“Why the fuck would Morales do that?”
“Be-because he knows about you and her. He doesn’t want her to see you again.”
Rage pulsed through me. Every fucking gut feeling I had about Morales was confirmed. He didn’t give a fuck about his daughter. The only thing he cared about was himself.
I had to get Mia away from him.
He was keeping her locked up like a prisoner, but not for long.
Because I was getting her out.
CHAPTER48
ROM
Adrenaline still pumped through my veins by the time I returned to Cosimo’s. I’d gotten more out of Jenny before I left—two guards were stationed with Mia. Taking them out wouldn’t be hard, but if Morales had backup, there could be trouble. I didn’t want to risk firing a gun with Mia nearby, which meant I needed my own manpower.
I wasn’t taking any chances. All that mattered now was getting her out—fast and clean. If something had happened to her, if she’d been hurt in any way, Morales was a fucking dead man.
I found Cos pacing in his office. He was visibly agitated, and he wasn’t alone. Mother sat on the sofa, dressed head to toe in black, and Alessio stood nearby, his fresh cast slung over his chest.
“Romolo,” Cosimo snapped, “you missed quite a show. Mom arrived here just as I got a call from our lawyer. Turns out, there’s a page missing from Dad’s will.” He stopped in front of her. “She was about to explain how that happened.”
The words I’d planned to say—I don’t have time for this—froze on my tongue.
What?
This morning, just before sunrise, Cosimo and I had gone out to the backyard to get some air. We'd sat at the picnic table under the tree and ate cold leftover pizza one of the capos had ordered. When he'd brought up that summer again and asked what happened, I'd finally told him.
It should’ve been the most uncomfortable conversation of my life—and in some ways, it was. But it was also cathartic.
I’d talked. Cos had listened. When I’d finished, he cleared his throat and said he wished I’d come to him back then.
I’d told him there was no changing the past. But from now on, I wasn’t following Mother’s orders.
He’d nodded.“Good,”he’d said.“Because I’m the don now and the only person you answer to is me.”
Mother’s gaze flicked to me and then back to him. The lamplight made her silver hair glimmer in a disconcerting way. “I don’t know what happened.”
Cosimo crossed his arms. “Don’t know? The safe where the will was kept has only three keys—one with Father, one with the lawyer, and one with you. There’s a record of you accessing the safe yesterday. You didn’t even bother hiding your tracks.”
Mother didn’t flinch under Cosimo’s glare. “I was there to get jewelry for the funeral. I didn’t touch the will.”
Cosimo scoffed. “The missing page specifies who gets control of the family. What are you playing at?”
“I’m not playing at anything. But without that page, succession has to be a discussion.”
I let out a sharp breath. The fucking audacity of this woman. This was a new low. Did she really think this blatant attempt at a power grab would work?
“That’s insane,” Alessio said. “Everyone knows Dad intended Cosimo to be the don. The capos are ready to follow him.”
“Maybe your father changed his mind,” Mother said, smoothing her palms over her mourning dress. “He was disappointed with Cosimo’s immaturity regarding his upcoming marriage. A person ready to lead this family wouldn’t behave like that.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it.” I stepped closer to Cos, who looked like he was barely restraining himself from snapping her neck. “Dad never expressed any doubts about who should succeed him.”
“Maybe not to you,” Mother countered. “But he did privately to me. And I agree with him. Cosimo still has growing up to do.”
I shook my head. It was all bullshit. Dad may have given her an unusual amount of power, but he’d groomed Cosimo to take over as don from basically the day he was born. “None of us have time for this pointless discussion. We all know Cosimo is the don. Did you really think Alessio or I would take your side?” I turned to Cos. “I’ve got a lead on Mia. I have to?—“
