Chapter 19 Marco
MARCO
I can't sleep. Beside me, Gabriella breathes softly, her dark hair spilling across my pillow like she belongs there.
That's the problem.
She fits too well in my life, in my bed, in places I never wanted anyone to occupy.
It’s my own fault.
I’m the one who invited her into my room, into my bed. I don’t know what I was thinking.
Maybe that’s the problem.
I wasn’t thinking.
I was wanting. Needing.
It's been three days since the ambush.
Three days of planning how to handle Blackwood.
Three nights of Gabriella in my bed.
Three mornings waking up wondering how much longer before this all falls apart.
Last year at this time, I was falling for her without admitting it to myself.
Now I'm doing the same damn thing all over again.
Actually, I’m doing more. Reaching for her more.
Wanting to do things for her more.
And I’m doing it knowing that it will break me when it ends.
I slip from bed, shower, and dress, preparing for the big meeting. Today, La Corona meets and Antonio and I reveal all.
I pour myself another cup of coffee as the first of the cars pull up outside.
I’m not looking forward to this meeting.
Dom especially will be pissed at how much Antonio and I have kept from La Corona.
Gabriella appears, looking stunning as always. “I’d like to be a part of the meeting.”
“The part about Blackwood and your father. After that, you’ll need to leave.”
I expect her to balk, but she doesn’t. Instead, she gets a cup of coffee.
"Remember, let me lead,” I say, needing to keep control of the situation, including her.
She rolls her eyes. "I know how to behave in a room full of Mafia Dons."
I almost smile. Almost.
I greet Dom and Leo outside my conference room.
Dominic raises an eyebrow, his gaze shifting between Gabriella and me. "Déjà vu. Didn’t we just have a meeting in which Ms. Monti was demanding entrance?"
Gabriella stiffens beside me.
“We did,” I say evenly. "This meeting concerns her directly, so she'll join us for the first part."
Dominic doesn’t look happy about it. Leo frowns but doesn’t give his two cents.
When Antonio arrives, we all take a seat in the conference room.
We have so much to cover. Blackwood. The ambush. The traitor in our midst.
Antonio looks tired today. His gaze finds mine, and I give him a slight nod of reassurance.
“So, what’s going on that we need to meet so close to Christmas?” Leo asks.
I clear my throat. “There’s much going on. We’ll start with Antonio who has some news to share.”
Next to Antonio, Gabriella starts to put her hand on his arm but then resists.
I’m glad she seems to recognize that comforting him now could make him look weak.
"I've been experiencing some… difficulties," Antonio begins. "Memory lapses. Confusion. The doctors believe it's early-stage dementia."
The room falls silent. I scan their faces, gauging reactions. Leo looks genuinely concerned, his brow furrowed.
Dominic's jaw tightens. "How long?"
"About a year," Antonio admits.
Dom's eyes snap to mine. "And you've known?"
I meet his gaze without flinching. "Yes."
"A fucking year." Dom stands abruptly. "So while we've been having meetings, making decisions that affect all our families, you two have been keeping secrets."
"It was my choice," Antonio interjects. "My pride—"
"Your pride could have put us all at risk," Dom snaps. "And you." He turns to me. "You should have come to us."
I like Dom. A lot. But he can be a little too quick to anger.
“The world doesn’t revolve around you, Dom.”
“What the fuck—”
“I was respecting Antonio's wishes while helping protect his interests. The same as either of you would do."
Dom laughs bitterly. "No, what you were doing was playing both sides. Getting your hands on Monti business, making yourself indispensable. Maybe we should have let Gabriella join the meeting last time. Wasn’t this what she was accusing you of?"
Gabriella opens her mouth to speak, but I shake my head to stop her. “That’s exactly what someone wants you all to think. Gabriella knows better now.”
Dom snorts. “Right. Are you hearing this bullshit, Leo?”
Leo has been around long enough to know the world operates in shades of gray, not black and white. “I’m listening and need to know more.”
Antonio holds up a hand to stop me from speaking. “I asked Marco to keep my secret as well as to help me. If you have a problem with that, take it up with me.”
Dom sniffs, looking pissed but smart enough not to disrespect Antonio, his elder. “Where’s Luca? Shouldn’t he be here if Don Monti’s health is going?”
“Luca is being dealt with,” Antonio says. “Right now, we have other, more pressing, issues.”
“More pressing than your mind is failing and Marco is positioned to take over for you?” Dom sneers.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake.” Gabriella rolls her eyes and shakes her head. Secretly, I like it. Dom needs to be put in his place. But outwardly, I can’t allow it.
