“Exactly why I said this was suicidal,” Alessio growled, glaring at Finn.
“No matter who we send, we put their life at risk,” Finn argued. “But if I can get Frankie alone, consigliere to consigliere, we might have a chance. He’s not stupid. He knows this won’t end well for either side. He’ll listen to reason.”
I stormed towards his chair, towering over him. “And if he doesn’t? If you’re wrong about him and he’s as bloodthirsty as Joey, what then?”
He looked up at me, his brown-black eyes glistening in the Sicilian sunlight that cast a warm glow over his face. “That’s what this is for.” He pointed to the evidence showing Frankie preferred young men to his wife’s pussy. “If he kills me, he exposes himself. Alessio will leak the footage everywhere.”
I pressed my hands to my eyes, rubbing my skin to think clearly. No, I was with Alessio on this. Finn couldn’t walk into the lion’s den alone and hope for the best. No way. He was Alessio’s right-hand man, his best friend. The temptation to kill him would be too great.
“Let me do it. Let me meet Frankie alone,” I said, placing my hands on the desk.
“They will never agree to it,” Finn argued, but I ignored him and kept my gaze on Alessio.
The sound of Alessio’s phone interrupted the heated discussion, and he pulled it from his pocket with a frown. He held up one finger to me, and I groaned, twisting away and glaring at Finn. If he thought I’d let him do this alone... but of course that’s why he hadn’t told me the full story. He knew I’d never allow it.
“Giovanni?” Alessio answered the call from his brother-in-law, but as soon as the colour drained from his face and he shot out of his chair, our bickering was forgotten. “I’m on my way.”
“What’s happened?” Finn sprang up as Alessio stormed out of the room, shouting Elenora’s name. I followed them, feeling like an outsider to the situation but needing to know what Gio had just said. Whatever it was, it was enough to spark panic in the Italian Boss, which was very rare.
Elenora came racing out of her art studio, her eyes wide with fear. She could instantly sense that something was wrong from the urgent tone of her husband’s voice.
“What is it? Alessio?”
He grasped her shoulders. “There was an attack in Verona.” Her trembling hand covered her mouth as her brown eyes flickered between his, bracing herself for whatever was about to unfold. “Santino and Soraya.”
“What?” she cried, her knees buckling at the mention of her younger siblings’ names. Fuck. Raya had just turned fifteen, and Sani was seventeen. They were still kids.
“They’re okay.” Alessio held Elle’s face in his hands, pressing his forehead to hers. “They’re okay. I’m going to take the jet straight over there now.”
“I’m coming!” she demanded. Alessio clearly wanted to argue but thought better of it, nodding his head.
Elle dived into Alessio’s arms as Finn began making the necessary arrangements. Finn spoke rapidly through the phone in Italian to secure the jet and get it ready. Was it the Americans? Were they going after the children? That was fucking low. Finn hung up and huffed, stress creeping into his frown lines.
“What about the twins? Finn, can you stay with them?” Elle asked, grabbing his arms.
“No,” Alessio cut in. “I need Finn to come. If it was the Americans, we need to be one hundred percent sure. The children must come with us, too.”
“But it’s not safe,” Elle shouted, grabbing his arm. “It’s not safe for them to travel across the country at the moment.”
“They’re safest with me,” Alessio replied, stroking her cheek.
I wanted to step in and argue that Elle was right. Alessio had the biggest target on his back, but from what I knew of this man, there was one thing for certain. He would never let any harm come to his family. He’d throw himself into the firing line without a second thought if it came to it. Still, the children would be safest behind his highly secure walls.
“I’ll stay here with the children.”
They all turned my way as if they had only just remembered I was there. I swallowed, realising what I had just offered. But the thought of Nerina leaving Sicily, her home and its protection, made me speak before I thought.
“No.” Alessio shook his head, narrowing his eyes at me. “They’re coming with us.”
He didn’t know me well enough to trust me with his children. I understood that. But it was Elle who came to my defence.
“Alessio, please. I don’t want to scare them. We’ve always protected them from the chaos. I’d feel better knowing the children were safe at home with Enzo. We can ask Fabi to come here too. Have you seen Enzo with a gun? They’ll be safe with him.”
“I promise you they will. I’ll provide you with hourly updates.”
Alessio exhaled and looked at Finn. Finn gave him a subtle nod, and that was all it took for my heart to swell to twice its size. Finn trusted me. He trusted me with Nerina. And with Alessio’s twins.
“Fine,” Alessio groaned. “We’ll be back tomorrow. Hourly updates. I mean it, Aiani. If I get home and even one of them has a scratch, you’ll pay the price.”
