Page 67 of Wicked Throne

My chest felt like it was throbbing, and it snapped me from my thoughts.

Reading the screen, I found myself starring at Cassidy Torrio’s name on my screen. We hadn’t talked since Italy. He had come on behalf of his father to speak with me and in all of this mess had been our only ally.

“This is Thierry,” I spoke, searching the crowd for Enzo.

We locked eyes and I waved him towards the office.

“Hey Thierry, I got some bad news,” Cassidy started.

“Give me a second, going somewhere quieter.”

Dodging in and around people, a waiter nearly spilled a tray full of drinks on me. They looked apologetic but I didn’t stop. The office was on the other end of the building but somehow I made it there quickly.

Enzo was right behind me. My hands dug into the steel of the door. The cool feel almost seemed to invade my body, starting with my palm first before spreading. I still had the phone to my ear when Enzo rushed in.

“What’s up?”

“Cassidy’s on the phone.”

Enzo frowned in confusion. I closed the office door and then put my cellphone in the middle of the desk and hit the speakerphone.

“Alright Cassidy, I have Enzo with me. What’s going on.”

“War,” Cassidy murmured. “Have you talked to your father lately?”

I looked at Enzo and he shrugged. “I talked to him right when we left for Miami. Why?”

“With the exception of my father…all the other Dons….”

“The other Dons what?”

“Someone took their heads….fucking decapitated them, Thierry! The families want blood. Your blood. The Dons have been missing since they were supposed to meet you in Miami.”

Enzo and I came to a realization, that that was why we hadn’t seen them. There had been not so much as a shred of evidence that this was going on. We knew they would have come with their own protection but on Giancomo men had been waiting for us.

“I had nothing to do with this,” I said. “They never showed to the meeting. When we arrived Talia’s men were waiting. When you say all of the Dons…”

“Yes, Talia’s father was among them. My father is safe but…”

“She’s coming for him,” I finished.

“Talia has gone batshit crazy.” Enzo had started to pace the room and I was sure by the end of it he was going to have worn a hole in the brand new black and red carpet.

“I’ll be on the next flight to New York within a few hours.”

“Thierry be careful…I never knew what went down with you and Talia and her family but whatever it was…she never got over it.”

We ended the phone call and I leaned against the desk. I was deep in thought when Enzo sighed. Looking up I saw how worn out he looked. We had never asked for this life; we had been born into it. I knew what was expected of me but I had hoped one day Enzo would go off to college, marry some woman and stay far away. He’d only done the marrying part.

“You’re going to stay here, and keep an eye on Diamond,” I replied.

“No, I should go with you, and have your back.”

“Fat chance. You’re married now and you can’t go off every second of the day.”

“You’re married too, brother.”

“I am but my wife hates my guts so there's that.”