18. ~Emilio~
18
~Emilio~
Angelo had been found.
That demented piece of shit had slipped up.
While I was obviously glad that had happened, it was biting at me that it had been because of his twisted obsession with Julian. He was so far gone where that was concerned that he’d actually reached out to him in a risky way, one that Levi had been able to use to our advantage.
Mine and Nico’s meeting with Carlo and Remo regarding the ongoing progress of our war, as well as outlining plans for when Nico officially took power, details concerning the alliance between the new Marchetti Syndicate under Nico and the Benzino Family, had been interrupted when Julian had burst on in to inform us that Angelo had been located.
I’d been on the verge of both confirming and announcing all at once that I would be taking on the role of Underboss at Nico’s recommendation. At his wish, actually.
There’d be time for that later.
Besides, I guess I was running on the high of the success of the operations the other night, excitable and impetuous. I hadn’t even had a talk with Nico alone to confirm my intention to take on the role, and yet I’d been about to announce it to others?
I was used to treading so carefully, but that had loosened in me with all we’d been through since this had kicked into high gear ever since the marriage directive had been put out there alongside the news of that ridiculous Marchetti-Leone alliance. I’d had to loosen up in that respect in order to keep pushing forward when things had gotten out of control because of the demented enemies we’d been dealing with. There had been a lot of pivoting. There’d been no true safe way to approach anything.
And, yeah, all of that might have actually had a knock-on effect that was positive—it had enabled me to loosen up in other areas with our foursome. To enjoy things, to enjoy us.
But now, as I stood staring at surveillance footage of Angelo Simone, that protective, unyielding and uncompromising part of me was threatening to rise up like a beast of a thing and take control of all other facets.
The workarounds that Levi had put in place regarding his tracking program to predict their movements had paid off when it came to Angelo.
That demon’s mistake had led to Lev not only being able to locate him in real-time, but to also build on that with his program and backtrack a lot of his movements.
Apparently, Angelo hadn’t gotten the memo that using his phone even to check his map app was also a risk, not just outright communication like calls and texts.
It was clear that our takedowns had also unsettled him in a major way. So much so that he’d actually even tried to reach out to Victoria Munsen and, being unable to do so because she was in jail now, he’d tried to activate previous Leone Family connections and influential persons to pull her out. Of course, those people were no longer working for the Family and we’d hidden most of them away, too. Well, forced them into hiding was closer to the truth.
Angelo was learning that he didn’t have the power he’d believed, that the throne he’d thought he’d simply be able to take when he returned was fucking gone.
Although, there was still Leo Marchetti and Erebus, so until they were also dealt with, there was still a chance that Angelo could use them and their resources to resurrect the Leone Family and forge it in his own design, to his own liking.
He was the only enemy left to take power from a Leone perspective. Erebus, given their ghost status, wouldn’t want to take such a public position, one that would garner them attention.
Unless their goal was to permanently settle and come out of the shadows. Because we couldn’t access their communications network, or even pull up anything substantial concerning them, we weren’t certain. We didn’t have the full picture.
But what we did know, right here and now, was that there was now a viable way to get to Angelo himself.
Albeit, a highly dangerous way that would put Julian right at the center of it.
A way that would also have him facing off with his torturer.
I looked out at him as Levi impressed upon Nico that this intel was time-sensitive, that we couldn’t sit on it for long and deliberate, or we’d lose this shot.
Julian wasn’t showing an ounce of hesitancy. All I was getting from him was resolute determination. He was ready to do this. More worryingly, he needed to. He believed that the key to liberating himself from the burden that Angelo’s sickening actions had put upon him was to rewire the power balance between him and Angelo, and to then have the motherfucker put down and erased from the world.
Nico snatched up Julian’s phone and read over the text exchange again.
Once had been more than enough for me. I’d barely been able to stand it even then.
“You told him you’d meet him tomorrow night at a location he intended to withhold until the last moment,” Nico uttered aloud.
“Yeah. I didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to get at him, even if it wasn’t ideal. I figured I’d come to you guys, and we’d figure out a plan to mitigate the risk,” Julian told him.
“What if it’s a trap?” I put to them.
“Well, it clearly is a trap to draw Julian to him,” Nico said.
“No, I don’t mean his texts with Julian. I mean him using his personal phone that’s outside Erebus’ protection, so we were finally able to track him. So he can draw Julian to him and also have us murdered at the same time, because Erebus could be in on this. They could’ve struck a deal with him where he gets Julian and they get to take us out. No more Marchetti Syndicate under Nico, no more obstacle to whatever their overarching goal is within the city.”
