“Relax, Vincenzo.”
He huffs. “Let me know when you have any luck finding Gina.”
“Why?” I fist the phone. “Why do you care or want her?”
He’s silent for a moment. “To gain what we all want more of,” he finally answers cryptically. “Keep me posted.”
Then he hangs up.
Fucking prick.
I ruminate on what he said. He threw my own words back at me, but not completely.To gain what we all want more of. But he didn’t say power. Does that omission mean anything? And how can Gina be the key to him getting more of anything, let alone power?
She isn’t from a powerful mafia family or even a powerful civilian family.
Nothing is making any fucking sense.
I rub my forehead, contemplating everything when my phone rings again. This time, it’s my father.
“Figlio,” he greets.
“Papà.” I keep the tension from my voice.
“Why are you ignoring your bride-to-be?” he demands in Italian.
“That’s what you called about?” My anger flares.
“Yes. Arturo says—”
“I don’t give a shit what that bastard says or thinks.”
“Control yourself,” he barks. “A leader is in control.Always. Have I taught you nothing?”
“I just got off the phone with Vincenzo,” I say instead of responding to the asinine comment about ignoring a woman I can’t stand, but I rein my raging emotions under control.
“You’re upset that you’ll be involved in the ‘Ndrangheta meeting?”
“No. I’mpissedbecause I heard about it from him and not you.”
He tuts. “I’ve been busy and haven’t had time to call. It’s something that has just been called.”
“It won’t work. The timeline is too tight for the wedding.”
“It can,” he insists.
“After the meeting in Italy, I’d land back here and have to head straight to the church. I thought you said I’ve been ignoring my bride-to-be,” I give his own words back to him. “How do you think she’ll take that?”
I don’t give a shit because I won’t be marrying the vain, self-absorbed Rosa Altera.
He grunts, and I ask softer, “What’s really going on,Papà?”
“Whenever the ‘Ndrangheta meeting is called, you will be there,” he orders instead of answering. “Vincenzo has asked that all the seconds-in-command attend. Since you oversee our territory in the States, even though you’re not my formal second-in-command, I need you there.”
“Having the seconds-in-command attend these meetings isn’t something Emanuele requested or allowed.”
“Vincenzo claims there’s going to be some changes in how things are done.”
I don’t miss the tension in his voice, so I ask again, “What’s really going on?”
