Chapter 14 Sandro
"You should sleep," I said, pulling him closer. "The board meeting isn't until nine."
"I can't sleep. I keep thinking about what I'm going to say." He turned to face me. "Richard's going to push hard for my withdrawal. The managing partners will back him because keeping me on your case is a liability."
"So you fight harder. You're good at that." I kissed his forehead. "And if they force you off the case, I'll make sure you land somewhere better."
"That's not the point. I don't want to be forced off. I want to finish what I started." His jaw set in that stubborn line I was learning to recognize. "I want to destroy the Costellos in court and prove that threatening me was the worst tactical decision they ever made."
God, he was magnificent when he was angry.
"Then that's what you'll do." I sat up and reached for my phone. "Get dressed. I'll make breakfast. You need to eat before you go fight for your career."
He showered while I made coffee and eggs. Simple. Efficient. The kind of breakfast that provided fuel without weighing you down. By the time he emerged—dressed in one of his own suits he'd had Thomas retrieve from his apartment yesterday—I had everything plated.
"Eat," I ordered, pushing the plate across the counter.
He ate mechanically. Mind clearly elsewhere. I let him think while I reviewed emails on my phone. Messages from Vincent about Antonio Costello's movements. Updates from Marcus about security protocols. A text from Matteo asking when we were meeting.
"I need to see my partners this morning," I said. "Before your board meeting. We need to discuss next steps with the Costellos."
"What kind of next steps?" Wary now.
"The kind that ensure they never threaten you again." I set down my phone. "Angelo delivered my message to Antonio. Matteo delivered a more physical reminder. But the Costellos are stubborn. They might need additional convincing."
"By additional convincing you mean—"
"I mean making it clear that targeting you was a mistake they'll regret for however long they have left to regret things." I caught his hand across the counter. "I protect what's mine, Emilio. You know this. You've accepted this. Don't start questioning it now."
He was quiet for a moment. Then: "I'm not questioning it. I just need to understand what I'm defending. What I'm choosing to be complicit in."
"You're choosing me. Everything else is just details." I stood and pulled him to his feet. "Go fight for your career. Win. Come back here and tell me how thoroughly you destroyed their objections. Then we'll celebrate properly."
He kissed me instead of arguing. Hard and desperate and tasting like coffee and determination.
When he pulled away, his eyes were bright. "I'll call you after."
"I'll be waiting."
Thomas drove him to Sterling & Associates at 8:30. I watched from the windows until the car disappeared into traffic, then made my own calls.
"Conference room. One hour," I told each of my partners. "We need to discuss the Costello situation before it escalates further."
Matteo arrived first, looking like he'd been awake for hours. Probably had been. He didn't sleep much when violence was pending.
"About fucking time," he said, dropping into a chair. "I've been waiting for permission to handle Antonio properly. Last night's message was too gentle."
"Last night's message was appropriate for the circumstances. Today we discuss whether we need to escalate." I poured coffee from the carafe my housekeeper had prepared. "We can't afford to be reckless with federal eyes watching."
"Fuck the feds. They're always watching.
If we let that stop us from defending ourselves, we might as well surrender now.
" Matteo accepted the coffee. "Antonio Costello threatened your attorney with bombs and death.
That requires a response that makes every other family think twice before trying the same thing. "
Elio arrived next, looking characteristically composed despite the early hour. "What's the situation?"
"The situation is that the Costellos are escalating and we need to decide how hard to push back." I gestured to the files I'd prepared. "Vincent's been tracking Antonio's movements. He's getting bold. Meeting with other families. Building alliances. Trying to isolate us before the trial."
Elio reviewed the surveillance photos. "He's talking to the Deluccas. The Marinos. Even reached out to the Torres family despite them being neutral in territorial disputes." He looked up. "He's building a coalition against us."
"Which means the assault case isn't just about him getting his arm broken anymore," Luca said, arriving last with his usual perfect timing. "It's about power dynamics. Territory. Showing other families that the Vitales can be pushed."
"Exactly." I spread out more documents. "The trial is in four weeks. If we lose, we look weak. If we win but it's close, we still look vulnerable. We need a decisive victory that reminds everyone why challenging us is a bad idea."
