Page 67 of King of War

“Yes, but there was no one he was more loyal to than Rayne.” He glances at her and she meets his gaze with a fierce glare.

“Except when he believed them over me,” she says, defiant and sad at the same time.

Guilt washes over me. I hate that I let her down so badly. But I would have believed her, wouldn’t I? If she’d just given me the fucking chance to. Except I didn’t give her a chance either, did I? I’m furious with my father, and wish he was still here so I could confront him. I look back on all those jibes, all those times he said she was like my mama. The insinuations that she was too close to Tommy. He was laying the groundwork, planting the seeds. He was my father. I trusted him, and like a fucking fool I let those seeds grow into something toxic.

“I know that I never gave you the opportunity to explain, Rayne. I was blinded by my rage. But I swear to you, I would have believed you.”

She sighs, weary. “And when would I have told you the truth, Enzo? After you’d just beaten your best friend almost to death in front of me? Or later when you told me you hated me and you would never believe anything I ever said again? Or maybe round about the time you started calling me a lying, cheating whore? ”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

She looks totally floored by my apology, and although it wasn’t my intention, at least it slows her roll.

“No point in rehashing what happened six years ago.” Micah pushes back his chair and stands. “If we’re to believe Rayne, not to mention Ethan’s dying confession, this was orchestrated by Carmine and our father. It destroyed both Rayne and Tommy in one move. Why else would they do that if not to break the bonds between them?” Micah looks to me. “The kinds of bonds that could topple an empire, no?” The latter feels like an accusation, and it makes my skin bristle.

“I would never have challenged either of them for the throne, Micah.”

His eyes narrow. The air grows thick with tension. “The thing is, you and Tommy together were already becoming unstoppable, Enzo. You were capo bastone, and Tommy was like your unofficial consigliere. Then you and Rayne were planning marriage and that whole tribe of kids you used to talk about. You were becoming too powerful, and our father recognized that in you long before Carmine did. The don knew that you were about to have everything you could ever need to become king. There’s a reason that’s what people call you.”

“It’s because my name means king, Micah. That nickname was from when I was a kid.”

“That might have been how it started, but it’s not why it’s persisted. Papa was grooming you for the top from the minute you became a man. He wanted the Medicis to be in charge again, and you know he did.”

“That was years ago. He and Carmine were always rivals, but they put their differences aside. Papa was his ally,” I remind him. “And might I remind you, they cooked this shit up together. Why would he do that if he wanted me on top?”

“Maybe Pop was playing the long game.” Luca speaks for the first time and we all look at him. “Pop never stopped pushing Enzo to be more. And he was a shrewd man is all I’m saying.”

Micah nods, like something just clicked into place for him. “He knew his time to challenge the don had passed, but you were fucking ripe to take over, Enzo. So he gets the don on his side, bides his time, and then you pull off a coup.”

“That sounds all well and good, except he didn’t orchestrate a coup, did he?”

“Because he couldn’t,” Rayne says, and now all of our attention is directed at her.

“Carmine hasn’t survived as the don for the past forty years by being stupid. What if he knew all about your father’s intentions and somehow blackmailed him to keep him in line?”

Christ! My head is hurting with it all. “So basically, they were trying to fuck each other over while they were also fucking us over?” I ask her.

She shrugs. “It sure seems like.”

“I just don’t understand how they could do that to us. It’s so fucking messed up. Who even thinks of shit like that?”

Micah stands and places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Someone who is scared of what you might have become. You had your loyal best friend. Four younger brothers who would follow you into any battle. And a strong woman at your side, in your bed, whispering in your ear. The only woman you would kill for without batting an eyelid. And that big brother, is what would have made you unconquerable.”

Rafael screws his eyes closed, like he’s as confused as I am. “So what the fuck does all this mean?” he snaps.

“It means that Carmine Falcone is a lying snake, and I’ve been loyal to him for six years for nothing,” I snarl, thinking of the promise I made him after Rayne left. The deal we brokered. My unwavering loyalty for her safety. Twisted piece of shit let me make that promise knowing she was innocent and that he was the reason I pushed her away.

“The real question is, what do we do about it?” Luca says.

I run a hand over my jaw, thinking. “Carmine is still feeding me the line that he’s going to hang Vinny’s murder on the Russians. But we know from Ivan that he doesn’t intend to take any responsibility. And if we believe him, Carmine is going to use it to pin the blame on me and form an alliance with the pakhan.”

“Makes sense to get you out of the way if he was grooming Vinny for the top.”

I nod. “Pity I put a bit of a dent in those plans, huh?”

Rafael smirks at my remark. We all hated Vinny.

Micah stands and starts pacing the room. “And an alliance with the Russians potentially makes him even more powerful. Especially if he can get the other families on board.”