22. Marco
Chapter Twenty-Two
MARCO
Luckily for Ben, he managed to stick to his word and get Andre and me a meeting with Bruno and Carlos Costa.
I’m coming up on forty-eight hours until I’m to meet with Cillian, which means this meeting has to go well, otherwise I am well and truly fucked. Though putting my faith in the Costa brothers could also end up biting me on the ass.
Either way, I’m not liking my odds.
The air in the warehouse is thick with tension and the smell of stale tobacco as Bruno and Carlos sit across the metal table from Andre and me. A single bulb dangles overhead, casting shadows that move every time someone so much as breathes.
I dread to think what sort of memories this room holds.
Bruno lounges in his chair like he owns the place, with one arm draped over the back and the other resting lazily in his lap. His dark suit is expertly tailored, and I eye the gold signet ring on his hand, wondering if it’s the very one his father was wearing when I shot him in the chest.
From the way he’s watching Andre and me, it’s clear he’s the strategist of the two brothers. The type to remain calm under pressure, but there’s a quiet violence simmering just beneath the surface.
He’s the one to watch out for here.
Carlos, on the other hand, is leaner and wiry, which means he’ll be quick on his feet.
His jet-black hair falls in front of his hazel eyes, which continue to dart between me and Andre, waiting for one of us to speak.
There’s a restlessness to him that unnerves me.
He seems impulsive, the type of guy who wouldn’t think twice before pulling the trigger.
Together, the two brothers are a lethal mix. One brains and the other brawn.
It’s clear they’re loyal to no one but each other, which makes them even more dangerous.
Now that their father is gone, they have little left to lose.
Carlos’s fingers tap out a steady rhythm against the metal tabletop, as if he’s counting down the seconds until he decides he’s done playing nice. After all, they want us dead and for good reason.
I put a bullet in their father’s chest, and I’d do it again if I had to. Even if we end up joining forces to take down Cillian, that kind of betrayal doesn’t get forgotten.
It was a risky move on my part to ask Bruno and Carlos to meet today, and we still have a long way to go.
They may have agreed to hear me out, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be willing to look past what I did to their father in favor of taking down Cillian.
Bruno is the first to speak, his voice cold and emotionless.
“Let’s get one thing straight.” He looks at Andre and then at me. “This isn’t a truce.”
Andre mirrors his cool and relaxed demeanor. “No. It isn’t.”
Carlos huffs a laugh. “You’ve got some fucking nerve, the pair of you.”
I lean forward, bracing my forearms on the edge of the table. “Let’s just call this what it is. A necessary alliance.”
Bruno cocks an eyebrow. “You really think Cillian’s a bigger problem than us?”
Andre leans in, his voice calm, though there’s no denying the warning beneath it.
“Yes, because Cillian plays dirty. He doesn’t stop until he owns everything in sight.”
Carlos regards Andre. “And you don’t?”
I meet his eyes without flinching. “I protect what’s mine, but I don’t take what doesn’t belong to me.”
Carlos scoffs. “No, you just kill them instead.”
Bruno holds up a hand, his gold signet ring glinting under the light overhead. He narrows his eyes as he watches me.
“If you’re not here just to warn us about Cillian, what do you want?”
“We want your help taking him down. In exchange, we’ll give you more territory, more power.”
Andre nods. “We’ll pull our guys from the east side. That’ll be yours, no questions asked.”
Carlos lets out a low whistle. “That’s a big offer.”
“It’s a big risk. But we’ve seen what Cillian is building. He’s trafficking humans, specifically young underaged girls, and auctioning them off to the men that run this fucking city.”
Bruno sits straighter. “Christ.”
My eyes go from one Costa brother to the other. “Which means, he has leverage over them. His connections reach further than any of us anticipated.”
Carlos narrows his eyes at us. “We thought you were working with him?”
“I struck a deal.” I glance sidelong at Andre. “But I want out.”
Andre shakes his head. “Cillian isn’t looking to share power. He’s looking to either own us or destroy us. And that means all of us.”
The room goes still as Andre’s words hang in the air between us. Even Carlos stops drumming his fingers against the table.
Cillian has been playing the long game and if we wait too long, he’s going to take everything from us.
Bruno sits forward, twining his fingers together as a deep crease forms between his eyebrows.
“Say we do this, say we help you take Cillian out.” His eyes focus on the table as he thinks this all through. “What’s to stop you from turning on us once it’s over?”
His eyes flick up to meet mine.
“Because I give you my word.”
Bruno snorts. “Your word?”
I nod once. “It means something. Whether you believe that or not, it’s all I have to offer besides blood and territory. My brother and I aren’t here to play games, and we’re sure as hell not looking to double-cross anyone. I want Cillian gone, for good.”
Bruno looks at Carlos, and a silent exchange passes between them. A subtle shift in expression followed by a nod of the head has me starting to hope.
Carlos and Bruno both get to their feet. “All right. We’re in. But if you screw us?—”
“You’ll kill us.” I rise to my feet as well. “Understood.”
