“The man she was leaving him for, is in prison.” Toni’s eyes peak with interest. “He’s just discovered it was Michael Rowe.”
“Mick… his right-hand man?”
I nod. “And Leoni’s father.”
He’s genuinely surprised, which tells me I know more than him. But he takes a sip of wine before saying, “He spent a lot of time with your mother.” He places the glass down. “We should have guessed.”
“Mick was an informant?”
Toni nods. “Yes, it’s the reason your father got spooked and decided to pull the plug on our deal. I wanted him to wait for it to all blow over. I had it handled. But as usual, he didn’t trust me, and with his right-hand man gone, it was the easy option for him. It cost me millions.”
“Why wasn’t Mick killed?”
“He’d been an informant for six months or more. It would have been too suspicious. There were too many eyes. But now it’s starting to make sense. Your father knew she was having an affair long before the Mick business came to light. She was planning to leave and there was no way he could let that happen––”
“So, he took her life?”
Toni doesn’t speak, but his silence confirms what I already know in my heart. “He tried to find out who it was, but Mick kept coming back with dead-ends. Makes sense now.” He rolls his eyes. “Maybe he thought if he fed police information, Nico would be locked up, and he could make a life with Elena safely.”
“But you found out he was informing?”
“Yes. And when he realised the charges against us wouldn’t stick, thanks to a top lawyer and a bent judge, he panicked.” Hesighs heavily. “Beat his wife to near death so he’d be put away for a long time.”
“And he’s spent most of it on the seg wing trying to protect himself.”
“It was the long game. Your father planned on waiting for his release, but I guess now he knows about Elena, he wants blood?”
I nod. “Leoni is here to keep her safe.”
“And you want to sever ties to save her for good?”
“She doesn’t deserve to die for her father’s sins. She’s a nice girl. She’s got her whole life ahead of her.”
He watches me for a moment. “Okay, you have a deal.”
My eyes widen. “You’re agreeing to the terms?”
He shrugs, “I haven’t looked at the terms. But I know you won’t fuck me over, Warren. You have too much to lose.”
I swallow the lump of panic. And then he leans closer. “You’re in love, I would never underestimate the lengths a man would go to protect what’s his. You want to save her, and I want to destroy your father. We have a deal.”
I find Leoni standing at the edge of the balcony, hands braced on the stone wall, taking in the view. Anthony gives me a brief nod before melting back into the crowd, leaving us alone.
She startles when I rest my hand beside hers, our fingers brushing.
“You’re miles away,” I say quietly.
“A lot has happened,” she murmurs. Then, after a beat, “Your uncle seems… pleasant.”
There’s something in her tone that twists in my chest. “I should have told you.”
She turns her head slightly. Not fully. “Yes. You should have. You made me feel like an idiot.”
I step closer, sliding my arms around her waist from behind. “I’m sorry,” I say, and I mean it. “We’ve been estranged for a long time. I didn’t know how tonight would go.”
My body betrays me, pressing against her, and she exhales softly, her head tipping back to rest on my shoulder. I drag my nose along the curve of her neck, breathing her in.
“What was tonight really about?” she asks, and I still. She twists slightly to look me in the eye. “Why are you scared of your uncle?”
