Once Enzo was gone, my brother dropped onto his desk chair with a sigh. “You’re angry, I get that. You have every right to be.”
“Why do I feel like there’s a but coming?” I hedged.
Not one to disappoint, he said, “But you have to consider that Dario had a hand in raising us. He knows all our weaknesses and how to play them to achieve maximum impact. It’s never been a secret that you value loyalty above all else. What better way to tear us apart from within than to imply he’s been working hand-in-hand with your estranged wife in his quest to unseat you in front of all your men?”
I arched an eyebrow. “You think he was lying?”
Matteo lifted one shoulder. “I’m saying it’s a possibility, yes. And until you actually sit down and talk to Rory, let her explain her side of things, you’ll never know for sure.”
Dragging a hand down my face, I groaned. “This whole thing is a fucking mess.”
“War isn’t known for being neat and tidy.”
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would come down to this.”
He pulled in a deep breath. “Count yourself lucky that you’re alive to see it at all. If it weren’t for his countless failed attempts, both of us would already be dead.”
A heavy silence descended upon us at the reminder that while we remained standing, far too many others had been cut down in the prime of their lives because of Dario’s overthrow campaign. Most notable among them, Matteo’s first wife, Allegra.
“Has there been any progress in uncovering the documents that would prove Nico’s legitimacy as Dario’s heir?” I asked, returning my focus to the threat to our family.
My brother nodded, leaning forward to type on his keyboard before turning the monitor in my direction. “Nico did a hell of a job burying this, making it damn near impossible to find after we eliminated his entire team, but here you can see the Italian marriage certificate between Dario and a Stefania Manzo, six months before Nico and Arianna Manzo were born, with Dario listed as the father on the birth certificate.”
“Fuck. All those trips back to Verona when we were growing up. He was going to see them.” Then something clicked, and I saw red. “Nico came to us two months before Rory disappeared. You can’t tell me that’s a coincidence.”
Matteo grimaced, his case for my wife’s innocence taking a major hit. “I’ll admit, it’s unlikely. Especially when he’s the one who pulled the security feeds at Enzo’s request.”
I shoved to my feet, molten hot rage coursing through my veins. “I swear to God, as soon as she gives birth—”
My words were cut off by a loud bang, and I spun around to find the door swinging on its hinges, having recently cracked against the wall with the force with which it had been opened. At the open threshold stood Enzo, his cell phone poised inches from his ear, his expression grim.
I knew that look. He was about to tell us someone was dead.
Unfortunately, until we took down Dario and put an end to this internal war, news of casualties among our men was going to become a common occurrence. But our priority had to remain on putting that bastard in the ground, so there wouldn’t be timeto mourn the losses. For now, all we could do was ensure their families were well taken care of and then soldier on.
“Who?” I asked wearily, exhausted just thinking about how many lives my uncle would cost us.
Enzo’s hazel eyes darted between Matteo and me. “It’s the girls.”
With my heart in my throat, I turned to find my brother had gone as white as a sheet, gripping the edge of his desk like that was the only thing keeping him upright. When he opened his mouth to speak, only a strangled noise came out. He’d already been through the hell of losing a wife; if one of his little girls had been taken to Heaven too soon, I wasn’t sure he would survive it.
Taking it out on the messenger, I snapped, “We need names. Now!”
Swallowing so hard his Adam’s apple bobbed along his throat, my cousin rasped, “Summer and Rory.”
My knees threatened to buckle. “What? How?”
Enzo pulled in a deep breath before relaying the details. “Bombing at Valentina Morello while they were inside. We think it was a targeted attack.”
“Are—” Matteo’s voice broke. “Are they . . .”
With a firm shake of his head, Enzo replied, “They’re both alive. But I can’t say the same for their security detail. We need to get down to Windy City General. Allie called me crying, saying paramedics had brought them there. Summer’s got a nasty gash on her forehead, but Rory—” He paused before continuing, “She’s unconscious, covered in blood.”
Reacting on pure instinct, my feet were already moving. By the time I reached the elevator, Enzo and Matteo had joined me.
I slammed my palm against the chrome doors that hadn’t opened yet. “What the fuck is taking so long?”
A hand landed on my arm, accompanied by my brother’s voice. “It’s only been thirty seconds.”
