Page 169 of Caught in the Crossfire

“Leona, running will only make this more difficult for the both of us,” I called after her. The second half of my plan wasn’t blown yet. I could catch her and Cas, and get them both out of the city before this got worse. With Leona out of the way, the Family would have no choice but to accept me as the new leader.

She reached the landing of the stairs. David and Elio were still trying to get the crowd under control downstairs. Their chatter in my ear was distracting, but I couldn’t focus on it. I had to focus on her.

I aimed carefully to the side of her, intending to get her to freeze. I fired two shots at her feet, nowhere near close enough to actually hit her. She shrieked and launched herself down the stairs. I leaned over the railing, watching her run straight to Cas. He wrapped his body protectively around her.

“They’re in the main hall,” I said in my comms. “Find them. Don’t let them leave the estate grounds.”

“Yes, boss,” David said in my earpiece. “The other Heads and their teams have scattered. Elio and I alerted them to your new position.”

“They agreed to our temporary terms?”

“Yes, boss.”

I exhaled slightly in relief. At least one thing had gone off without a hitch. I’d carefully blackmailed each of them into allowing this coup to happen. I’d deal with them in a joint summit once I secured control over the Vero forces. The men would easily transition to my leadership—I’d been leading them for years at this point—but I expected at least some resistance and questions about why I took control.

I stalked back to Luciano’s office, grabbing my knife, his gun, and then the key he kept in the hollowed-out book on the shelfbehind the desk. I locked the study and tucked the key into my breast pocket. I’d have to deal with his body later. For now, everything in here was evidence of his crimes. The documentation he’d kept was extensive, and I needed to have complete control over it.

“We found them, boss,” one of David’s men said. “Back entrance, by the kitchen.”

“Keep them there.” I took only a moment to steel myself.

I was about to face off against my best friends. I had to be prepared for anything.

By the time I walked through the kitchen, Cas was pointing both his guns at David and my new security staff. Leona cowered behind him, her hands twisted into his suit jacket.

“The Don?” he asked David. “Is he safe?”

I stepped up. “There’s been a change of leadership, friend.”

Confusion and fear flitted across his face before he frowned. He took in the blood splatters on my suit while I tried to ignore Leona’s flash of red hair and her body pressed against his.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” he asked. “Where’s Don Luciano?”

I stepped closer. Cas was loyal to a fault, especially to Luciano. The old Don had saved Cas’s life, fed him, housed him, clothed him, and given him a job guarding the love of his life. There was no use in hiding that I’d killed Luciano, but Cas would never understand why I did what I did.

“I’m afraid the Don is no longer with us,” I answered him while a war raged inside me. “I am taking over the position effective immediately.”

“What did you say?” Cas breathed. He looked between me and Leona, clearly putting the puzzle pieces together. “Tell me you’re lying. What happened?”

I shook my head slowly. I couldn’t tell him the truth about everything, and especially not about the Camorra or about RICO. The Family would implode. He and Leona would implode. I wasthe only one strong enough to do what had to be done. But there was no use in lying. Leona saw everything.

“I shot him in the head myself. Leona was there.”

“Tell me this is all a sick joke,” he said. “That you’re playing some elaborate prank on me like you both used to when we were kids.”

I sighed, dropping the ammo clip from my gun and loading a new one. Just in case.

“How dare you?” Cas’s voice dropped. I expected this. I knew they’d both hate me after tonight. If I followed through with the plan, they’d be alive, and that was all that mattered. “How could you, Max? After everything the Don has done for us? After all we’ve been through together?”

Anger boiled in my veins. He had noideawhat the Don had done. “Put your gun down, Cas. It doesn’t have to be like this.”

“I’ll kill you for this,” he snarled. “Mark my words, Max. I’ll watch the life drain from your eyes. I’ll kill you for everything you’ve done tonight.”

He was telling the truth. I could see his rage in his eyes. I could see it in the way he protected Leona with his body.

I inhaled and exhaled deeply. I sank back into that place. When all of this was done, I hoped he’d be the one to kill me, but not until I’d finished this. “I know, my friend. But not yet.”

I gestured to Elio to capture them. He knew the plan was to get them out of the house safely and transport them to the landing strip where I had a plane waiting to fly them off to the remote island I’d purchased in Alaska.