“Well, that sucks.”
“It does, but we hired some guys outside thefamigliato break into the Irish bar, and they struck gold.”
Excitement bubbles up my throat. “What did they find?”
“Paperwork with intelligence reports submitted to Liam from informants inside all our families. We have a list of names now. It’s most likely not exhaustive, but it’s a good starting point.”
“What is The Commission going to do? Will they take them in and interrogate them?”
“I’m heading to a meeting at HQ to discuss it after I drop you and Elisa home, but my guess is we’ll leave the guys in situ so we can watch them. We risk exposing ourselves if we round up these men for questioning. Pretending we aren’t on to them is probably the smartest course. We’ll watch what they are up toand see what extra intel we can glean. It will help to ferret out other spies and rats, and then we can plan an attack on several fronts to take our enemies down.”
I stretch my leggings-clad legs out and cross my feet at the ankles. “Will Liam not suspect you know after the break-in?”
He shakes his head. “The guys got in and out without breaking anything or taking anything. They copied all the files, and Philip’s team doctored the cameras in the bar, the alleyway, and streets outside, so if anyone looks, nothing will seem suspicious. Liam won’t know we know until it’s too late.”
“What about O’Hara?”
“He’s preparing to clean house. We added more names to the dossier we were compiling from your intel on Liam’s crew. We have a substantial list now. Diarmuid is going to take them down and restore order within the Irish mafia. We have offered our support, and in return, he will help us defeat the Barone and whomever they’re working for and with.”
“There are a lot of angles at play and a lot of risk.”
“There usually is,” he says, taking the exit off the highway.
“Do we have enough manpower? We don’t know how many we’ll be up against.”
“The decision was taken before Christmas to open applications for four new positions on the board. We’re going to move fast and add new dons this month so we will have their backing when it’s time to draw the enemy out.”
“Sounds like you guys have thought of everything.” It’s reassuring to know they are finally getting ahead of this thing.
“We’ve had more emergency meetings these past couple of months than the entire two years Caleb and I have been on the board. It’s been exhausting, but we work well as a team, and our skillsets complement one another.”
“I hope that dynamic doesn’t alter too much after the new dons join the board.”
“You and me both,” he says, heading for the city.
We drop Elisa at her apartment first. We hug, and she promises to let me know how her date with Seb goes. We stop by Joshua’s penthouse next because he wants to get changed for his meeting.
I inspect the collection of books in his small living room library annex while he gets dressed. “Damn, you make a suit look good,” I say when he emerges from his bedroom wearing a sharp black suit with a deep-blue shirt and a blue, black, and silver tie. “No wonder your brand is one of the most in demand.” I slide my hands up his solid chest. “Having you and Caleb as the face of the brand was a stroke of genius. Every man wants to be you, and every woman wants to have you. It’s a win-win.”
“It doesn’t hurt the bottom line, that’s for sure.”
I nuzzle my face in his neck, inhaling his gorgeous scent. “You smell divine too. Thank fuck you’re only meeting men, or I might get jealous.”
He tips my chin up with two fingers. “You don’t need to be jealous. I’m yours. Only yours.”
“I won’t ever tire of hearing that.”
“Good.” He presses a hard kiss to my lips. “Because I’m going nowhere. I’m in this for the long haul, Gia.” His eyes probe mine.
“I love you.” It feels like the right moment to say it.
His Adam’s apple jumps in his throat as shock splays across his face. He stares at me with unnamed emotion flooding his face.
“It’s okay,” I add, softly stroking his cheeks. “I don’t need to hear it in return.” I know that is a big step for him, given his past, and I’m fine to work up to it. “I see it in the way you look at me and in the things you do for me. I don’t need to hear those words yet.”
“I don’t think I’m worthy of you.” Joshua reels me into his strong arms.
“You are more than worthy.”
