Property
Chapter 19
Property
Amara Queen hated being interrupted.
This wasn't new.
It wasn't surprising.
It wasn't even particularly unique.
Most surgeons disliked interruptions.
The difference was that most surgeons didn't spend the next forty minutes imagining increasingly creative ways to inconvenience the person responsible.
Professionally, of course.
?
The captain who interrupted the balcony moment walked three steps ahead of them.
?
Nervously.
?
Very nervously.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
Lorenzo noticed.
Of course he did.
?
The man looked like he was actively questioning his life choices.
?
Reasonable.
Very reasonable.
?
They entered a private conference room on the top floor of the hotel.
?
Several Vitale soldiers waited inside.
?
Maps covered the table.
Photographs were scattered everywhere.
Documents.
Shipping manifests.
Financial records.
?
The usual.
?
Business.
?
War.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
The moment Lorenzo entered, the room transformed.
?
Every conversation stopped.
Immediately.
?
Respect.
Authority.
Power.
?
The realization fascinated Amara every time.
?
Because nobody had voted for him.
Nobody had appointed him.
Nobody had elected him.
?
Yet somehow...
Everyone listened.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
The captain cleared his throat.
?
"We found Romano's shipment."
?
Lorenzo sat.
?
Calmly.
?
Dangerously.
?
"Where?"
?
The answer came immediately.
?
"A warehouse near the docks."
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
Amara drifted toward the table.
?
Mostly because nobody had stopped her.
?
A dangerous oversight.
?
The photographs showed crates.
Shipping containers.
Inventory lists.
?
Weapons.
?
Lots of weapons.
?
The realization was disappointing.
?
She'd hoped for something more creative.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
One of the captains pointed toward a photograph.
?
"Romano's moving inventory south."
?
Lorenzo studied the image.
?
Thoughtfully.
?
Quietly.
?
Then:
?
"Why?"
?
Silence.
?
The room froze.
?
Because apparently nobody had considered that question.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
Amara sighed.
Immediately.
?
The universal sound of secondhand embarrassment.
?
Several men looked offended.
?
Reasonably offended.
?
"What?"
One captain asked.
?
Amara pointed toward a document.
?
Then another.
?
Then another.
?
"The timing."
?
Silence.
?
Nobody understood.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
Amara continued.
?
"His health is deteriorating."
?
A pause.
?
"His shipments are moving."
?
Another.
?
"His finances are changing."
?
Another.
?
"He's preparing for succession."
?
Silence.
Absolute silence.
?
The room stopped functioning.
?
Immediately.
?
One captain blinked.
?
Then blinked again.
?
"What?"
?
The surgeon looked unimpressed.
?
Naturally.
?
"He's dying."
?
Silence.
?
The words landed like a grenade.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
Lorenzo stared at her.
?
Then at the documents.
?
Then back at her.
?
Because somehow...
The explanation made sense.
?
A dangerous amount of sense.
?
The realization settled across the room.
?
Slowly.
?
Heavily.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
One of the older capos rubbed his chin.
?
Thoughtfully.
?
"If Romano dies..."
?
Silence.
?
Everyone understood.
?
A succession crisis.
?
Infighting.
?
Weakness.
?
Opportunity.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
Lorenzo's gaze shifted toward Amara.
?
The woman looked entirely too pleased with herself.
?
A concerning development.
?
A very concerning development.
?
The meeting continued for another hour.
?
Strategies formed.
Plans developed.
People argued.
?
The usual.
?
Eventually the room emptied.
?
One by one.
?
Until only Lorenzo and Amara remained.
?
Silence.
?
Not awkward.
?
Not uncomfortable.
?
Just...
Easy.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
Lorenzo loosened his tie.
?
Immediately.
?
The movement caught her attention.
?
Unfortunately.
?
The betrayal.
The attractive-man betrayal.
Undefeated.
?
Amara looked away.
Immediately.
?
A tactical retreat.
?
Nothing more.
?
Absolutely nothing more.
?
"You were right."
?
Silence.
?
She looked back.
?
Lorenzo sat across from her.
?
Watching.
?
Studying.
?
The way he always did.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
"About what?"
?
"Romano."
?
A pause.
?
"About everything."
?
Silence.
?
The compliment settled between them.
?
Warm.
?
Unexpected.
?
Dangerous.
?
Amara shrugged.
?
Professionally.
?
Maturely.
?
The way adults pretended compliments didn't affect them.
?
Unfortunately...
They both knew better.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
Lorenzo smiled.
?
Slowly.
?
Warmly.
?
The dangerous smile.
?
The one reserved for her.
?
A realization she was trying very hard not to examine.
?
Very hard.
?
Then Lorenzo ruined everything.
?
Again.
?
Naturally.
?
"Marcus called the clinic."
?
Silence.
Immediate silence.
?
Amara froze.
?
Immediately.
?
The betrayal.
The ex-boyfriend betrayal.
Undefeated.
?
"He what?"
?
Lorenzo looked entirely too calm.
?
Entirely too comfortable.
?
Entirely too amused.
?
"He called."
?
A pause.
?
"Twice."
?
Silence.
Absolute silence.
?
Amara stared.
?
Then stared harder.
?
Because somehow...
Marcus continued finding new ways to disappoint her.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
"What did he want?"
?
Lorenzo smiled.
?
Dangerously.
?
"You."
?
Silence.
?
The room temperature dropped.
?
Immediately.
?
Not because of Lorenzo.
?
Because of Amara.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
The surgeon adjusted her glasses.
?
The movement was small.
?
Precise.
?
Dangerous.
?
Lorenzo noticed.
Of course he did.
?
The mafia don leaned back.
?
Comfortable.
?
Relaxed.
?
Predatory.
?
"I had him blocked."
?
Silence.
?
Amara blinked.
?
Once.
?
Slowly.
?
"You what?"
?
The smile widened.
?
Immediately.
?
The traitor.
The complete traitor.
?
"He was annoying you."
?
Silence.
Absolute silence.
?
The audacity.
?
The complete audacity.
?
Amara should've been offended.
?
Probably.
?
Possibly.
?
Maybe.
?
Instead...
The corner of her mouth twitched.
?
Just slightly.
?
The smallest smile imaginable.
?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
?
Lorenzo noticed.
?
Of course he did.
?
The smile became a grin.
?
Victory.
?
The worst kind of victory.
?
And suddenly Amara realized something.
?
A dangerous realization.
?
A very dangerous realization.
?
Lorenzo Vitale was starting to feel less like a business partner.
Less like an ally.
Less like a mafia don.
?
And far more like something she wasn't ready to name.
?
Which was unfortunate.
?
Because judging by the look in his eyes...
?
He'd already named it.
End Chapter 19