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I ’m pacing my office when the door opens. I whirl around, ready to attack whoever enters, and have to quickly rein myself in when I see Benjamin. Huffing, I gesture for him to sit while I head towards my desk chair. I sneer at it before sitting, hating being in this position.

“Alright, let me have it.” I wait patiently for Benjamin to speak, even when it takes him two tries.

Sighing, he leans forward, putting his elbows on my desk. “I spoke to Ignacio and Marcus, who, by the way, both look beat up to hell. They recommend the Cartel or the gang on the west side. They did note that it’s probably going to be costly—including contract negotiation.

“Ignacio has a contact with the gang. I’ve sent him and Marcus there. As for the Cartel, I was told they’d only talk to the Boss. I know there were issues before with them, so…I’ll leave that up to you.

“They raised a good point that letting too many people know what’s going on could open us up to a takeover attempt. The gang doesn’t have the manpower, but the Cartel…”

“If the gang doesn’t have enough manpower to take over, that makes me question if they’ll have enough to provide the help we need.”

I frown, trying to calculate the odds of whether the Cartel would actually help.

“We can try. Let’s move this to Master’s office. He has all the contact information. I know we got into a fucked-up situation before, with Marcus killing the Cartel members. I wasn’t here, so I don’t remember the exact details. We had to increase a percentage for a year, so there’s precedent. The problem is…Marcus killed Ricardo’s nephew. So I’m not sure if he’ll put any of his men at risk for us.”

Benjamin follows me to Master’s office and takes the Second’s seat while I slide behind Master’s desk. “Hmm. With that information, do you think even bringing this to them is a good idea?”

“No. I don’t have a fucking clue.” I tap my fingers along the desk, glaring at the phone as I question whether the risk is worth it. The number for Ricardo is there, and I can easily record him, but…it’s such a fucking risk.

“Well, Jude was going to check into some things on his end. Why don’t we wait before going down that route? Find out if the gang can help, and then, if needed, we can look into the Cartel.”

Pleased with his plan, I smile at Benjamin. I certainly picked the right person to be my Second. It’s a fucking relief. I purse my lips when Benjamin’s expression doesn’t change. Fuck . I have a feeling I know what this is about.

“I can cut off Ignacio’s ring finger,” I suggest hopefully. If it’ll make Benjamin feel better, I’m more than happy to help. Plus, it won’t take Ignacio out long-term. It’s win-win.

Snorting, Benjamin shakes his head at me before staring at the Martelli crest. “Do you think… I mean… Fuck. Ignacio is working with me on this. It’s fine. I just…don’t understand him. He actually said I was doing a good job. What the fuck, right? Where was he all this time?”

With a pained look, I try to figure out what the hell to say. He didn’t rule out taking off the finger, so… “I don’t really know what Ignacio is thinking. Maybe he’s finally figured out that he fucked up. Maybe he wants to make amends. However…we’re all criminals here. We’re all used to getting our own way, by whatever method is needed. Our motto is Loyalty, Courage, Victory. Where has his loyalty been? Do you really feel one night is enough to change him?”

Benjamin doesn’t say anything as he stares at me. The clock ticks by, but the silence is not uncomfortable. It never is with him—even with these fucking feelings. Exhaling, he gives me a weak smile. “And that is why friendship rules dictate you’re not allowed to leave. And Roman can’t have you. Thank you for putting things into perspective, because fuck knows I can’t. I guess the most I can do is wait and see what happens with him. It’s hard enough waiting to see how Tennant is, which is killing me.”

“Ah, yeah. I would think we’d have heard something by now. Let me send a text to the person you are refusing to like—because you’re ridiculous—and see what he says.”

I laugh at my friend’s look of disgust. I don’t understand his issue with Roman, but I let it lie. If he’s going to be with Tennant, he’s going to have to learn to accept Roman.

We both jump when the phone rings. Jesus, I’d only just sent the fucking text. Picking it up, I put it on speakerphone. “Roman, it’s Lio and Benjamin here.”

“Good,” he states in a crisp voice. “I need you here, Lio. I have information from Jude, and I think it would be beneficial for all of us to talk about it in-person.”

I hesitate for a moment, not wanting to leave my territory. When Roman makes an impatient noise, I roll my shoulders back and respond. “We’ll be there. When?”

“Now. We want this wrapped up quickly, as Tennant and Joel are on their way back.”

Benjamin gasps as he stands, already walking out of the door. “Sure, it appears I need to catch up with my Second anyway, since he’s headed there with or without me. Looks like he's ready to see a certain Amato.”

Roman gives a muted laugh. “That tends to be the case with Tennant. There’s something about him... We’ll see you soon.”

I hang up, and for a moment, I just breathe. Whatever plan Roman and Jude have come up with, I hope it’s solid. And I fucking hope we hear from Ignacio and Marcus soon. I’d rather not go to the Cartel, but I will.

As I leave, I take a moment to question whether I can remove Ignacio’s finger without too much issue. Would that be morale boosting or the opposite?