White teeth flashed as she beamed. “Now, was that so hard?” She playfully patted my cheek. “And I see the logic. I just don’t want to be bored to death.”
“I understand. I have a busy day and will be setting lots of things in motion. Give me some time, stella. I promise, I’ll work quickly. I want Victor’s loyalists eradicated as much as you want your freedom to go outside.”
She nodded. “Okay. Thank you for the laptop. I’ll check out some schools today and can also use it to video chat with Alexis.” Rising to her toes, she pecked my lips. “Go solidify your empire so we can return to some level of normalcy. I miss my daughter, and I know you’ll work quickly.”
“I will, sweetheart.” Drawing her close, I pulled her into a passionate kiss, showing her with my lips how much I would miss her; how anxious I was to return to her. “Have a good day.”
I reveled in the hazy desire in her eyes as I backed out of the room.
“Please be safe, Michael.”
I gave her a salute before leaving her to the treadmill, anxious to ensure she wasn’t forced to use it for too much longer...
Chapter 16
Michael
At nine a.m. sharp, I entered the abandoned Brooklyn warehouse. Two of my top capos, Rocco and Enzo, trailed closely behind, and my gun rested on my belt. I hoped like hell I wouldn’t have to use it, but absorbing Victor’s empire could turn messy, and I was ready to fight for my family’s future.
John and Simon stood along the far wall, their stances broad as they watched me approach. They were surrounded by several of Victor’s men. This gave them a numbers advantage, but I’d ordered the rest of my men to wait outside. The more men who were present, the more things could devolve, and I was determined to keep a cool head.
I stopped a few feet from John and Simon, planting my feet as I rested my hands on my hips.
“Gentlemen,” I said in a terse greeting.
“I have to give it to you, Michael,” John said with a curt nod. “I didn’t see it coming. Any of it. We thought Bianca hated you, and we thought the feeling was mutual. We hadn’t tracked her runs in years, and didn’t see any threat that she’d approach you for help. Well done.”
“Bianca and I have a history none of you will ever understand,” I said, feeling my possessive streak roar within. “And now she’s mywife. If any harm comes to her or Alexis, I’ll kill every last man loyal to Victor.”
“So that’s the end game?” John asked wryly. “Kill us all so you can assume Victor’s empire?”
I shook my head. “Death was a game our grandfathers and their fathers played. I have no wish to end men’s lives—good men—if they want to carry on the Rossi tradition with dignity. My grandfather and Victor’s father were friends for many years. I was...distressedto see Victor degrade the Rossi name after he took over the empire.”
John slipped a toothpick in his mouth, chewing as he contemplated. “You ensured Victor’s decline for years, but could never eradicate him. He made too many mistakes in his final decade. We’re fresh blood, and we won’t let those mistakes continue.”
My eyes narrowed. “Trafficking young girls is beneath all of us—”
“For god’s sake, Michael,” John scoffed. “The families are abusiness, and trafficking is the most lucrative stream by far.”
“How much money is worth the degradation of your soul?” I asked through clenched teeth. “You have mothers, daughters and sisters. That stream of income isn’t worth the moral price. There are plenty of other avenues that keep me inherently wealthy, and I’m still able to look at myself in the mirror.”
John rubbed his eyes as he gave a humorless laugh. “Your moral high-handedness is misplaced, Michael. Simon and I are going to rebuild the Rossi family name, and we do not accept your declaration that the trafficking must end.”
Rage welled deep in my chest as I struggled to remain calm. “That’s going to be tough since I control the shipping routes for the entire East Coast.”
“For now,” John said, the challenge prevalent in his tone.
“I don’t want a war with you,” I said, shaking my head. “If you pledge your loyalty to me, I will reward you and your men handsomely. The Rossi name is beyond repair, and I have Victor’s widow’s public support. The future shipment schedulesnow reside on an encrypted flash drive which only one other person can decode, and she has my full protection.”
“Yes, it was very clever of Alexis to erase all of Victor’s files and leave only one encrypted drive. This assures she must remain alive—untilit’s decoded.” His lips curled into a sinister grin. “I always did like Alexis, and enjoyed watching her work in those cute little shorts she wore around Victor’s mansion. I wouldn’t mind...extricatingthe information from her—”
“You’ll never fucking touch her,” I said through clenched teeth. “And Victor was extremely close-lipped about his shipment contacts from Eastern Europe. His reluctance to trust anyone with that information will impede your efforts. It will take months for you to infiltrate the Eastern European ring and get the traffickers to trust you enough to work with you directly. They only scheduled shipments with Victor.”
“And you plan to destroy us within a few months?” John asked in disbelief.
“Yes.” I gave a curt nod. “Effective immediately, no one associated with the Rossi name will be granted access to any ports along the East Coast. I’ve spoken to Sal DeLorenzo, and he is aligned with me on this.”
“Marco Nunez in Miami doesn’t seem so sure,” John said dismissively. “He and I had a lengthy discussion this morning, and he seems open to negotiating. Nunez has been hit hard by recent government crackdowns on drug trafficking, and is looking for other means to continue funding his cartel.”
