Page 18

The mere taste of the words feels divine on my tongue as I whisper them to myself.
Still, it would be unprofessional for me to let that distract me. This deal comes with heavy risks, and the timing isn’t perfect, not with the failed assassination and not with the most recent warehouse issue. As the don, I would do everything in my power to secure both my mafia family and my nuclear family.
I swirl the drink in my glass as my mind darts to Aria’s father. I don’t trust that man, Abruzzi, which is why, after stationing men around him for protection, I have also asked Cortez to keep an eye on him. For all I know, he may be the one raising dust where there should be none…though, for now, he’s still in a coma. I also asked Cortez to find out who exactly was behind the attacks on Karl.
As for Aria,mia futura moglie(my soon-to-be wife), I’ve stationed men around her 24/7—in the office, around her home…tailing her—to ensure she doesn’t mistakenly spill that her newly engaged fiancé rules the mafia.
Speaking of which, she’s been hiding in her room since she moved in after the public engagement proposal. I only caught a peek of her speaking to the cook this morning, and she seemed to vanish right after that.
Two raps interrupt my thoughts. The sound of shoes clinking on the polished wood causes me to swivel my chair around and drop the glass on the table in front of me.
“Capo,” Cortez gives a slight bow, rising when I wave him into the seat opposite mine.
I lean back in my chair, fingers steepled, my gaze drilling into Cortez like a blade against flesh. “What have you found so far?”
Cortez shifts, his broad shoulders stiff, a muscle twitching in his jaw. “Three out of the six boxes of raw cash which were stacked in the warehouse are missing, along with a full stack of ammo. All the grenades, knives, guns… they’re all missing, too.”
His tone is clipped, and there’s a flicker of unease in his eyes. “That particular warehouse is one of the most secure. It shouldn’t have been randomly accessed as it’s secluded at the city’s edge. That’s why I believe it wasn’t a coincidence. Whoever did this knew exactly in which warehouse to find what they wanted.”
A growl escapes with my breath as I exhale slowly. My jaw tightens, tension building up in my muscles.
My voice is low but heavy enough to choke the air in the room. “After all the effort I made to purge this family, there’s a fucking mole. Someone definitely ratted us out and cleared the path for those bastards.”
Cortez nods, his fist tensing on the table. “I believe so, too,Capo. It wasn’t sloppy. They knew the layout and our men’s routine. All of our men were reported to have slept throughout their shift. I assume they were drugged. When I went over there myself, I noticed a vile of something hastily discarded in one of the bushes by the warehouse. The men said they all shared a bottle of expensive rum that was in the warehouse.”
My fingers tap against the polished desk in a calculative rhythm. My men are trained to be lethal and unyielding. And yet, someone drugged them and slipped through?
“What about the cameras? Couldn’t you fish the bastards out from the footage?”
“All cameras were broken,Capo. They must have been shot down. There’s no evidence at all about who the men were or how they got into the warehouse.”
“Cancel all my appointments for tomorrow morning. I’ll go there myself to look at the warehouse. In the meantime, find the whistleblower and the mole.” My voice cuts through the silence like a freshly honed knife. “Those are the only fucking people that may be able to tell us something. And when you do, bring them to me. Alive.”
Cortez inclines his head, unyielding determination apparent in his eyes. “Understood.”
“Identify every single round of ammo stolen. Track it. Whoever has my guns in their hands will lead us straight to them. Idon’t care how long it takes. I want them found. Every last one of them. And when we do…” I pause, letting the weight of my words sink into his bones, “I’ll make sure they understand what it means to steal from Elio Donatelli.”
Cortez meets my gaze with a firm nod.
I grit. If we don’t find them and send a message now, someone else will get ideas of stealing from me. And I don’t like repeating myself. “Double security around all the warehouses that hold our cargo, and for fuck’s sake, send men who don’t sleep at work!”
He nods, “Yes,Capo.”
Releasing an exasperated breath, I lean back and dig my fingers through my hair. Cortez doesn’t move.
“You’ve placed our men around Aria Abruzzi,sì(yes)?”
“Sì(Yes),Capo,” he nods firmly but his tightly pressed lips tell me he has his reservations.
“Talk,” I scoff.
“Can we trust her?”
I lean forward and place my hands on the table. I understand his concern, butmy wifecannot be our problem, at least not for now.
“Aria’s fine.” From the way his brows crease and the corners of his lips dip, I can tell he doesn’t believe me. As my half-brother, he, too, believes women are weaklings…weaknesses. It’s how our father taught us to view them. It’s how he saw Mom.
He breathes, adjusting stiffly in his seat. “I mean, I... I believe in your strategy,Capo. Every single decision you’ve made so far has been only for the good of this family, but can we truly trust her? She’s Deputy Chief Abruzzi’s…”