10. Leona #2
Everyone turned to Max, the same question in their eyes as mine. What was Greco talking about? He refused to turn me over? “Why do you want him?”
“That is between me and him.”
I shook my head. “Not anymore. He’s mine now.”
Silence stretched on the phone.
“Bring him.” He rattled off a location and time for later tonight. “I’ll expect all of the infamous Shadows there. I don’t like being disappointed.” He hung up before I could say another word.
I rubbed my eyes while I waited for the guys to demand an explanation about what Greco meant, but they all sat quietly.
“Time for the truth again, Max,” Cas finally said. “What was he talking about?”
Max refused to meet his eyes. “When Greco showed up at my house, he asked me to bring Leona to him. I refused. He tried to kill me. Fast forward, here we are.”
“And why would you refuse?” Obi asked.
Max gave him a look like it was obvious. “He was going to kill her.”
“So?” Ryu asked, standing and stalking closer with his knife extended. “You’ve tried to kill her. It would have solved some problems for you.”
“No, it wouldn’t have,” Max answered. He looked at me slyly, a small curve to his lips, that playful look from our childhood twinkling in his eye. I hadn’t seen it in years. “Besides, if anyone is going to kill her, it’ll be me and not him.”
My guys exploded in anger, but I just started laughing. “He’s joking.”
Max raised his hands as he sat down at one of the now-empty chairs around the table. “Just a joke. I’m not going to hurt her.”
Everyone settled, but the truth of what he said loomed over us. First, he killed Arion Vokshi for me. Now, he refused to give me to Greco, and Greco almost killed him because of it.
I walked to where Max sat quietly while my men argued about redoing the vote to allow him to stay. Ryuji, of course, led the charge. Max looked at me while the others faded into the background.
“You refused to turn me over?” I asked quietly.
“Yes.”
“You thought he’d kill me?”
He nodded.
“What about tonight?” I asked, searching his grey eyes for any information he’d give me. Any sign of his true thoughts or feelings, or the reason he had gone to such lengths to keep me safe. “Do you think he’ll try to kill me there?”
“I’m not sure. I think he’ll try to kill me.”
“Probably.”
“We’re not going, then,” Cas said from behind us. The rest of the guys murmured their agreement, finally done with their argument about the vote. “It’s too risky. He’s already acting like he owns the city. Who knows what he’s got up his sleeve?”
The argument shifted to whether we should or should not go, what awaited us if we did, but still, it was all background.
I didn’t respond. Just stared at Max, and the way he looked up at me. My fingers curled around his chin. His breath hitched in his throat.
“We’re going,” I said, loud enough to silence the rest of my men. “But I meant what I said before. If you’re here, you’re with us. We go as a team; we leave as a team. Understood?”
He gulped. “You won’t turn me over?”
I shook my head slowly, watching the way his throat bobbed as my fingers brushed over the skin of his bruised cheek. “You protect me. I protect you. It’s only fair.”
He seemed dumbfounded and confused before he finally breathed, “Okay.”
I gave him one last look before I turned around to face the displeasure written across five faces. The men I loved, once again pissed off at me because I put myself at risk.
They should be used to it by now.
I braced my hands on my hips. Obi had a plan for defeating the Camorra, but now it was my turn. I was stubborn enough to take Greco’s bait, but I was smart enough to show up prepared.
“Cas, call Rossi again,” I said. “Make sure we’re going into that meeting on the same page about our partnership.
I need to know whether he’ll side with us or with Greco.
Ryuji, call Makarov. Tell him to provide backup from a few blocks away.
We’re walking into that meeting, but we need escape routes secured and allies to call on if we’re attacked. ”
They both agreed.
The Camorra wanted our subservience, but I wasn’t willing to give up that easily. We’d worked too fucking hard to make this city better, to carve out a place for our future. All we could do right now was follow Obi’s plan, bolster our defenses, and get ready for whatever lay ahead.
Cas dragged his hands down his face. Ryu glowered in my general direction, though I suspected it was toward Max sitting behind me. Ciel and Wynn exchanged a look between them before Ciel nodded.
I faced Obi head-on. He cupped my cheeks.
I waited for the disagreements, for their arguments that I should stay here, hidden away and protected.
For their fears of losing me, and mine of losing them.
I waited for them to promise we could defeat the Camorra without going to this meeting, and that we needed to be smarter about exposing ourselves to danger.
But they never came.
“You are strong, and so are we.” His deep voice reverberated through my bones, filling me with heat and pride.
“Greco’s greatest weakness is that he will underestimate you.
If we go to this meeting, we can see by how much.
That said, if there’s any risk to your safety, we will abort. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I answered.
He ducked his head to kiss me firmly. My hands clutched his elbows while he deepened the kiss and sent heat rocketing through my nerves. When he broke the kiss, the fight seemed to have drained out of the rest of the guys.
Ciel stood and came to give me a quick kiss. “All right, ángel.”
“Fine,” Ryu said as he pulled his phone from his pocket and tucked away the knife he’d been playing with. “Let’s see if Kostya wants to come to play.”
Wynn pulled me into a tight hug, winding his hands through my hair. I squeezed him back. “I’ve got your back, darling.”
Then Cas pressed a kiss to my temple. “You stress me out, princess, but I love you to death because of it.”
I grinned. Obi was right. Piero Greco wouldn’t have invited us to this meeting if he thought we were a threat. We could use that to our advantage.