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Raffaele exhales, clearly annoyed by the question. “He’s betraying his own people to put me on top. Dino’s got a lot on the line, and he wants to be sure about who he’s working with.” His tone suggests I shouldn’t even be asking.
Traitors working together to climb to the top—how fitting, I think. Raffaele and Dino are cut from the same cloth, both men willing to betray anyone to serve their own ambitions.
“Come on,” Raffaele demands.
I take a deep breath and follow him into the front sitting room. It’s a small, worn space, with furniture facing a large window overlooking the front yard. Three men in suits stand inside. One is near the door, arms crossed, while the other two are searching the room, checking under cushions and rifling through drawers.
“What’s this, Dino?” Raffaele asks, irritation clear in his voice.
Dino, the man near the door, doesn’t even glance over. “Just a precaution.”
“No trust?” Raffaele asks.
Dino finally turns, locking eyes with Raffaele. “I’m putting my ass on the line here, Raf. Trust comes with precautions. You understand that.” He gestures to his men as they continue their search. “We aren’t exactly swapping cookie recipes, are we?”
I can feel the tension in Raffaele. Being forced to wait in his own home while Dino’s men search is clearly getting under his skin. Dino holds the power here, and it shows.
After a few more moments, one of Dino’s men nods. “It’s clean.”
Dino pulls out his phone and starts playing soft music. Raffaele gives him a confused look.
“It’s just a precaution,” Dino explains casually. “Don’t want any ears outside this room hearing what we’re talking about.”
The music is subtle, just loud enough to muffle our voices but dull enough that we can talk over it comfortably. Clearly, Dino’s no amateur.
Raffaele nods, though it’s clear he doesn’t like it.
“Let’s sit,” Dino says, gesturing to the couch.
Raffaele and I sit side by side, while Dino takes the armchair across from us. His body language is relaxed, but his eyes are sharp, taking in every detail. Tom stands off to the side, while Dino’s man posts up near the door, arms crossed, watching us closely.
“So it’s the three of you?” Dino asks, leaning back in his chair.
“Yeah. This is Nicola,” Raffaele says, nodding toward me. “And that’s Tom.”
Dino’s gaze narrows as it lands on me. “They know the plan?”
“They know what they need to know,” Raffaele replies, his voice tight.
“Alright,” Dino says, his attention still fixed on me. “I want to hear it from them.”
Raffaele shoots me a sharp look. “Nicola, tell him the plan.”
My throat tightens, and panic rises. I wasn’t expecting this. My mind races as I try to piece together everything Raffaele has told me.
“Nicola,” Raffaele growls, frustration seeping through.
I take a breath, my hands gripping the edge of the couch. “We’ll go—”
Dino raises a hand, cutting me off. He turns to Raffaele. “You’re scaring her. Give us the room.”
Raffaele blinks, caught off guard. “What?”
“I need the room,” Dino repeats firmly. “I want to go over the plan with her and make sure she knows it.”
Raffaele’s jaw tightens. “This is my house.”
“And this is my plan,” Dino snaps, his voice cold. “My ass is on the line if things go wrong. I need to be sure she knows what she’s doing, and I don’t need her freezing up because you’re breathing down her neck. We do this my way, or we end it here.”