"What happened?"
"Just get up here."
The line goes dead.
Elena's watching me with concern in her eyes. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know. Vito wants me upstairs." I stand but hesitate. Leaving her alone still feels wrong even though she's been doing better. "You going to be okay?"
"I'll be fine. Go." She waves me off. "I'll probably just water the plants and take a nap anyway."
"Call me if you need anything."
"I will. Now go before Vito sends someone down to drag you up there."
I kiss her forehead—she lets me, tilting her face up slightly—and head for the door. The elevator ride up to Vito's penthouse feels too slow. My mind runs through possibilities. Another attack? Intel on the Costellos? Something with Ronan or Elio?
Rina answers the door before I can knock. "He's in his office. Dante and Rafa are already here."
I find Vito behind his desk with Dante and Rafa flanking him. The tension in the room is thick enough to choke on.
"What happened?" I ask without preamble.
"Sit." Vito gestures to the chair across from him.
I remain standing. "Just tell me."
"We're ready." He leans back in his chair. "The full-scale offensive against the Costellos. Rafa's identified every major location. We've got eyes on their leadership. Our soldiers are in position."
This is what we've been building toward for the past week. Dismantling the Irish operation piece by piece. Making them pay for what they did to Elena.
"When do we move?" I ask.
"That's what we need to discuss." Vito exchanges a look with Rafa. "Because we just received a complication."
Rafa turns his laptop to face me. On the screen is a message. Simple. Direct.
I'm alive. And I want to make a deal. - Liam
My blood runs cold. "Liam Costello?"
"The one and only." Vito's voice is grim.
"How do we know it's really him?" I demand. "Could be someone using his name."
"It's him." Rafa pulls up another file. "The message came with verification. Details only Liam would know. Plus photo confirmation with today's newspaper."
He clicks through several images. There's Liam—older, harder, but unmistakably alive. Holding up today'sNew York Timeswith the date clearly visible.
"Son of a bitch," Dante mutters.
"He says he wants to negotiate," Vito continues. "Claims he's been in hiding. That he had nothing to do with Elena's kidnapping or the threats against Rina."
"And you believe him?" The question comes out sharp.
"I believe he's smart enough to know we're about to wipe out what's left of his family's organization. That we have Ronan in custody. That we're coming for blood." Vito stands and walks to the window overlooking the city. "A deal might be his only way to survive."
"Or it's a trap."
