26. Chapter 25 Ginevra
Jude slides into the seat next to me in a small gambling room that I like to host in. I slip a new deck of cards into the automatic card shuffler, then slip the cards out. I prefer the feel of a new deck in my hands. My thumbs bend the cards just enough to fan the two halves together, shuffling again. I place a card down for Jude and one for me. He taps the table for another card. I give myself another, and at the same time, we flip our face-down cards. He busts and I’m left with seventeen.
“We’re at war.” I shuffle the cards again, bending them before fanning the two sides together. I do the process over and over while I look at my once best friend. “They want retaliation.”
“They’ve been wanting this for years. We knew peace wasn’t going to stay long.”
“They want your head.”
“They can try to come and get it,” he cockily adds, shrugging his shoulders.
I let the cards fall to the ground and lunge at Jude. My hand wraps around his neck and pins him to the table.
“There is a fucking target on you back, and it extends to your family. You’ve placed my wife in danger,” I seethe. The thought of anyone hurting Gin punches into my stomach. My father has shown me what it is to like to lose something you love. I never want to go through that with my wife.
“I’m sending you out of town.”
Jude’s face is turning from red to purple, so I release my hold. He falls to the ground as he tries to catch his breath.
Guilt strangles my slow-beating heart. I should have done something more to control Jude because now, since I didn’t, Ginevra could be in danger.
“We’ve been brothers our whole lives and you’re not even going to put the bullet in me. If you ever had loyalty to me, shoot me yourself. Don’t send someone to put it in the back of my head.”
“When was the last time you showed me loyalty? Showed your own fucking family loyalty?” My voice rises, but no one outside this room will be able to hear it.
“Everything I have ever done in my life is for this fucking family!” he bellows, standing up.
I pull my gun out. “Do not yell at me.” My voice is eerily calm. I could solve a lot of problems by putting Jude down, but I can’t do that to Ginevra. She loves her brother. I refuse to be the one who destroys that. My loyalty is to her, not Jude.
Jude’s eyes are large and he stays still, refusing to move a muscle. His head is tilted up and he stares me down. He thinks I’m going to kill him; it’s clear in his eyes. He’s accepted his fate.
“Not today, Jude. Get the fuck out of here before I change my mind.” I drop my gun back into my holster.
He scrambles away, refusing to look backwards. I need to put a gym in this casino. A punching bag would be nice to use right now.
I pick up my phone for the hundredth time today to text Gin. I wonder what she’s doing right now. Instead of messaging her, I put my phone away and step out of the room and head toward the back room. My brothers are already there waiting for me.
“Two of our soldiers were gunned down in the middle of the street. Their bodies were left there, the bullets not even picked up,” Atticus announces. He has a terrible habit of launching straight into the account of the damage that’s been occurring lately. I rub at my forehead. “Two nights ago, it was a girl from the strip club. They left a letter on her body.”
I take a seat, watching Cyrus pace the room as we’re debriefed.
“They tried to hijack another shipment in broad daylight, but it was our decoy.”
“We need to put guards on Eva and Ginevra,” Cyrus announces.
“Eva is going to lose her shit,” Atticus huffs. We’ve been down this route before and it didn’t go well.
“I agree with Cyrus. The Armato’s won’t stop until they feel like they have hit us equally hard.”
Cyrus adds, “The girls aren’t safe until we have this handled,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest.
“What if we get Max Mancini to take the Armato’s out?” I ask.
Atticus shakes his head. “I like the idea, but they’re Texas Mafia. They don’t do business like we do.”
“They’re allies of ours,” I push.
“We can deal with this ourselves,” Cyrus demands, leaving no room for argument.
“I want the guards starting first thing in the morning.” I should have put a bodyguard on Gin the moment she agreed to being my fiancée.
“I couldn’t agree more. We’ll take the girls out for dinner tonight and let them know the new arrangement,” Cyrus replies, already dialing to make a phone call.