“Better than ready, boss. Everyone’s here, the guys are in position. But Tony’s still MIA. He left before sunset. Hasn’t come back.”
That bastard would be dealt with soon enough.
“And Emily?”
He jerked his chin toward the far end of the hall. “Over there. Hiding in the corner.”
“Get someone to escort her back to her room.I don’t want her here. Tell her to stay put until I give further orders.”
I took Lucia’s hand and stepped into the room. The moment we entered, conversation died. Every eye turned toward us. Then, as the band struck up the music, the guests began clapping and singing “Happy Birthday.”
As planned, all the underbosses and their families were present. My gaze swept the room and I saw Emily. Standing off to the side in a short gold dress that shimmered under the chandeliers. Our eyes met.
She offered a barely-there smile, raised her glass in a silent toast, and took a sip. A beat later, one of my men stepped beside her, leaned in to whisper something, and gently led her out of the room.
I let go of Lucia’s hand and watched as she drifted toward the crowd to receive her congratulations. The underbosses greeted her one by one, each shaking her hand with polite formality. Her father, Pietro, offered only a curt nod, distant, detached.
He was brilliant as a criminal strategist, but a disgrace as a father. Her three older brothers weren’t any better. But her youngest, Fabiano, pulled her into a tight embrace, kissed her forehead, and whispered something in her ear.
I turned and walked to the end of the hall, where Lorenzo had prepared my seat. As I sat down, the music stopped on cue. Raising my glass, I tapped it with the tip of the knife I always carried. Silence fell instantly. Every head turned.
I handed the glass to Lorenzo, let the knife rest across my knee, and addressed the room. “I want to thank you all for being here tonight. And also, now that the family is gathered under one roof, there’s something I need to talk about. I’ve heard whispers. Whispers that don’t sit well with me.”
Giuseppe opened his big mouth. “Carlo, my dear.Tonight is meant for celebration. Isn’t it better to leave business for later? As your father always believed in keeping work and family separate.”
I turned my gaze on him.“Next time you interrupt me will be the last time you have a tongue to speak with, Giuseppe.”
He turned to stone. The color drained from his face as his eyes scanned the room, finally noticing the armed men I’d positioned in the shadows. The shift in the room was immediate. The other underbosses stiffened, eyes darting to their wives and children.
“We’re here to listen, Carlo. But maybe our families should step out first,” said Paolo, one of my most trusted underbosses.
I raised one hand. At my signal, the doors slammed shut. “No one leaves. I want every eye on me. If you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to fear. Neither you, nor your families.”
I let the silence stretch as my gaze swept across the room before I finally spoke.“My father, Don Fernando, was a man you all respected. A capo of power.Before the accident that left him paralyzed, he made one thing clear: I was his chosen heir.And in his own words:the man who would lead this family further than anyone before him.”
I drew a deliberate breath.“But lately, I’ve heard whispers, rumors that question my blood-right to this seat. We’re all men of honor in this room.”
My eyes fixed on Giuseppe, and my voice turned to steel. “Though some among us are nothing more than filthy rats.” Taking my eyes away, I continued, “The doctor says my father has less than two months left. So tonight, I speak to you as the man who will lead you all. And I ask, does anyone here challenge that? If so, speak now. Stand up. And I give you my word, on my name, and on my honor, you and your family will leave this house untouched tonight. My war with you begins tomorrow.”
No one spoke, not that I expected them to.
“Now that we’re all on the same page,” I went on, “I expect loyalty. If you hear a lie, you deal with the rat yourselves. You punish them in my name.”
I turned my gaze back to Giuseppe. “Giuseppe, thank you for your many valuable services to this family. I have a gift for you. A week’s vacation on a private island in Greece. Our family jet will fly you out tomorrow morning. And starting tomorrow, Maxim will serve as the new consigliere of the Bruni family.”
There was a rage in him he didn’t dare unleash. Behind him, Carmen was the same. Brando, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair, that familiar smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. I shifted my gaze back to the underbosses, locking eyes with each of them in turn. One by one. Letting them feel it.
“Gentlemen. I’ve got nothing more to say.”
They exchanged glances, surprise and uncertainty etched across their faces. At last, Paolo stepped forward, bowed his head, and took my hand, pressing a respectful kiss to my knuckles.
“Don Carlo.”
One by one, the others followed suit, offering the loyalty owed. But Giuseppe and Brando didn’t move. I raised an eyebrow, watching them both. Part of me hoped they’d slip, especially Giuseppe. It would save me the effort of waiting for him to reach that island before I slit his fucking throat.
Suddenly the power cut out, and a second later, gunshots cracked in the distance. Gasps filled the room. Screams. Scraping chairs. Emergency lights flickered on in pulses of red and white, casting ghostly shadows across the walls. The women and children ducked behind tables, some crying, others utterly in shock.
I drew my gun from my waistband and stood.
