Page 28 of Honor and Claim (A New Reign #2)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Z

T he color is slowly draining from Tullio’s face. He pushes the bowl of soup a few inches away from him.

“You hacked us. As in through the computer?” He sounds shocked.

A lot of these old timers think there are only FEDs tapping your phones or bugging your house.

“That’s not how things are done.” Tullio stands, searching the faces of the other families at different tables.

As though him doing so is going to change the outcome of this evening.

“Is that true?” one asks. “If so, that is not how we do things.”

“As Z said, you change or you get left behind,” War tells them. “The old ways are dying. Times are changing, as are the rules of the game.”

The murmurs start to grow loud. It’s making Tullio more confident. He’s nodding along with everyone.

“None of you are okay with any change. Everything I’ve done recently there has been pushback on,” War continues.

“And you just get to decide?” Tullio puffs out his chest. Cosima rolls her eyes.

“This is how it will be.” War's tone is filled with warning.

“You think we all will just allow this?” Someone else speaks. We knew this wouldn’t go over well, but we aren’t asking. We’re telling.

I took everything Dario told me weeks ago about the target on my head if people knew what I was capable of very seriously. If it puts a target on me, then it puts one on my wife as well. That, I couldn’t have. And I also won’t live my life worrying about them finding out.

“I won’t tolerate these accusations, and I surely won’t sit here and take them. We’re leaving.” Tullio thinks he’s on a roll now, already heading for the door, leaving his son behind.

Phones all around the room start to go off. Overriding if they’d had them silenced. I simply lean back in my chair and watch as everyone sees their secrets lighting up their phones.

“What the hell is this?”

“Who sent this?”

“How?”

A rain of questions pours from people as they check their phones. Tullio is fighting with the door that won’t open for him. The electric lock has clicked into place.

If there was fear about people knowing what I’m capable of and me searching out their secrets, I might as well do it. They won’t have to fear the possibility of it being done one day because I’ve done it already. I have all their secrets tucked away. So easy for me to send out if need be.

“Someone open this door!” Tullio shouts, shaking it. “Sal!” he shouts to his son.

“Everyone sit down,” War orders. Tullio's face is growing redder, but he makes his way back to the table, his attention on me.

“Yes, Tullio. Your soup is getting cold,” I tell him, draping my arm over the back of my wife’s chair.

“You poisoned it.” He swipes at the bowl, sending it tumbling to the floor as he pulls out his gun, aiming it at me. “I’m not stupid.”

Cosima tenses, and I stroke her bare shoulder with my thumb to soothe her. The whole room goes on edge. War makes a motion with his hand for no one to draw their own guns.

“You might not be stupid, but you’re not smarter than me,” I tell him. “I didn’t poison your soup. As I told you. Times have changed. Not going to poison your food.” What’s the fun in that? I turn my gaze to Sal.

“What’s wrong with you?” Tullio glances at his son but only momentarily; he’s still got that gun trained on me, but his hand is starting to lower. The gun is too heavy.

“I warned him that if he touched my wife again, he’d be a dead man walking,” I remind them.

“What—” Sal coughs. “What did you do to me?”

“You did it to yourself when you kissed my wife.”

“Why do you say it like that?” Cosima huffs. “It was only my hand, and I wiped it off.” She picks up her napkin, rubbing the back of her hand with it.

“How?” Sal gasps the word.

“I know your secrets. Welcome to the digital age. Even your medical records are at my fingertips.” Sal’s eyes widen before he starts to cough more.

“You poisoned me,” he manages to get out.

“You poisoned yourself.” Sal was the one who put his mouth on her. “I warned you.” I make a tsking sound. He thought he would come here and disrespect me, but the joke’s on him.

“What did you do? Someone call an ambulance!” Tullio shouts. “Or I’ll shoot him.” He lifts the gun back up a few more inches that had lowered, but it doesn’t last. The gun slips from his hand, hitting the table. He stumbles back a step before dropping back down into his chair.

Cosima lifts her hand, smelling the back of it. “It’s shellfish,” I reassure her. I'd never put anything on her that would cause harm.

“Really? It smells good.” She nods her head in approval. Sal slumps to the side, falling out of his chair.

“Someone,” Tullio gasps. “Help.” He blinks, watching me as I pick up his gun off the table, checking the chamber, and clicking the safety back on before handing it to my wife.

"Ah, you shouldn't have." She bats her lashes at me playfully. Cosima really was meant to be a queen.

“What did you do to me?” Tullios asks.

“Yeah, what did you do?” Cosima's eyes dart back and forth, as if she's eager to find out herself.

“His insulin pump,” I tell her. I hear a few people gasp.

Tullio rips open his shirt, trying to get to it, but it’s too late.

I couldn't fully complete that task on my own. That needed a bit of guidance from the pharmacy tech, but I made sure it was triggered. The fentanyl is now pumping through his system. Tullio’s eyes roll back before he falls out of his chair next to Sal.

Everyone sits in silence, all eyes on our table. I pull out my phone, causing a few people to tense up. I press the button to open the doors. The click of them unlocking is loud in the still room.

"See how easily Z did that," War says, standing from his chair.

His tone is flat and unyielding. "This isn't a threat.

It's a warning. Your secrets are safe," he tells them.

"For now, but don't think just because you kill Z or me that it will keep them hidden.

" Tova gasps. War leans over, kissing the top of her head. "Even in death we can expose you."

War lets that linger in the room for a long moment. Then he claps his hands together. “Now.” He smiles. “We’re here to celebrate; my wife is pregnant, and my sister has gotten married.”

“Same.” Cosima lifts her glass up over her head. A few people smirk.

“You’re pregnant?” Rochelle gasps, her eyes lighting up with excitement. Cosima nods.

War motions for the two bodies to be removed. “Have them bring out the next course,” he says.

“Yeah, I don’t think anyone is going to eat the soup now,” Cosima says, and a few people snicker, helping some of the tension bleed from the room.

“Dinner and a show?” Tova glares at War, who only kisses her in response.

“That was badass.” Cosima turns to say to me. “And I got a souvenir.” She holds up the gun.

“All right now.” I chuckle, taking the gun from her. Dario is smiling and shaking his head at us.

“I told you that it would all work out.” Dario says it loud enough for the whole table to hear.

“I think your father is bored in retirement. He’s now a matchmaker.” Rochelle is shaking her head but fully smiling.

“I’m more nudging people along. War was dragging his feet, and these two?—”

“Wait, you planned this?” Cosima asks. “But what about the Sal stuff?” Dario shrugs one shoulder.

“I made that deal before I saw what was happening between the two of you. But Sal still came in handy.” There is a smugness to his tone. He winks at me. His way of saying he's good with how things have played out.

“What about that one?” Cosima points across the table to Ronan, who is once again on his phone.

“All in due time.” Dario says it like it’s a promise.

I don’t think he’s wrong either.