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Another strange feeling washed over me. My woman. As if I had any right to claim her. But who I was didn’t change the fact she didn’t deserve to have some asshole testing her will.

And Gabriel didn’t need an asshole as a father.

My skin prickling, I forced my attention back to how I’d handle the group of former enemies.

I didn’t like the required meeting more than any man who’d been personally invited. I’d had Gio make it abundantly clear no one could have a single decent excuse for missing. If they did, they’d soon learn why my reputation as a brutal leader was the first thing anyone said about me.

We were in a warehouse, one belonging to Lupini and his regime. With me taking the helm as tactical leader, it had seemed prudent to hold the meeting in a location owned by the other side.

Although I’d need to stop thinking of the Lupini Don and his soldiers as anything but members of the alliance.

The entire situation was amusing. Twenty-five men were standing in a crowded warehouse. There appeared to be a proverbial Red Sea in the center of the group, the space between the two former opposing sides measured in yards.

Gio stood off to one side, Drago on the other. They’d been tasked to keep the peace. However, if anyone dared turn this into a brawl, I’d have no choice but to make an example out of them. Given the rumbles and sarcastic remarks I’d already heard, I was beginning to wish someone would make a bad move.

I’d taken the liberty of providing art so any asshole who acted as if they didn’t understand my verbal directions could have their hand held. While crude in nature compared to the complex graphics I and my previous team had once worked with, I was forced to remind myself not all the men had IQs over ninety if that.

The colorized whiteboard had been placed behind me. The pictures would be scrubbed before we left. There was to be no evidence of our meeting or what we discussed.

I studied the group as a few grew hot under the collar. I’d been trained by a man while serving my country who’d taught me early on to keep my mouth shut and my ears open. The best way of learning about anyone, either friend or foe, was listening. But being a good listener also involved paying close attention to physical tics and other traits. Body language told a lengthy story.

After a few minutes of my utter silence, almost the entire group had grown antsy. They were standing in decent suits, every one of them carrying at least one weapon. And at this point, they were ready to hold a standoff as if shifting back in time to the battle at the OK Corral.

I found it somewhat amusing, but at least it allowed me to know what I was dealing with.

After tossing both Gio and Drago a look, I was ready to begin. I knew instantly Drago would be a problem, but I’d deal with him privately if necessary.

“Listen up,” I said. The loud boom of my voice seemed to surprise more than few. Since I rarely talked, not every man on my crew had any idea what my voice sounded like. Not all of them shut up.

I simply walked into the crowd, taking my time doing so. One thing I’d learned from Don Santorelli was that fear was a deep emotion that could be easily evoked by a look given from across a room.

The soldiers squashed their conversations, a few of them taking a step or two further away from me.

“As I said, listen. Do not talk. I don’t have all day, but you need to be made aware of the situation at hand.” I took the time to study each and every man’s face before returning to my perch. It felt like I was their fucking teacher.

I almost snorted from the thought.

“We have an unknown enemy determined to bring both our houses down. That’s not going to happen.”

“Then we kill the fucker,” one of the men from Lupini’s side muttered. Half the group laughed.

I took a deep breath and Gio was instantly shifting from one foot to another. He’d learned first and foremost how much I loathed being interrupted.

“Yes, we will, but we can’t do that until he locks down his lair. In order to feel free to go hunting, we need to have a solid wall of protection around both Don Lupini’s and Don Santorelli’s families and every business owned. That means round the clock shifts, which will stretch us.”

“Some of us are due for a vacation.” I’ll be damned if it wasn’t one of my men, a good soldier who’d been around for years. Hell, he’d taught me a few things.

I slowly turned my head in his direction. “Until this is done, no one gets any time off. We will find the person or persons responsible. We will protect the merchandise and the two regimes. And we will keep our heads about us doing so. However, if we need to remove some cockroaches, then we will. Just remember, we’re not trying to start a bloodbath in Chicago.”

“Why the fuck not?”

The man’s voice echoed. He dared take a step closer. I didn’t budge, but when I stretched, his eyes fell to the two weapons I had in holsters. He seemed to realize the error of his ways, backing down.

“Because the last thing we need is law enforcement breathing down our necks. You’re the top of the crew and you’re going to lead your men. Lupini soldiers, you will handle security of the residences and businesses. Santorelli crew, you’ll be in charge of scouring the streets, rattling our informants and taking photographs and notes of anything that seems out of the ordinary. I have some schematics for you to look at, formations you are to maintain while surrounding the buildings.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were ex-military,” Drago said from beside me.

I wasn’t here to roast the man, but I turned toward him, giving him my full attention. His head was cocked, a knowing smile on his face. I reminded myself to check his background. If I read his body language, I’d say he’d served his country as well. “The best trained men obtain their teachings from anywhere and from everyone they can. I’ve had very special teachers, men and women who would cut every one of you down to mincemeat within seconds.”