"And Roberto Martinez, who managed our Brooklyn operations until we buried him in concrete last year."
Silence settled over the room like a shroud. We all understood the mathematics. Four of us sitting here. One accountant who'd been with us for eight years. One corpse.
Which meant someone at this table was betraying us, or Vincent was stupid enough to steal from people who made problems disappear permanently.
"Vincent." Matteo said it like a curse. "I'll grab him tonight. Make him talk."
"No." I kept my voice level. "We're under federal scrutiny. The assault case is minor compared to what the FBI wants to build. Any move we make that looks like witness intimidation or violence gives them ammunition."
"So we just let someone steal from us?" Matteo's knuckles whitened around his glass.
"We investigate carefully. We gather evidence. We find out who's responsible and why before we act." I looked at each of them in turn. "This could be simple theft. Or it could be someone feeding the FBI information about our financial structures. Either way, we need to know before we move."
Elio was already making notes on his phone. "I'll run deep background on Vincent. See if there's any contact with federal agents. Bank records, phone logs, everything."
"Quietly," I emphasized. "If he's compromised, we can't let him know we're looking."
"What about us?" Luca gestured around the table. "We all have the codes. Technically we're all suspects."
"Technically." I met his eyes. "But I've known you all for over a decade. We've built this empire together. We've bled together. I trust you more than I trust myself."
It was mostly true. The partnerships had been forged through shared violence and mutual dependence. We'd each saved the others' lives multiple times. Betrayal from inside this room would be more than theft—it would be sacrilege.
But people betrayed for stranger reasons than money. Fear. Blackmail. Desperation. I'd learned never to assume loyalty was permanent, even among brothers.
"Second problem," I continued, shifting topics before paranoia could take root. "The assault case. Update me on the Costello situation."
Matteo rolled his shoulders like a boxer loosening up. "The nephew—Anthony Costello—he's recovering. Arm's healing. He's still refusing to cooperate with the DA, but his uncle Peter is pushing the prosecution hard. They want to use this to shut down Inferno. Get us on the defensive while they move into our territory."
"The witnesses?" Elio asked.
"All three recanted their statements after receiving compensation for their inconvenience." I smiled slightly. "Memories proved surprisingly flexible when properly motivated."
"What about the prosecutor? This Green asshole who's building his career on harassing us?" Luca swirled his bourbon. "Can we apply pressure there?"
"I have someone looking into his background. Everyone has secrets. We just need to find his." I thought about Emilio's performance in court. The way he'd dismantled Green's arguments with surgical precision. "Though my new attorney might make that unnecessary. He's very good at his job."
"The idealistic one from Sterling & Associates?" Elio's tone was skeptical. "I read his file. He's got principles. Those are dangerous in our world."
"Principles are negotiable when the price is right. And Mr. Rossi is very motivated by the right prices." I pulled up the background check on my phone and passed it to Elio. "Student loan debt, divorce settlement, mediocre salary. He's drowning financially and desperate for partnership. That desperation makes him useful."
Matteo leaned back in his chair. "He loyal yet?"
"He will be." I retrieved my phone and pulled up the photograph my investigator had taken outside the courthouse. Emilio walking to his car, briefcase in hand, looking worn downby the weight of choices he was making. "Men like Emilio Rossi are easy to manipulate once you understand what they need."
"Which is?" Luca asked.
"Money. Validation. Someone to tell him he's not selling his soul by defending us." I studied the photograph. Emilio's profile in the afternoon light, exhausted and beautiful in his desperation. "He's already attracted to me. Hates himself for it, probably. But attraction is attraction regardless of how inconvenient."
Elio's expression sharpened. "You're planning to seduce your own attorney."
"I'm planning to ensure his loyalty through multiple pressure points. If seduction accomplishes that more efficiently than bribery, then yes." I set my phone down. "He's got integrity he can't afford and debt he can't ignore. We give him enough money to ease the debt while making him compromise the integrity in small ways. By the time he realizes how far he's fallen, he'll be too implicated to walk away."
"And the attraction?" Elio pressed.
"Is a bonus. People are easier to control when their emotions are involved. If he develops feelings for me, he'll rationalize away his ethical concerns. Convince himself he's making choices instead of being manipulated."
Matteo laughed, rough and dark. "You're a cold bastard, Sandro."
