Page 19 of Dangerous Intent

FIVE

Marchello

While I admiredLissia’s strength, it also frustrated me. I never knew what her unpredictability would mean for our future.

My father looked up from his desk. “You’ve fallen for a wild card. A woman who cannot possibly be tamed, and a Gallanti of all things.”

“She’s more than a Gallanti to me.”

He was right. I had fallen for a wild card. Lissia had the potential to blow up everything my family worked for with one impulsive tantrum. But there was no going back.

“Dad, I know how you feel about relationships.” I flipped through the files from the dealership that needed the attention I hadn’t given them since we found out about Gian.

“Women are complicated,” he said.

“I realize I have proven you right. Women are distractions.”Especially the woman I’ve chosen.“I can do better. I can make this work now that you’ve eliminated Gian.”

“Chello.” He rested his chin on his fingers. “You didn’t let me finish.”

“Sorry.” I took a breath. Now that he was back, I was second and he had the floor.

“This is the woman you’ve chosen, and you have my blessing.”

“What?”

“Lissia is one of us.” He set the pen he had been holding down on his desk.

“She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I hate seeing her suffer, but I’m grateful for what you did to Gian. How could he hurt his daughter like that?”

“Gian was a threat to all of us.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t take him out when you told me to.”

“Things were complicated for you.” He ran his hand along his jaw. “But now it’s time to get serious. There’s no more room for error.”

“Understood.”

“I have to finish the job I started and rid my territory of trafficking. Shutting down what Gian brought here will be essential to our business.”

“We will.” My stomach twisted and acidic bile rose in my throat when I thought about what Gian and Collins wanted to do to my beautifully spirited girl.

I will kill Collins.

“I have to go back underground,” he said. It’s the only way to maintain control.”

“But you just got back. You know what happened to Miguel, and the cartel can’t expect you to leave your territory again. That doesn’t benefit them.”

“The cartel trusts you and Milo to handle things while I hunt the people who thought it was a good idea to run such an operation through my territory. If I don’t, others will come and move whatever they want through here. We will lose control.”

“We can stop them together.”

“No.” He slammed his fist on the desk. “I don’t want to leave you and Milo, but if I don’t do it now, we’ll never get these people under control. I have to make an example of them, and I need you and your brother here to run the business while I’m gone.”

I couldn’t argue with him. Not because I couldn’t win, but because he was right. Milo and I had to show that our family was in charge. We had taken care of Gian and exposed a sex trafficking ring, and if an Accetti didn’t handle the problem, we would look weak. So who better to take care of such a job than the notorious assassin and the head of the family?

My father’s fearless persona and ruthless tendencies made him a legend. Collins had no idea what wrath he had unleashed by taking on our family.

“Besides.” He smirked. “I like being out in the trenches. It makes me feel young again.”