Page 137 of Wounded King

"What's your name?" I don't give a shit what it is, but his answer will give me an idea of how easy or hard he'll be to break.

Not hard at all, it turns out. "I'm Elias White. I work for Donna Margarita."

Luciano and I exchange a grim glance. Donna Margarita's name keeps popping up all over the place. I don't like it. It's about time she and I had a conversation, preferably aboard my yacht. The sharks are very hungry around this time of day.

"That was almost too easy," I shake my head regretfully.

"Who is Donna Margarita?" Enzo wants to know, earning him one of Luciano's famous scorching glares. He's not happy the Vegas capo is here. Well, get in line; neither am I.

"A local problem," I put emphasis onlocalto get my point across.

Predictably, he shakes his head. "Nothing islocalif it puts my family in danger."

"Why does that woman want my daughter dead?" Enzo moves into Elias's line of vision. The man pales. Everyone knows Il Macellaio, even a scumbag from New York. The scars on his face are unmistakable. Some say he received them through unimaginable torture; others say he did them himself to frighten his enemies. I don't think we're at a point in our relationship where I can ask him about their origin, and I'm not sure I ever will, but they have the desired effect on Elias.

"She's after him. Not your daughter."

Normally, Luciano would have sent a smirk my way, but not today. Not when some good men died, and Violet's life is hanging in the balance.

"Why?" Enzo keeps up the interrogation.

"What part ofsilentobservermisled you?" I ask in a scorching tone. I don't give a shit if he's asking questions or not, especially not since he's getting answers, but I do mind him undermining my authority, which is exactly what he's doing, and he's well aware of it too. Bastard.

"I don't know," Elias cries, oblivious to the power play between Enzo and me. "I swear, I don't know."

"Take him and his friend for a cruise," I order Luciano, then keep the boat ready and ask Donna Margarita to join me."

Luciano raises an eyebrow, a silent question,Are you sure you're ready for this kind of war? Donna MargaritaisDon Edoardo's mother-in-law. It doesn't matter if there is any love lost between the two or not. An attack on her is an attack on him. But that woman has been trying to kill me for months now, and I want to know why. Granted, her latest attempt was probably a retaliation for the death of her lover, but she doesn't have any idea that I was behind it—shouldn't have, I amend.

I nod at Luciano.I'm ready. I'm ready for an all-out war. And so are Enrico and Toni. Stephano doesn't have much blood in the game yet, but he has indicated he would side with us, while his father will officially support Don Edoardo, keeping the family's options open for all eventualities. If the other capos and I succeed in removing Edoardo from power, we will keep Gustave around as a favor to his son. If Edoardo wins, Stephano might lose a finger or two, but his father's support of Edoardo will buy him his life. It's a cowardly way of politics, but wily and beneficial for the Conti family. I can't fault them for having two pokers in the fire. It does make Stephano a wildcard, though. So far, he's been useful and an asset, but I worry that shifty loyalties could leave us exposed. At some point, I'll need to have a serious conversation with him. Feel him out and see where he really stands.

"I'll have everything ready whenever you are," Luciano assures me.

"Good." I turn to Enzo. "Let's go back upstairs and talk to the doctors, unless you want to watch these two assholes become shark bait."

Enzo hesitates, gives the invitation some serious thought, but in the end, his need to see his daughter is stronger than his need to watch the men who brought her to the hospital die. A decision for which he has my respect.

"She's stable," Doctor Waspo starts in a measured tone. He knows exactly who he's talking to. The man responsible for his car accident and the subsequent broken bones. Which, honestly? Much better than he deserved for trying to kill me while I was in a coma. Luciano wasn't happy about my decision to leave him alive, but since he's the one on Violet's case, it turned out to be the right one.

"The bullet grazed her skull—a deep laceration, but it didn't penetrate. However, the impact caused a concussion and brief loss of consciousness."

I don't dare take a breath of relief yet and cross my arms over my chest to steady myself. "How bad."

"She's lucky. Very lucky. But this isn't a scratch we can bandage and forget."

He actually meets my gaze. I almost admire his balls.

"The next twenty-four hours are critical. We need to monitor her closely for signs of increased intracranial pressure, neurological changes, or potential swelling. If she shows any signs—slurred speech, loss of coordination, confusion—we'll need to intervene fast."

I glance at the closed curtain behind the glass sliding doors. Identical to the room I spent so much time in.

"She's not leaving this hospital tonight," he adds, almost like he can read my mind. "I know men like you don't trust easily. But this isn't negotiable."

"I'll have my own men on the door," I growl.

"That's fine. Post ten if you want. But she stays here, in that bed, under observation. Anything less is risking her life."

He lets the silence hang before he continues. "No noise. No stress. No phones. No visitors beyond what she can handle. Her brain needs rest, keep her calm and still."