he stared at me.
“But with every attack comes retaliation. Every tortured or murdered soldier under my regime means I take two of theirs. Every channel they bust means I crush a business of theirs. And that only adds to their hatred and bloodthirst for murdering Don Anthony Galiz, four of their highest-ranking soldiers, and taking down their human-trafficking rings, which resulted in the highest number of criminal arrests in American history.”
My lips parted and my eyes widened. Cazzo, I’d heard the rumours.
This war started because they had a vendetta against Alessio and blamed him for the plane crash that killed their leader ten years ago, but no one believed it.
Rivals make up shit to start wars all the time.
But that was a confession from the man himself.
Alessio leaned back in his chair and sighed at the look on my face. Finn shifted uneasily next to me. My gaze snapped to him.
“You knew this?”
He glanced my way and rubbed his chin, avoiding my gaze. “Whether Alessio did it or not makes no difference. They have no proof and have started a war on blind suspicion. But it needs to end.”
“But he did it. Alessio started this war. He’s the reason we are in this mess?”
“If it hadn’t been that, they’d have found something else to start a war over,” Finn argued, but I was already shaking my head. I stood up from my chair and began pacing.
They wanted Alessio dead. That’s what all this was about. But they couldn’t reach him. He’d made himself untouchable in his own territory, so they were trying every other way to take him down. No wonder Finn was so insistent that Alessio couldn’t leave Italy.
“We don’t want a partnership any more than you do, Aiani.
I fucking despise the cunts,” Alessio said, pulling me back into the room from my spiralling thoughts.
“But Joey Galiz won’t stop. Not until he kills me or someone as important to me as his father was to him.
He doesn’t care how it hurts him or his business. He’s vengeful.”
My eyes locked with Alessio, and the message was clear. There had already been attempts on those closest to him. He was a man backed into a corner. My gaze flicked to Finn, and he swallowed.
“They’ve tried to kill you?” My dark eyebrows knitted together over the bridge of my nose as unbridled rage surged through my veins.
“Not directly, but the threat’s there. They killed my main bodyguard while he was off duty. They sent me his head and told me mine would be next unless Alessio gave himself up.”
“And you think it’s a good idea for you to fly to America to try to discuss a peace treaty?” I yelled, my blood boiling because I’d never have gone to Finn for help if I’d known. What the fuck was he thinking?
“Exactly why I said this was suicidal,” Alessio growled, glaring at Finn.
“No matter who we send, we put their life at risk,” Finn argued. “But if I can get Frankie alone, consigliere to consigliere, we might have a chance. He’s not stupid. He knows this won’t end well for either side. He’ll listen to reason.”
I stormed towards his chair, towering over him. “And if he doesn’t? If you’re wrong about him and he’s as bloodthirsty as Joey, what then?”
He looked up at me, his brown-black eyes glistening in the Sicilian sunlight that cast a warm glow over his face.
“That’s what this is for.” He pointed to the evidence showing Frankie preferred young men to his wife’s pussy.
“If he kills me, he exposes himself. Alessio will leak the footage everywhere.”
I pressed my hands to my eyes, rubbing my skin to think clearly. No, I was with Alessio on this. Finn couldn’t walk into the lion’s den alone and hope for the best. No way. He was Alessio’s right-hand man, his best friend. The temptation to kill him would be too great.
“Let me do it. Let me meet Frankie alone,” I said, placing my hands on the desk.
“They will never agree to it,” Finn argued, but I ignored him and kept my gaze on Alessio.
The sound of Alessio’s phone interrupted the heated discussion, and he pulled it from his pocket with a frown.
He held up one finger to me, and I groaned, twisting away and glaring at Finn.
If he thought I’d let him do this alone.
.. but of course that’s why he hadn’t told me the full story. He knew I’d never allow it.
“Giovanni?” Alessio answered the call from his brother-in-law, but as soon as the colour drained from his face and he shot out of his chair, our bickering was forgotten. “I’m on my way.”
“What’s happened?” Finn sprang up as Alessio stormed out of the room, shouting Elenora’s name. I followed them, feeling like an outsider to the situation but needing to know what Gio had just said. Whatever it was, it was enough to spark panic in the Italian Boss, which was very rare.
Elenora came racing out of her art studio, her eyes wide with fear. She could instantly sense that something was wrong from the urgent tone of her husband’s voice.
“What is it? Alessio?”
He grasped her shoulders. “There was an attack in Verona.” Her trembling hand covered her mouth as her brown eyes flickered between his, bracing herself for whatever was about to unfold. “Santino and Soraya.”