"Emilio will get us that victory in court," Elio said confidently. "I've reviewed his strategy. It's thorough. The prosecution's case is built on lies and he knows how to expose that."
"Assuming Sterling doesn't force him off the case this morning." I checked my watch. 8:47. The board meeting would be starting soon. "Richard's pushing for withdrawal. Says keeping Emilio on the case exposes the firm to liability."
"Can you stop them?" Luca asked.
"Not directly. But I can make it clear that losing Emilio would be... disappointing." I pulled out my phone and composed a text to Richard: I understand you're meeting about Emilio this morning. I trust you'll make the right decision. Losing him would be unfortunate for everyone involved.
Subtle. Professional. With just enough implied threat that Richard would understand the stakes.
"What about the RICO investigation?" Elio asked. "Roberto Green warned Emilio yesterday that federal charges are coming."
"Roberto Green has been warning people about federal charges for two years. I'm not concerned until I see actual indictments." I poured myself more coffee. "Vincent's contact at the FBI says they're still building the case. Grand jury subpoenas. Witness immunity deals. But nothing imminent."
"They know about Emilio," Matteo pointed out. "Know that you've been paying his debts. They'll use that against both of you."
"Let them try. Emilio's my attorney. I'm allowed to retain him. How I compensate him is between us and the IRS." I met Matteo's eyes. "The debt payments were legal. Documented. Nothing they can prosecute."
"Except they don't need to prosecute to destroy his reputation," Luca said quietly. "Just the implication that he's been bought will damage his credibility. Make juries question his arguments."
He was right. That was the real danger. Not criminal charges but professional destruction. The kind of damage that couldn't be fixed with money or threats or violence.
"Then we make sure his reputation stays intact.
When this assault case is over and we've won decisively, Emilio will be known as the attorney who defended against a corrupt prosecution and exposed witness tampering.
" I leaned forward. "That's the narrative we build.
Not 'bought attorney' but 'brilliant defender who saw through lies. '"
"And Antonio?" Matteo asked. "What do we do about him while we're building narratives?"
"We make it clear that threatening Emilio again would be the last mistake he ever makes." I looked at each of them. "But we do it carefully. Nothing that ties back to us. Nothing that gives the FBI ammunition for their RICO case."
"I can handle that," Matteo said. Eager. Ready for violence.
"Not yet. First we see what happens with the board meeting." My phone buzzed. Text from Thomas: Dropped Mr. Rossi at Sterling. He looked confident.
Good. Emilio would need that confidence.
"There's another issue," Elio said, pulling out his own phone. "I received a message this morning about someone trying to gather intelligence on our operations. Young man. Mid-twenties. Been asking questions about Inferno's security, our business practices, who handles what."
"Another Costello plant?" Luca asked.
"Possibly. Or someone else trying to take advantage of our current distraction." Elio showed us a grainy security photo. "Vincent's tracking him but so far he's been careful. Professional."
I studied the image. Dark hair. Athletic build. Expensive clothes that didn't quite fit the neighborhood he'd been spotted in. "Keep watching him. If he makes a move, we'll handle it."
"Speaking of handling things," Matteo said, leaning back in his chair. "I still think we're being too soft on Antonio. He threatened Emilio with bombs. Sent his men to Emilio's apartment. That deserves more than a message delivered by some low-level enforcer."
"What do you suggest?" I asked, though I suspected I knew.
"I suggest we grab Antonio. Bring him somewhere private. Have a very clear conversation about what happens when you threaten people under our protection." Matteo's smile was cold. "Then we let him go with injuries that'll take months to heal. Physical reminders every time he looks in the mirror."
"Too risky with the trial coming up," Elio countered. "If Antonio shows up beaten right before he's supposed to testify against us, the judge will assume we intimidated him. That's grounds for obstruction charges."
"So we wait until after the trial. Then we handle him properly." Matteo looked at me. "But we need to do something before then. He's still out there recruiting allies. Still building his coalition. If we wait too long, we'll be fighting multiple families instead of just the Costellos."
He had a point. Antonio was getting bolder. The bomb threat had been designed to terrorize, not kill. But next time he might escalate to actual violence instead of theatrical threats.