Page 208 of Bitter Poetry

“Compensation? The actual fuck,” Leon snarls. “You’ve got some balls. I lost my father. You lost two soldiers!”

I throw an arm out, fearing he’s about to launch himself across the coffee table and strangle Grigor.

The collective soldiers around the room—six of theirs and six of ours—reach for weapons.

Grigory raises a brow and waves his men to stand down.

After a few heaving breaths, Leon does the same and jerks away from my arm, back against the couch.

“To be clear, Leopold Barone, I did not kill your father,” Grigor states calmly. “Ettore Gallo ordered the hit, fucked up, and came to me begging to clean up the mess before Cedro found out. I gave him a couple of soldiers who had disappointed me. He gave me something of value in return.”

Leon doesn’t blink. “And what happened to Cedro and his late wife?”

“Also Ettore, and another favor he claimed, which further indebted him to me. This business can be brutal. Certainly, I have experienced my share of ungentlemanly conduct by those seeking power. It goes with the territory.” He adjusts his right cuff. “But I’m old school. Killing women in one’s quest for power does not sit well with me. How other business ventures handle their disputes is none of my concern, beyond that I might exploit them with a clear conscience…” He shrugs. “I’m here today because Ettore Gallo treats his business partners with the same lack of respect he treats his own family.”

“He’s fucked you over worse than we did by killing the two soldiers,” Leon says, contemplatively.

Grigor grimaces. “Two more were left hospitalized, but if they were sloppy enough to let a boy get one over them, then they learned a hard lesson. And yes, Ettore’s rise has left him with confused perspectives and delusions. He thinks he’s more powerful than he is and has a short memory regarding favors owed.”

I don’t point out that Christian is not a boy in anybody’s books. I’d take that insult to the grave to get my baby brother back.

“You want Ettore,” Leon says.

The Pakhan inclines his head.

“That’s why you were after Carmela.” A red haze comes down over me. I only realize I’ve gotten up when Leon shoves me back into the seat.

Lots of guns are pointing for the second time in as many minutes.

“Please. Don’t disrespect me,” Grigor says, again waving his men to lower their weapons. “Mrs. Gallo would have been our temporary guest. We do not harm women in my circle, no matter how much their husbands might displease me. I have just said as much, did I not?”

“Don’t call her that,” I snarl.

“The future Mrs. Barone, then,” Grigor says placatingly “once your marriage of convenience is out of the way… I know a man who can be relied upon to fast-track annulments. I’d be happy to broker the introduction.”

Now the bastard looks amused.

Leon gives me a ‘what the fuck, Dante’, look. He waves our men to stand down. “Another time, maybe,” Leon says. “But why go to the trouble of snatching Carmela? Why not just meet Ettore and take him? The honest way that you profess to prefer.”

“We could, but then we would have to deal with his brothers and their soldiers, and war is costly. Jimmy Rizzo left a number of disgruntled parties when he disappeared. It would have been a little messy. And there are other options now.”

“You want us to take the fall. For Ettore’s brothers to come after us.” Although I don’t put it as a question, he nods.

“Correct. Maybe they will eventually figure out that you didn’t take him. But by then, the landscape will have changed, and Ettore will be dead. I’m sure you want Ettore, too. But I’m betting that you want your younger sibling more. You, unlike Don Gallo, appreciate family loyalty.”

Leon turns to me.

Grigor is right. I want Ettore, too, as does Leon. But I have an idea about that—one we can worry about after Christian is back… I nod.

“We have mutual goals, Grigor,” Leon says, focusing on the Pakhan. “Let’s negotiate.”

DANTE

THE PRESENT…

“Tell your men to put down their weapons, Ettore,” Grigor says.

“Like hell?—”