“What?” she cried, her knees buckling at the mention of her younger siblings’ names. Fuck. Raya had just turned fifteen, and Sani was seventeen. They were still kids.
“They’re okay.” Alessio held Elle’s face in his hands, pressing his forehead to hers. “They’re okay. I’m going to take the jet straight over there now.”
“I’m coming!” she demanded. Alessio clearly wanted to argue but thought better of it, nodding his head.
Elle dived into Alessio’s arms as Finn began making the necessary arrangements.
Finn spoke rapidly through the phone in Italian to secure the jet and get it ready.
Was it the Americans? Were they going after the children?
That was fucking low. Finn hung up and huffed, stress creeping into his frown lines.
“What about the twins? Finn, can you stay with them?” Elle asked, grabbing his arms.
“No,” Alessio cut in. “I need Finn to come. If it was the Americans, we need to be one hundred percent sure. The children must come with us, too.”
“But it’s not safe,” Elle shouted, grabbing his arm. “It’s not safe for them to travel across the country at the moment.”
“They’re safest with me,” Alessio replied, stroking her cheek.
I wanted to step in and argue that Elle was right.
Alessio had the biggest target on his back, but from what I knew of this man, there was one thing for certain.
He would never let any harm come to his family.
He’d throw himself into the firing line without a second thought if it came to it.
Still, the children would be safest behind his highly secure walls.
“I’ll stay here with the children.”
They all turned my way as if they had only just remembered I was there. I swallowed, realising what I had just offered. But the thought of Nerina leaving Sicily, her home and its protection, made me speak before I thought.
“No.” Alessio shook his head, narrowing his eyes at me. “They’re coming with us.”
He didn’t know me well enough to trust me with his children. I understood that. But it was Elle who came to my defence.
“Alessio, please. I don’t want to scare them. We’ve always protected them from the chaos. I’d feel better knowing the children were safe at home with Enzo. We can ask Fabi to come here too. Have you seen Enzo with a gun? They’ll be safe with him.”
“I promise you they will. I’ll provide you with hourly updates.”
Alessio exhaled and looked at Finn. Finn gave him a subtle nod, and that was all it took for my heart to swell to twice its size. Finn trusted me. He trusted me with Nerina. And with Alessio’s twins.
“Fine,” Alessio groaned. “We’ll be back tomorrow. Hourly updates. I mean it, Aiani. If I get home and even one of them has a scratch, you’ll pay the price.”
“Understood.”
Alessio headed straight to the playroom to say goodbye to them, while Elle turned to me with a smile. “What he means is grazie, Enzo. Thank you.”
“No problem. I hope Sani and Raya are okay,” I said, hugging her. “Keep me updated, yeah? You know I love those two.”
“Of course.” She nodded, knowing I was close to her family.
I’d watched those two grow over the years and knew them better than most. Soraya was the sweetest thing, yet still painfully shy around me; sometimes she smiled or exchanged a few words. Santino was my buddy. He was a good kid. A bit of a loose cannon but a good kid. I cared about both of them.
As soon as Elle disappeared down the corridor towards the playroom, I was left alone with Finn. I couldn’t read the expression on his face.
“You sure about this?” he asked, holding my gaze.
“You’ll all be back tomorrow. Three kids, one night? We’ll survive.”
Worry flickered in his eyes. “I know you’ll look after them. But Alessio will kill you if anything happens to his children.”
“You worried about me, Finn?” I smirked, crossing my arms over my chest. His eyes narrowed, but he smiled just a little. “Nothing will happen to them. As Elle said, they’re safest here. It’s you I’m worried about.”
He looked as if he wanted to say something else for a moment, but something stopped him. He stepped back, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Don’t let them eat anything sugary after six. Bedtime is at eight. I’d feel better if you and Neri slept in the twins’ room tonight.”
“Got it. No sweets, lights out at eight. Hourly updates.”
“Grazie, Enzo. I appreciate you doing this.” He turned and headed towards the stairs.
“Finn,” I called. He stopped, his hand gripping the bannister, and glanced over his shoulder. “If you get a chance, go to my place. My men will let you in. I have something there for you.”
“For me? What is it?”
“It’s not something easily explained, but when you see it, you’ll know.” I didn’t give him any further explanation. Instead, I left him standing on the stairs and headed to the playroom to begin the most important job of my life.
Babysitting the children of Italy’s most powerful men. God help me.