Alessandro moves beside me. "The shipment routes. The security protocols. The names of our allies. You handed it all over."
"And I'd do it again.” Victorio sneers. "Your father's empire was dying long before I put the bomb in his car."
The confession lands like the bomb that killed my father.
"You son of a bitch."
Adriano steps forward. "We'll need names. Everyone he's been working with."
I nod, grappling with the thought that there was a time when I would have chosen Victorio over my own blood.
When his word carried more weight than Alessandro's orders or Adriano's warnings.
The three of us stand shoulder to shoulder now.
I glance at my brothers' faces, seeing my own shock and rage mirrored there. I suppose I should be grateful to Victorio.
His betrayal has united the Dante brothers.
God help anyone who stands against us.
22
KATERINA
In an effort to give Enzo some semblance of normalcy, he’s in the kitchen with several of the women staff who’ve taken him under their wing.
Right now, he’s making cookies with Agnes, the most grandmotherly of the group.
With Enzo occupied, I search for Luca. He’s been busy looking for the mole, but even he needs a break every now and then.
I don’t find him in his normal spots on the lower floor, so I head upstairs to his room. I knock on his door, hesitating when I hear something crash inside. No answer comes, so I push the door open slowly.
"Luca?"
He stands by the bathroom doorway, shirt unbuttoned, knuckles raw and bleeding. A shattered glass lies in pieces by the wall.
"You shouldn't be here." His voice is rough with emotion.
I close the door behind me. "Enzo's downstairs making cookies with Maria. He'll be occupied for at least an hour." I step closer, noticing dark stains on his shirt that I know are blood. I hope it’s not his. "What happened?"
He turns away, fingers working at his remaining buttons. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with."
"Luca." I catch his wrist, forcing him to look at me. "Something's wrong. Tell me."
His eyes meet mine, stormy with anger and pain. "I had to kill Victorio today."
I can’t hide my shock. Victorio and Luca had been close practically since childhood. Victorio was the only one who’d welcomed Luca home.
“Why?”
"He was working with Pyotr. He planted the bomb in my father's car. Poisoned the wine meant for Alessandro."
"Oh, my God." My hand flies to my mouth. "I can’t believe it. He was your best friend."
"Apparently not." His laugh is bitter. He pulls away, stepping toward the bathroom. "I need to shower. Need to wash it all off."
I watch him, this man who's killed for our son, who's faced suspicion from his family, betrayal from those he trusted.
