Page 16 of Love & Power

“Is there a doctor or vet on the property? There seems to have been a small accident, and Mr. Forte has gotten himself hurt,” Astin explained.

“Dr. Necci isn’t on the property at the moment, but we do have his assistant,” Gemma offered.

“Can they stitch up a wound?” Astin inquired. When Gemma nodded, she smiled. “Perfect, if you could bring them and whatever supplies they need, we can keep Mr. Forte from bleeding all over the floor.”

I watched as Gemma left the dining room, still unsettled about what happened last night between her and Astin. How none of us knew Astin was locked in that room with a fucking stranger, one skilled enough to be a bodyguard, had my blood boiling. It was part of the reason I didn’t stay. How could I hold her as she slept when I failed to notice something was wrong? Instead, I stood guard, sleeping in a chair just outside her door, ensuring that the woman I loved could have a peaceful night’s rest.

While Hound got bored, sat next to Jace, and began filling his plate, I didn’t move from my spot behind Aldo. This is where I would stand until I was satisfied this man posed no threat to my queen.

“Ryker,” Astin said, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Sit and eat. I’m sure Mr. Forte has a clear understanding of what will happen to him if he chooses to do something stupid.”

“I woul…” the look Astin gave me had me rethinking my life choices really quick, “… love to have some breakfast.”

Braxton snickered, but Jace placed a hand on his boyfriend’s arm. Instantly, Brax took the hint and sobered his expression. Grabbing the spot next to Hound, I looked around for the coffee, but there wasn’t a pot on the table.

“You want coffee?” a raspy voice asked from behind me.

“What the—” I swore under my breath as I twisted to see the ancient-looking woman waiting for my answer. “Ah… yes, just black is fine.”

She didn’t say anything but moved on to take coffee orders from the others and replaced Astin’s empty cup with a full one.

“I didn’t see her either, if that helps,” Hound shared as he buttered his toast. “Luca is good at being a sneaky bastard, but that woman is straight-up scary shit.”

“Oh, thank you, Anselma. I was just about to ask for another,” Astin said, smiling at the woman.

Hound and I watched as the creepy old woman smiled warmly at Astin, patting her cheek as if Astin was a child. “You look so much like your mother, it brings back many happy memories. It is a pleasure to watch over her child.”

Holy shit. How had I not considered what it would be like for Astin to learn about her mother from people who watched her grow up? She only knew what her father told her in his letters, which wasn’t much. Then again, he was trying to keep hidden the fact he was married to Casimira also so that must have made it harder to share. She’d mentioned that the room she picked was her mother’s, and I didn’t even check in to see how she was handling that part of this visit. Goddammit, I was slipping as both a boyfriend and a lieutenant. Thankfully, there were six others to pick up my slack.

“Are you satisfied with your introductions?” Frediano asked dryly once Anselma returned to the kitchen.

Astin scoffed. “This is your fault, you know. If I’d been warned there would be guests at breakfast, and who they were, none of this would have occurred. You, of all people, should understand not being the type to enjoy surprises.”

“I suppose there was a misstep in my choice since I consider you, first and foremost, my heir,” Frediano admitted.

If that was an apology, it was the weakest I’d ever heard, but coming from a Don of one of the five families, I suppose it’s all she was going get.

Astin rested her chin on the back of her hand, studying her grandfather. Up until a month ago, she didn’t know he existed or that she was heir to the Raffa Family. Yet when she needed him after her father was killed, he dropped everything to be there for her. In my personal opinion, this friction between them was caused by being far too similar in personality and having vastly different expectations for the future.

“That will be an acceptable apology for now, but you and I need to have an honest conversation on a few matters. However, I think it’s best for now if we move forward and conduct this breakfast as you had planned,” Astin suggested.

Frediano ran his hand over his close-cut beard as if trying to figure out what to do with this shit show. Having come to a decision, Frediano gestured to Armond. “My goal for this breakfast was to allow you to meet some of the people who I believe will be valuable to us as you take down three of the five families. As you know from previous conversations with the Old Guard and myself, the Zuccaro Family has been a long-time ally to the Raffa Family.”

“I agree we need to change who holds the power. The Accardi Family is stealing women and children off the street and selling them. They don’t care who those people might be connected to or whose children they might be. The five families might not all like each other, but there was a level of respect for earning our place in the criminal world. We all agreed on certain limits and lines we wouldn’t cross, and children were at the top of that list. For some unknown reason, something has changed within the Accardi Family, and I believe their ultimate goal is to wipe out the Raffa and Zuccaro Families, leaving them with more power,” Armond shared.

Anger welled up in me at hearing about innocent people being snatched off the streets. I knew every country had its issues, and some were worse than others, but hearing about children being mistreated always made my blood boil. You’d think being part of a large criminal organization, I wouldn’t be surprised, but like Armond said, there were lines you don’t cross. Everyone has family or children they treasure. By the Accardi opening that door, it leaves them open to retaliation on the same level. You come after my kids, then I’ll come after yours, simple as that, and no one’s safe.

“Gemma had mentioned to me she’d personally been dragged into a van and sold off until a mutual friend was able to rescue her,” Astin mentioned.

Pausing in my eating, I was curious to hear what our queen had to say. Astin was as complex as a Rubik’s Cube with so many sides and pieces that made her who she was. Something I learned a long time ago was she didn’t like bullies of any kind. Jace had mentioned a situation on their date where Astin offered to help a woman get out of her marriage to a cheating bastard. I hadn’t been surprised by that at all—it was exactly the type of thing she’d do.

“This is absolutely a problem. However, taking the Accardi out of the picture will only be the first step. Let me be blunt and honest with you,” Astin said, squaring her shoulders, preparing for potential backlash. “While I will offer whatever support I can to make sure the rampant human trafficking is dealt with, that is not my main focus. The entire reason I am here is to annihilate those who have been seeking to destroy my family. Once I’ve dealt with all those who participated in my parents’ deaths, my job is done.”

Clearly, this wasn’t what any of the older gentlemen sitting at the table expected to hear. Frediano looked as if Astin had just slapped him in the face the way he pulled away at her words. Armond’s brows knit together as he tried to understand what Astin was saying to him. Demaso appeared to be more contemplative, but the slight downturn of his mouth betrayed his true feelings.

“I’m sorry…” Demaso started, then paused, “… you’re not here to lead the new generation of families?”

“Precisely,” Astin said, then sipped her coffee. “I’m here for revenge. You’re gonna need to find someone else to be the ringleader of this circus. Besides, how would that even work? My first priority is leading the Caprioni Family and upholding everything my father built. He left Nepreea and created a criminal empire to rival that of the founding families against all odds. That is the legacy I choose to protect, grow, and devote my time to. Eventually, that will shift to include my Raffa heritage once Grandfather can no longer lead, but by then, I’ll have things well in hand at home that I can split time between both countries.”