Page 16 of Wanton

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," he growls. "You've both lost your minds."

"Watch your mouth, little brother," Rafe snaps. "We're trying to prevent a war."

"Holding the man's daughter hostage is a real great way to accomplish that," Gabe retorts. "As soon as she's free, he'll hit us with everything he has."

"Not if she's carrying Luca's kid."

"Assuming she doesn't dip out before that happens," Gabe says. "Assuming everything goes according to your idiotic plan. Assuming an awful fucking lot."

"He won't strike while she's with Luca," Rafe explains calmly. "He won't risk her."

Huh. So he didn't recruit Gabe to bust my balls. He's arguing my case.

"Cazzo Madre di Dio!" Gabe growls, throwing his hands up. "You're both insane."

"They do what they have to do," Mattia says. "You know they do, Gabriel."

Gabriel grunts. "Fine. Then we do what we have to fucking do. And if it makes us no better than Tommaso Genovese, so be it. At least she isn't chained to the bed, right?" he snaps, his jaw clenched tight.

"You untied her?" Rafe asks.

"Always planned on it," I mutter. "Can you stall on the sit-down?"

"How long do you need?"

"How long can you get me?"

"Not long," he mutters. "Given everything that just went down, I can hold him off for a couple of days until cooler heads prevail, but that's it."

"Do it." I hesitate. "I'll get her on the phone with him to help hold him off."

"You sure that's wise?"

"Fuck no," I say, laughing without humor. "But I'll figure it out."

Rafe nods. "Figure it out then. We need to get this shit under control sooner rather than later. Tommaso was found early this morning. But they know who took him out. They know why we left a pile of bodies on Emilio's doorstep too. They also know thebastardohad it coming, but Emilio can't be seen as weak if he wants to secure the votes to take Tommaso's place. He either needs to hit back or secure his throne another way."

"An alliance will secure it," I murmur.

Rafe nods his agreement.

Gabe snorts.

"They don't have the numbers to survive a war," Rafe reminds him. "Tommaso was picking off his own people for weeks, and we took out four of his captains and half a dozen of his enforcers last night. We also took out Battista. If Callandria is tied to Luca, Emilio secures the future of the Genovese family. They won't like it, but it's their best choice."

"Cristo," Gabe mutters. "It's a hell of a way to secure his place."

He's not wrong. It's ruthless and brutal, little more than a hostile takeover. To secure his place, Emilio Genovese ties himself to the family that murdered his father and nearly destroyed his family. But his family survives. They rebuild. And they do it with Valentino money. It's better than thefiglio di puttanadeserves.

More importantly, it sends a message to anyone else who thinks to try what Tommaso did. Push us, and you'll know what it is to feel the weight of our boots on your neck. It's not a message we intend to have to send more than once. It has to be brutal. It's the only way the lesson sticks.

"Fine," Gabe sighs, giving in to the inevitable. "Do what you have to do."

Chapter Five

Callandria

BythetimeIcry myself out, my head throbs faintly. I curl up on the bed and sleep for a while, only to dream of war. The streets run red with blood, and I walk across a pile of bones on my way…somewhere. I don't know where I'm going or who I'm looking for, but I can't find them.