“Ms. Monti.”
She glares at me.
“But she’s right, Dom. I understand you feel like we’ve withheld important information, but that’s why we’re here today.
As you know, we’ve long thought La Corona has been targeted.
Don Monti’s business has been the focus of attacks, attacks that have been escalating.
” I pass around photographs from the warehouse ambush.
"What started as small disruptions—shipment delays, inventory discrepancies—has graduated to coordinated violence. "
Roman nods, picking up where I leave off. "The ambush was military-grade. Eight men with tactical training and equipment. They knew exactly when we'd be there and what our security protocols were."
The photos make their way around the table. Leo studies them with a careful eye.
"Two of my men died," I continue. "This wasn’t about product or territory. This was a hit designed to take me out. Whoever it is knew I’d respond, knew I’m helping Antonio. Maybe they don’t like it.”
Dom’s eyes narrow. “You’re not suggesting that Leo or I was behind this?”
“No. But I wouldn’t be surprised if whoever is behind all this would like me to think that. Just like they want me to think Antonio was behind it. Just like they wanted Ms. Monti to believe I was after Antonio’s business. Just like they wanted Isabella to believe I’d ordered her mother’s hit.”
Dominic examines the photo again. "Someone has inside information."
"Precisely. Someone who knows our movements, our businesses, our vulnerabilities. We’ve suspected this all along, but whoever they are, they’ve upped the ante."
Leo’s eyes narrow. “You think one person is orchestrating all this?”
“There has to be a ringleader,” Roman chimes in. “But we believe there’s help.”
“Who are these fuckers?” Dom asks, pointing to the dead assassins in the photo.
“Don’t know. I’ve got Falcone on it, but they were military trained. I lost two men.”
“And this is related to that business with Salvatore last year?” Leo asks.
“We believe so, but we’re uncertain how or who. We have several theories. We know there is someone inside La Corona. Someone who knows about Antonio’s condition and is exploiting it. We also believe they’re using or working with the FBI.”
“Mother fucker.” Dom shakes his head. I don’t blame him, as he’s had his own issues with FBI investigations. “Are they still trying to talk to Isabella?”
“No,” Roman says from where he stands near the door.
“They’ve reached out to Ms. Monti,” I say.
All eyes turn to Gabriella, who lifts her chin, even though she must feel uncomfortable to have four Dons watching her.
“But we’re now in a position to turn the tables.” I bring their attention back to me.
“I’m not sure I’m going to like hearing this.” Dom crosses his arms over his chest.
“Blackwood approached me directly.” Gabriella speaks with confidence, not at all intimated by the powerful men in this room. “He knows about my father's condition and about Don Calabresi’s involvement in our business.”
“Hence why you believe someone on the inside is sharing information,” Dom states.
“Yes.” Gabriella nods.
“Blackwood’s endgame would be to arrest us, not ambush us.” Dom pushes the photos back toward me.
“I believe our traitor is working multiple plans that all end in La Corona’s destruction, either through prosecution or infighting. Or perhaps he thinks the infighting will weaken La Corona and make it easier for Blackwood.”
“Or he seeks power. Salvatore wanted to end La Corona and take over all the businesses,” Roman minds us. “It’s likely Sal was working with whoever is still manipulating things behind the scenes.”
“So why involve the agent at all?” Leo asks. “They can’t take over a business if the government—”
“Our businesses don’t necessarily end because one of us is in jail,” I say. “My belief is that the FBI is just a tool for our traitor.”
“So who is this fucker?” Dom looks over toward Roman. “I know you purged the business of anyone working with Sal.”
“But I haven’t purged your business. Or Don Monti’s, or Don Ferraza’s.”
“Considering the troubles I’ve been having, it’s possible the culprit is in my business.” Antonio holds his head up high, but I can see that was a difficult admission.
“Our traitor is a master of manipulation and misdirection.” I look at Dom and Leo in turn. “We can’t be sure whose business he’s in or how many of them there are. But we believe Blackwood can help.” I nod to Gabriella.
Dom shakes his head. “The FBI, help us?” He scoffs.
“Agent Blackwood calls me regularly indicating that he can protect me and my family if I help him with his case against Don Calabresi.”
I lean forward. "We have an opportunity here. Blackwood wants Gabriella to feed him information about the Calabresi family. We can use that, give him something that will expose whoever's working with him."
“What’s your plan?” Dom asks.
“I meet with Agent Blackwood and feed him bogus intel and then we see who acts on it.” Gabriella meets each Don’s gaze, showing she has the strength to pull this off.