“It’s a possibility,” Levi admitted. “And that’s always going to be the case until we are able to pull intel about Erebus and their intentions. There’s a massive gap that leaves us vulnerable. I need Rina back here to work with me on this, and we also need Stover. Remember, he was able to see them coming before they showed up at the hospital. How? He clearly has deeper and more comprehensive intel on them.”
“We wait for them to return and we could miss our shot against Angelo,” Julian said. “Like Levi said, he has eyes on Angelo for now. He has his location. But that could shift if we delay.”
“Through being able to backtrack Angelo’s movements, Levi also has the location of several safehouses that Erebus has used to keep Angelo safe. Yet, we can’t move on all of those at this point, not without leaving our foothold in the city vulnerable. I can’t send my soldiers hundreds of miles outside the city to take that on,” Nico told us. “Ripping the safehouses out from under them here was one thing, this is another.”
“You need to protect your territory first and foremost,” I agreed. “Especially if this is a trap, not just to take us out, but to compromise our power here and use it to rise above the blows we’ve just dealt them all. They know there’s an emotional component to the Angelo of it all for us. It would be strategically sound for them to try to exploit that to their advantage.”
“Then we use the emotional component against Angelo,” Julian proposed.
“How?” I asked.
“I take the chip to the place he held me captive, lead him there, and bring him back to the city by extension, the heart of our power now. The only issue is, despite this slipup, he’s not a total fool, he’ll know if I’m not alone. At least at first until I’m able to distract him and hold his undivided attention.”
“Yes, I doubt he’d move in and emerge from the shadows until he lays eyes on you,” Nico said.
“It also stands to reason that he could have picked up some of Erebus’ evasion tactics. The thing with the phone notwithstanding,” Levi pointed out.
“Sunshine,” I said, walking to him and drawing him away from Lev and Nico by the monitors. “That would leave you within his reach all alone without immediate backup. For us not to be seen, we’re talking about us being several minutes away.”
“I know.” He laid his hand on my shoulder. “I can handle it. I can handle him.”
“It might not even work,” Nico told us. “According to Levi’s intel, Erebus soldiers aren’t with Angelo at this very moment in time. It’s him in an apartment block in a small town only seventy miles outside the city. But that could only be temporary. They could be busy elsewhere, deployed elsewhere and set to return at any time. Also, they could be tracking his movements as a means of protection—or to protect themselves from possible betrayal from him—which would mean even if he did follow the chip when he saw it moving toward that emotionally relevant location to him, they could follow him.”
“Then have your soldiers at the ready,” Julian said.
“J—”
“Nico, we at least need to try this. And I’m honestly prepared to. I’m in a good headspace. I’m strong.” He looked out at both of us. “I just need the two of you to trust in that, trust in me.”
Goddammit.
I had seen him handle that Victoria Munsen situation extremely well.
He’d done so well entering the field again.
He’d even handled the whole thing of Angelo’s messages tonight well.
And I’d also seen the changes in him lately in many other ways.
I’d seen him recovering.
Nico flipped his Zippo on and off as he absorbed and analyzed everything.
As he looked out at me in question as to where I stood on it all, I gave him a discreet chin lift.
He pocketed his lighter and stepped up to Julian. “I told you before that you being used as bait to draw out Angelo was off the table.”
“I know, but—”
“ But things have changed.”
Julian started in surprise. “You’re saying—”
“I’m saying it’s a go.”
“Thank you. I won’t screw this up. It won’t be like last time.”
“I know it won’t. I know you’ve got this.” He laid his hand on his shoulder. “Now go get suited up. Heavy-duty tactical gear, Julian. I’ll get the chip. It’s in Caterina’s room.”
That was it then.
It was happening.
As much as it fucking worried me, I also understood how badly Julian believed he needed to do this.
As Julian headed out, Nico told Levi, “Get him set up on COMMs for this. I don’t want him out of contact for even a second.”
“Got it,” Levi said, pushing out of his chair and setting about getting the tech ready.
“You all right?” Nico asked, coming to me.
“He needs to do this. And he’s earned our trust back. I just hope he’s right, and that this is the closure he needs to move on further.”
“I hope so, too.”
The truth was, we couldn’t be sure. Even Julian couldn’t.
As much as I hated to admit it, some things couldn’t be anticipated. They just had to happen.
But no matter how it played out, we’d be here.
We wouldn’t fucking let him fall.
More than could be said for Angelo.
He wouldn’t make it out alive.
This would be the last night he drew breath.