Chapter 36 Secrecy
Secrecy
Papa wants me to get involved in his businesses. I still have so much to learn. —Yours, Enzo
Izzy
We’ve been in England for a week when Enzo finally says it’s time to head back to New York.
He thinks it’s too dangerous for us to head back to the apartment—I’m inclined to agree.
We’re heading to Massimo’s compound, a sprawling estate on Staten Island that’s heavily guarded and virtually impenetrable.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us, Mamma?” There’s an almost pleading tone to Enzo’s question.
Giuliana shakes her head, smile lines forming around her lips. “No, tesoro mio. I’m going home.”
Enzo frowns. “It’s not—”
“I won’t go to the house. I’ll stay with a friend until things settle, Sì?20 You’ll tell me when it’s safe?”
They say goodbye, Enzo’s mamma taking a separate jet back to Italy while we head to New York. The journey is tense, neither of us really speaking while we consider what’s going to happen next.
The plane touches down on the tarmac, and the moment we stop, we’re ushered into a waiting vehicle. Rafael sits behind the wheel.
“Welcome back,” he says, shifting into gear.
My heart lodges in my throat for the entire drive, only settling once we pass through the gates.
A shaky breath escapes me as Enzo slips his hand into mine while I step out of the car.
The front door opens, and Massimo appears, his focus locked on Enzo. His gaze flicks briefly to me.
“Isolde. It’s good to see you.” Then, turning back to Enzo: “Come on. We have a lot to discuss.”
Nausea twists in my gut as we follow him into his office. The door shuts behind us with a heavy thud.
My brows furrow when I spot a man standing in the corner, blond hair hanging messily over his forehead and a playful smile on his face.
“Isolde, it’s good to finally meet you.”
My eyes widen.
My feet carry me forward on instinct, sending me crashing hard into him as he wraps his arms around me.
“Cam!”
He pulls back, hands shooting up into a placating gesture. I turn, finding Enzo shooting daggers from across the room. His lips are pressed into a firm line; arms crossed in front of him.
I roll my eyes, bouncing over to him and dragging him over to Cam. “Cam this is Enzo, Enzo this is Cam. He’s my handler.”
Cam sticks his hand out. Enzo stares at it for a beat before shaking it. His grip looks a little too tight; the thought solidified when Cam winces.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as we settle into seats opposite Massimo’s desk.
Cam and Massimo share a look, one that has my heart racing.
“Phoenix,” Massimo starts, and confusion churns in my gut. “It was set up by me.”
Enzo tenses beside me.
My mouth opens and closes. “I… What? Um… I don’t?”
Cam sighs. “I wanted to tell you, knowing your history with the Russo’s. But Max swore me to secrecy.”
I twist my neck toward Enzo who’s sitting stock still. “Did you know?”
He slowly shakes his head, eyes not leaving his papa’s.
“Why wouldn’t you tell me?” I ask, turning back to Massimo.
“The organization works because of the secrecy. No one knows who works for us, even those that are part of it. It keeps me, you, everyone safe. I really expected you to slip up and tell Lorenzo when you turned up. But you didn’t.
Your papa would be incredibly proud of all you’ve achieved with us, Isolde. ”
I swallow hard, grief causing tears to burn behind my eyes.
“We set up Phoenix together, you know.”
I shake my head. “You knew my papa?”
Massimo nods, his eyes filled with quiet understanding. “Yes, we grew up together. Alessio, Salvatore, and me—best friends.”
Enzo chimes in for the first time since the conversation began. “How did I not know any of this?”
“Like I said, the secrecy is what keeps this group running. I would have told you before you took over as boss.”
“Why are you telling us now?” I ask.
Cam leans forward, placing a soothing hand over mine. “Because you deserve to know. And with Lucas still out there, we want you as informed as possible.”
Bile threatens to rise. "Speaking of Lucas," I start, waiting for everyone's attention. "I found out how he knew who I was."
Massimo motions for me to continue.
"He saw me at the event in Prague."
Cam cuts in. "Jakob Novak?"
"That's the one." Jakob was an awful man. Taking him down was huge for us. "He's been following me for years. I don't think he actually knows much about Phoenix—given how little any of us operatives know—but he always planned to take me out. He married me to get Papa's fortune."
Massimo shakes his head. "We should have realized. I should have known before putting you on this assignment. I'm sorry."
I wave him off. "He was good. Too good. This isn't on you."
There's a brief pause as we all swallow the weight of my words.
“What else do I need to know?” I ask when the quiet becomes too much.
“There’s an auction happening next weekend,” Massimo tells us.
“An auc—oh.” I swallow hard. “What’s the plan?”
“We infiltrate, gather information, but don’t engage.”
“Why not go in guns blazing?” Enzo asks.
Massimo shakes his head. “It’s not safe. There are over thirty girls on sale for this auction. We can’t let any get hurt. Not more than they already are.”
“So, we’re just going to let them get sold?” Enzo scoffs.
“No. We have a plan for getting them out after. We’re planting a lot of operatives on this. This is the moment to take them down.”
“You’ve been planning this for a while.”
He nods at Enzo and then swings his gaze back to me. “Your ties to Lucas were just one part of the operation. I’m sorry about how that turned out, truly, Isolde.”
“Not your fault,” I whisper as Enzo picks up my hand and rubs his thumb over my wrist.
Enzo exhales. “I need to tell Gio.”
All eyes snap to him. Massimo growls, “You can’t.”
“His sister’s best friend was taken. He deserves a chance to save her.”
Fuck.
The unspoken hangs between us.
If she’s even still alive.