Page 54 of Revenge & Truth

Darkness snarled, raging at the fact he’d dare to stop us from chopping off that traitor’s head and displaying it for all to see. Now that I was aware of how upset Darkness was, I realized I wasn’t getting up just to pace. Darkness wanted to kill Mathis all over again, using this puppet for her anger. Resting my head against Ryker’s neck, I took deep breaths, counted to ten, and then exhaled. It looks like putting off meeting with that therapist wasn’t such a good idea after all.

“I’m good. You can let go now,” I said, rising to my feet.

Pulling out the loose braid I’d put in my hair, I shook it out and massaged my head, trying to ease the frustration that emanated from Darkness as well as myself over this matter.

“I just want to help. It’s my purpose to protect you from those who seek to harm you,” Darkness whispered. “That fucking pig deserved so much worse.”

Honestly, I couldn’t argue with her on that point. There have been many times over the past few weeks I wished I could bring him back to life just to put him back in the ground. When the enemy is intangible, having a person to take your anger out on made it feel like I was accomplishing something.

“Braxton, can you bring in the Old Guard?” I directed. “I feel like they’ll be helpful in this conversation.”

“Right away, Mistress,” Braxton said, heading to the waiting room.

“Astin,” Ryker called, drawing my attention. “I know you don’t see it this way, but that encounter with Darkness was a massive step forward. You’ve been able to get control rather quickly once you realize what’s happening. Take it as the win it is.”

I gave him a tired smile leaning against my desk and nodded. “The problem is I can never tell when it’s her. One of you has to tell me.”

“That’s step two,” he reasoned. “Awareness of an alter ego is the hardest part of this for anyone. Think about it. How can they protect you from something if you know they’re there?”

With a grunt, I accepted that logic, but I still felt frustrated over having to even deal with the fucking problem in the first place. A quick knock alerted me to Braxton’s return, ushering in the five older men. They all greeted me with a smile and a handshake before taking their seats.

“Thank you for taking the time to meet with us, Lady Astin. We have some important news we think could be a game changer,” Benito shared. “It would seem Domenico is already making his move to take over.”

Not wanting to have any questions about why I already knew this information, I feigned ignorance. “Oh? Do tell, I could use some good news today.”

“I’ve been working with my connections within the family to find out who is supporting the boy in the takeover. I must admit I’m surprised to report he has almost complete backing from the family overall. Rocco, the current boss, suffered a stroke last year, and they’ve been trying to keep it quiet, but clearly, that’s failed if I know about it,” Benito said with a wry chuckle. “The important part for you to know is that Domenico’s first move was to take over some of the largest offshore companies. One of them being right here in Springmont, giving you the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself.”

“That is an impressive move, but how would I go about introducing myself to a member of a family who’s trying to destroy me?” I inquired, wondering if they came up with the same plan we did.

Benito scooched to the edge of his seat, clearly excited to share his idea. “The company he took over runs an organization your father used to donate to. Every year they host a gala to raise money and awareness. I’d be shocked if you didn’t get an invite with how generous your father was. If you attend, it would be simple to chat with the man heading the company who’s throwing the gala.”

“Liu is out for the morning attending to other matters, but when he gets back, I’ll ask if he’s aware of an invite. He keeps track of all that stuff for me,” I admitted. “Tell me, did you think Domenico would have that much backing from the family?”

“Honestly, I figured he’d be lucky to get even a quarter, but even though he has in-house backing, Domenico’s not out of the woods yet. The De Santis Family is unusually widespread through Nepreea, so while he has the immediate support, those outside the Family estate don’t see any problem with the way things are now,” Benito explained.

“So, what you’re saying is he still needs my help,” I translated.

Benito clapped his hands together. “Precisely.”

I nodded absently, trying once more to find a way to meet this man while pulling off planting evidence in a judge’s safe. “Thank you for the information and getting it to me as quickly as you could. Now I’ll just have to see what I can do with it along with everything else we know.”

Slowly, I walked around my desk and took my seat, still deep in thought when Ryker spoke up. “Santio, you worked with the Leoni Family before joining Colmazio, correct?”

The man nodded, never one to waste words.

“We had an incident today that was right out of the Leoni playbook. One of our security grunts got paid off to sneak someone into Astin’s office before their meeting. Our guy was paid off with a shit-ton of money that didn’t match the risk required,” Ryker informed. “What I want to know is should I be on the lookout for something else? Was this just a power play, or did they have an objective I’m not seeing?”

Santio scratched at the gray stubble on his jaw, contemplating Ryker’s questions. “The Leoni never do anything without a purpose, and intimidation is one of their favorite games to play. First, it’s a slipup like this, next it’s flowers in her room, poison in someone’s food, or even a kidnapping. The whole point is to show they can get to you, no matter how safe you think you are. You should definitely be on the lookout for more situations like this one. It’s just the start.”

Oh, goodie, just what I wanted to hear. I get to be the mouse for the cat to play with until they’ve killed me.

“Any suggestions on how to keep the vermin out other than turning this place into one giant panic room?” I asked, my bitterness coating my words.

“Lady Astin, I don’t think you understand how persistent they are once a target has been selected,” Santio argued. “You’ve been infected, and the only way to kill off the virus is to destroy all traces of it.”

My gaze flicked to Ryker then Braxton, who had equally displeased looks on their faces. “Then I guess that settles it. We’re going to finish up things here this week, then pay a visit to my grandfather. If the only way to kill the fucking pest is with fire, then I plan to drop a nuclear bomb on their ass. I want to make it clear to the whole fucking world that you don’t come after what’s mine and survive.”

“I believe that would do the trick,” Prospero assured me. “In the meantime, I’d suggest being hypervigilant in your surroundings. Trust your gut, Lady Astin. From what we’ve seen, you have a remarkable ability to see through the bullshit and keep one step ahead.”