Leo's seen more than his fair share of violence, and his opinion holds a lot of weight in this matter, being a Bernardi himself—once upon a time. "Maybe there's a more…definitive solution," he says. "One that would put an end to all this."
He wants to kill AJ.
Jack shifts uneasily beside me, clearly unsettled by Leo's proposal, but Sandro doesn't seem surprised by the idea; if anything, it's as if he's heard it many times before.
"That is always an option to consider," Sandro says at last. "But Iwillkeep the peace of the parley, Leo. We have talked before about your vengeance, and you will have it—but not here. Not at Redwood, and certainly not while your brother has the sanctity of guest status protecting him."
Leo's mouth twitches, but he says nothing, and I think again about what Darian said earlier today. Do Leo and Julian already have some plan in place?
And I'm kind of relieved Sandro is so set on keeping the peace. We'd be staining the honor of the Castellani Family if anything happened to one of the Bernardi brothers during these talks.
"The problem, DeLuca," Sandro goes on, "is that releasing the factions before they reach an agreement could spark a war in the streets that results in many more deaths. I need to tread carefully." He adds, "But I will consider your advice. As for Russo…" A rueful smile twists Sandro's face. "I never thought I would regret filling in those cells under Redwood. But it is done. Find Russo and confine him once again to his room. Two of your own guards at all times. AJ Bernardi is not to have the key and must request access to his Consigliere if he needs it. Russo will not leave that room, but he will also not be murdered here, you understand? Even if I have to protect the bastard myself."
"And if AJ refuses to cooperate?" Leo asks.
"Oh, he'll cooperate," I say, and it earns me a faint smile from the Lion.
Sandro seems to approve also, giving a slow nod. "I will speak with AJ again, but DeLuca has the situation in hand. Chops Lollo will need reprimanding, too, though he did not swear the parley oath, and seems to have just been doing his job." I nod in agreement at that. "And I will also speak with Nero myself," Sandro finishes.
"Andrettiwasuseful," I say grudgingly.
"Yes," Sandro says. "He does like to make himself seem useful."
It's about as good as I could have hoped for, but I still worry about Sandro's decisions and their implications. Russo has already been bagged and returned to his room, and I've given a couple of guards the first watch. I stomp around the house during the late afternoon, making sure I'm seen. My presence—and intimidating stare—deters several confrontations between the Bernardi factions, but despite my efforts, emotions are running high.
In the early evening, when I'm coming out of the security room, I hear another brawl erupting in the foyer where Gino and AJ have unfortunately come face-to-face. I'm about to run down the stairs and personally intervene when Leo Bernardi looms out of nowhere, his glare enough to settle the two of them.
"Get the fuck outta here," he snaps at them both, and they bolt—but not before AJ gives Leo a sneer.
I see the Lion's hands clenching and unclenching, over and over, as he watches his oldest brother walking away, and I wonder just how much time on the clock AJ really has left.
"Exciting, isn't it?" says a voice next to me. I jump, turning to see Julian Castellani hanging over the stair rails, watching the show below. "I wonder who'll die next."
Finally, after we get through dinner, and after checking that Russo is a) still alive and b) still under heavy guard, I retreat to Darian's room, desperate to see him again, make sure he's alright. I've had someone with him every second, checked in with them every hour, but I want to see for myself that he's okay.
And the moment I reach his door, the turmoil and tension seem to dissipate, replaced by a sense of comfort and peace. Being with Darian feels like a safe haven. A sanctuary.
Darian's already there, and he opens the locked door for me when I knock, smiling as I enter, pointing to a neatly folded stack of clothes and my suit pants, hanging up. "I ironed them myself."
I pull him into a hug and breathe him in. But as I look over his shoulder at the shirt, I'm reminded of something. During my interrogation with Sandro, I'd told him the argument between Darian and Clemenza was about breakfast. Sandro had countered that Darian toldhimit was about a stained shirt.
I'd covered up pretty quick, shrugging it off, but I'd meant to get it clear with Darian at a later date. We need to have the same story, after all. But we never did talk through that whole thing.
I pull away a little and look down into his face. "You didn't need to go to so much trouble," I tell him with a smile.
Darian smiles back. "It's my job to see to your needs."
"Is it?" I ask. "I don't pay you to do my laundry, D."
"It's my duty as butler," he protests weakly. But his eyes drop to my mouth, cheeks flushing pink.
"Is it?" I repeat, leaning down to brush my lips over his. He sucks in a sharp breath, trembling against me. "Because I have some other needs you could attend to, if you're still in the mood." A soft moan escapes him as I deepen the kiss.
But I pull back as that memory tugs at the edge of my mind again. "I've been meaning to ask—what was the deal with that argument between you and Clemenza? You told Sandro it was about a shirt? I thought you said he was mad about breakfast."
Darian hesitates for a brief moment before responding. "Mr. Clemenza was angry about the breakfast already, and then there was an accident—I spilled a drink and caught the cuff of one of Mr. Clemenza's shirts. He got upset because I couldn't take the time to get the stain out for him immediately."
I can't imagine Darian ever spilling something on a guest. "Must've been some stain if it got him that worked up."
