"What kind of next steps?" Wary now.
"The kind that ensure they never threaten you again." I set down my phone. "Angelo delivered my message to Antonio. Matteo delivered a more physical reminder. But the Costellos are stubborn. They might need additional convincing."
"By additional convincing you mean—"
"I mean making it clear that targeting you was a mistake they'll regret for however long they have left to regret things." I caught his hand across the counter. "I protect what's mine, Emilio. You know this. You've accepted this. Don't start questioning it now."
He was quiet for a moment. Then: "I'm not questioning it. I just need to understand what I'm defending. What I'm choosing to be complicit in."
"You're choosing me. Everything else is just details." I stood and pulled him to his feet. "Go fight for your career. Win. Come back here and tell me how thoroughly you destroyed their objections. Then we'll celebrate properly."
He kissed me instead of arguing. Hard and desperate and tasting like coffee and determination.
When he pulled away, his eyes were bright. "I'll call you after."
"I'll be waiting."
Thomas drove him to Sterling & Associates at 8:30. I watched from the windows until the car disappeared into traffic, then made my own calls.
"Conference room. One hour," I told each of my partners. "We need to discuss the Costello situation before it escalates further."
Matteo arrived first, looking like he'd been awake for hours. Probably had been. He didn't sleep much when violence was pending.
"About fucking time," he said, dropping into a chair. "I've been waiting for permission to handle Antonio properly. Last night's message was too gentle."
"Last night's message was appropriate for the circumstances. Today we discuss whether we need to escalate." I poured coffee from the carafe my housekeeper had prepared. "We can't afford to be reckless with federal eyes watching."
"Fuck the feds. They're always watching. If we let that stop us from defending ourselves, we might as well surrender now." Matteo accepted the coffee. "Antonio Costello threatened your attorney with bombs and death. That requires a response that makes every other family think twice before trying the same thing."
Elio arrived next, looking characteristically composed despite the early hour. "What's the situation?"
"The situation is that the Costellos are escalating and we need to decide how hard to push back." I gestured to the files I'd prepared. "Vincent's been tracking Antonio's movements. He's getting bold. Meeting with other families. Building alliances. Trying to isolate us before the trial."
Elio reviewed the surveillance photos. "He's talking to the Deluccas. The Marinos. Even reached out to the Torres family despite them being neutral in territorial disputes." He looked up. "He's building a coalition against us."
"Which means the assault case isn't just about him getting his arm broken anymore," Luca said, arriving last with his usual perfect timing. "It's about power dynamics. Territory. Showing other families that the Vitales can be pushed."
"Exactly." I spread out more documents. "The trial is in four weeks. If we lose, we look weak. If we win but it's close, we still look vulnerable. We need a decisive victory that reminds everyone why challenging us is a bad idea."
"Emilio will get us that victory in court," Elio said confidently. "I've reviewed his strategy. It's thorough. The prosecution's case is built on lies and he knows how to expose that."
"Assuming Sterling doesn't force him off the case this morning." I checked my watch. 8:47. The board meeting would be starting soon. "Richard's pushing for withdrawal. Says keeping Emilio on the case exposes the firm to liability."
"Can you stop them?" Luca asked.
"Not directly. But I can make it clear that losing Emilio would be... disappointing." I pulled out my phone and composed a text to Richard:I understand you're meeting about Emilio this morning. I trust you'll make the right decision. Losing him would be unfortunate for everyone involved.
Subtle. Professional. With just enough implied threat that Richard would understand the stakes.
"What about the RICO investigation?" Elio asked. "Roberto Green warned Emilio yesterday that federal charges are coming."
"Roberto Green has been warning people about federal charges for two years. I'm not concerned until I see actual indictments." I poured myself more coffee. "Vincent's contact at the FBI says they're still building the case. Grand jury subpoenas. Witness immunity deals. But nothing imminent."
"They know about Emilio," Matteo pointed out. "Know that you've been paying his debts. They'll use that against both of you."
"Let them try. Emilio's my attorney. I'm allowed to retain him. How I compensate him is between us and the IRS." I met Matteo's eyes. "The debt payments were legal. Documented. Nothing they can prosecute."
"Except they don't need to prosecute to destroy his reputation," Luca said quietly. "Just the implication that he's been bought will damage his credibility. Make juries question his arguments."