Andre dips his chin at the brothers before we turn to leave. “We’ll be in touch soon,”
As we step outside into the cool night, the warehouse doors groaning closed behind us, I exhale slowly.
The adrenaline is still pumping through my veins as I look up at the darkening sky, the looming threat of what’s to come casting a shadow over us.
I might have got the Costa brothers on our side, but this is only the beginning.
Andre drives us back to Westchester. “We’re playing with fire now.”
“We always were.”
He glances at me, but I keep my eyes forward on the road ahead, lost in thought.
If Cillian thinks, even for a second, that I’ve double crossed him, it’s all over. I can kiss goodbye to any future with Clara and Zoe, and the thought has bile burning my throat.
“We need to make sure the girls don’t leave the estate until this is done.” Andre’s mind must no doubt be plagued by the same dark thoughts as mine.
I nod. “If Cillian gets even a whiff of what we’re planning?—”
“There’s no telling what he’ll do.”
We might have played this well so far, but Cillian’s the kind of guy who keeps backup plans for his backup plans. He doesn’t blink before ordering bloodshed, and we need to make sure we’re always three steps ahead.
Andre frowns. “With the Costa brothers on our side, we can take out Cillian quickly. But I still want us to be prepared for all outcomes.”
I groan as we pull up to the estate. “Fuck. This isn’t going to be an easy conversation.”
Rosa is not going to like this, especially after what happened at the cabin, but I don’t think Andre and I have any other options.
As we stand in the foyer, the happy laughter of the girls filters through from the kitchen.
I hate having to be the one to cloud their lives in darkness, but I have no other options.
My stomach clenches, but Andre places a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
“We need to do this.”
I take a last deep breath before calling out to the girls to join us.
One by one, they appear looking curious as they find Andre and me standing like a pair of statues by the front door.
Rosa looks exhausted after her homecoming last night, with traces of glitter still lingering on her eyelids, but she hasn’t stopped grinning since.
Clara holds Zoe on her hip, and Lila is doing the same with Holly, though she rests her free hand protectively over her still inexistent bump.
My entire world stands before me, and if I don’t get this right, Cillian could wipe them all out in one go.
I do my best to keep my expression neutral, but from the way Clara narrows her eyes at me, I know she can see straight through my facade.
I take a deep breath and try my best to keep my voice even so as not to panic the girls. “Until further notice, none of you are to leave the house. Not for school. Not for coffee. Not even for groceries.”
Rosa’s eyes narrow, and she folds her arms over her chest. “What the hell?”
Andre steps forward. “There’s a threat. And it’s serious. We’re not taking any risks.”
She pouts. “For how long?”
“For however long I say. But at least for the next week or so.”
Rosa’s mouth drops open, and I brace myself for an explosion.
“But school, my graduation ! You can’t just?—”
“You think we want to do this?” My tone is harsher than I intended, but I don’t have time to pander to my little sister.
The clock is ticking and each second I stand here fighting her, the less time I have to come up with a plan to take down Cillian.
“Do you think I like being the guy that has to ruin your plans? Believe me, Rosa, I don’t. But I’d rather you hate me than end up dead because someone wanted to use you to get to me.”
Rosa throws her hands up in the air, looking on the verge of tears. She storms toward the stairs. “It’s always life and death. Always .”
I start to call after her, but Clara reaches for my hand. “Don’t. Let her go.”
“She needs to understand?—”
Clara squeezes my hand to try and calm me down. “She does understand. But she’s seventeen, Marco. She’s allowed to be upset. She’ll follow your rules, but let her be mad about it for a little while.”
I exhale, dragging a hand through my hair as I watch Rosa disappear upstairs.
Clara’s right. She always is when it comes to emotional stuff. But it sure as hell would make things easier if Rosa didn’t fight me on every single thing.
Andre moves to Lila’s side, kissing her on the temple. “Honestly, that went better than I thought it would.”
Lila hands Holly over to him. “How long is this for?”
“The next forty-eight hours are going to be crucial. But we’re doing everything we can to limit the fall out.”
Lila’s face pales as she leans into Andre for reassurance. “Okay.”
I look down at Clara and frown when I notice the faint circles under her eyes.
I reach out to stroke my thumb over her cheek. “Are you still feeling off?”
Clara shifts Zoe to her other hip. “A little.”
“Did you not sleep well?”
I was up most of the night, my thoughts too loud to shut off, but Clara slept peacefully in my arms until the sun came up. Though from the looks of it, she’s far from well rested.
“I just feel…drained.” She leans her head against my chest, closing her eyes.
“Are you sure it’s nothing?” I stroke her hair.
“Pretty sure. I probably just need another good night’s sleep, and I’ll feel much better.”
Something about her tone doesn’t convince me.
I nod slowly, though the tightness in my chest doesn’t ease.
I’ve learned by now to trust my instincts, and something deep down doesn’t feel right about this.