"Dear God. Salvatore murdered Antonio Romano incold blood. Helped his own future brother-in-law commit fratricide. All for a girl."
"Not just any girl. My girl." The possessiveness in my voice was obvious. "My father wants her. I love her. And he's forcing a wedding in seven days unless the Council stops him."
"This is serious, Kai. Very serious. Murder of a Council Don violates our most sacred laws. If this recording is authentic..." He trailed off, thinking.
"It's authentic. I can provide the original files. Timestamps. Everything you need to verify."
"And you're certain about what you're asking me to do? Because once I call an emergency Council session over this, there's no taking it back. Your father will know you betrayed him. The consequences..."
"I don't care about consequences. I care about stopping a wedding that should never happen. About saving a girl who deserves better than being my father's third wife to die under suspicious circumstances. About finally making him pay for all the evil he's done in the name of family and power."
Father Benedetto studied me for a long moment. Then nodded slowly.
"Your mother would be proud of the man you've become. She always said you had your own sense of justice. Your own moral code."
"My mother tried to leave him and he killed her for it. Made it look like suicide. I've been gathering evidence against him for twelve years. This is my chance to finally bring him down the right way. With Council support instead of a bullet in the dark."
"The Council needs to hear this." Father Benedetto stood. Moved to his phone. "I'll call an emergency session for this afternoon. Two o'clock. Can you present everything then? All your evidence. Not just this recording."
"I have documentation of unauthorized territory expansion. Proof of treaty violations. Evidence of ordering hits on Council family members. Everything you'd need to remove him from power."
"Then we'll see justice done. One way or another." He paused. "But Kai, you should know. If the Council acts, if they sanction your fatheror remove him, you'll be next in line. You'll inherit everything. The power, the territory, the responsibility. Are you prepared for that?"
I hadn't thought that far ahead. Hadn't considered what came after.
But looking at Father Benedetto's serious face, I knew the answer.
"If it means Aria is safe and free, I'll take on whatever burden I have to bear. She's worth it. She's worth everything."
"Then go. Prepare your case. Two o'clock. Council chambers. Bring everything you have." He gripped my shoulder gently. "And Kai? May God watch over you. You're going to need all the help you can get."
We left. Got back in Marco's car.
"Well. That went better than expected." Marco pulled into traffic. "He's calling the session. We present evidence this afternoon. This could actually work."
"Could. That's not definite enough."
"It's the best we've got. Now we just have to hope the Council acts fast enough to stop the wedding."
Seven days. We had seven days.
I looked at my phone. Seven missed calls from Lia's number. She must have gotten access to a phone somehow.
I called back. It rang once before she answered.
"Kai! Oh thank God. Are you okay? I heard father shot you and threw you out and I've been so worried..."
"I'm fine. Bullet went through clean. How are you? Are you safe?"
"Locked in my room with guards outside. Father's gone completely paranoid. He moved the wedding up, Kai. Not seven days. Three days. He's marrying Aria in three days and there's nothing I can do to stop it."
The bottom dropped out of my world.
Three days. Not seven.
Three. We had even less time than I thought.
Chapter Twenty-Three
