Page 23 of Wounded King

We stare at each other for a moment, both aware that his words are not even close to the truth. He would die for me, and not only because I'm his capo. Him saving my ass has nothing to do with me paying him. He's got his own millions squirreled away. He doesn't need to work for me.

"Have you dug anything out about Casimo yet?" I ask to cut the emotional tension from the room.

"We don't know yet. I've been a little busy keeping you alive and making sure nobody got close enough to try again."

Shit. He's right. He must have been running himself into the ground. But he's also leaving out a few key distractions—like holding our entire empire together with both hands while I was stuck in a hospital bed. Running the business. Keeping the vultures at bay. Making damn sure no one got any ideas about exploiting our weakness.

Luciano, Angelo, Guido, Andrea—my underbosses—could've made a play for power while I was out. I wouldn't have blamed them. That's how this world works. But they didn't. They closed ranks. They made it crystal fucking clear to everyone that I was still in charge. I don't forget loyalty like that. I sure as hell don't let this go unrewarded.

"I almost forgot, your father came by," Luciano says after a moment of silence.

"Personally?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"A couple days late, but he wanted to make sure you're taken care of."

"I'm touched," I reply sarcastically. "Almost in tears, actually."

We exchange a grin. Neither one of us is a fan of my father. After my mom died ten years ago, he had me shipped to Italy so he could groom my brother Angelo to take over one day. He wanted me out of the way so I wouldn't challenge my brother. As if…

I had my own thing going on in Sicily. I was a happy man until dear old dad remembered me after Angelo's death and summoned me home. That was a year ago, and I can count the times we've interacted since on one hand.

He basically threw the extortion part of our business at me and told me to take care of it, which I did. Adding something to it that he didn't expect. Pharmaceuticals. A little billion-dollar side business I picked up in Sicily.

"How is his trial going?"

"He's got Judge Lambert. He's an unbribable hardass. But from what's been said, Carlos is talking to the state attorney and a few jurors." Luciano fills me in.

I drum the fingers of my uninjured hand on the bedrail, antsy to get out of here.

"I want him in jail," I finally snarl.

"I know." Luciano nods. My father was an asshole when I left, but lately, he's seemed downright unhinged. The trial has him on edge; he thought Don Edoardo would pull some strings to get him out of this, but apparently that hasn't happened. Not too long ago, we added a state senator, Preston Kingsley, to our assets. It would only take one word from Edoardo, and Kingsley would stop this trial. That he hasn't, speaks volumes.

"We need to find out the jurors' names and check on the state attorney."

"You got it, boss."

"And make sure Chirps has a car and driver."

"Chirps?"

I run my hand through my hair. There's no reason to keep secrets from my right-hand man, but what I feel for Chirps is still confusing the hell out of me.

"Violet, I heard her voice sometimes while I was out; it reminded me of a bird's chittering," I explain. The rest I keep to myself. Chirps might sound like an innocent nickname, but with the way I feel about her? The things I want to do to her? It's anything but.

He grins, taking me aback; he never grins like this. The only time I've seen him this animated was when I ordered him to kill Umberto, a snitch we both trusted and who cost us dearly in Sicily.

"It's damn fitting. She does twitter like a little bird." He agrees.

Damn, if Luciano has developed feelings for my little nurse, we have a problem, because I don't share.

"There's more," Luciano says darkly.

"Why do I have a feeling you saved the worst for last?"

"Because you know me too well?" His grin doesn't reach his eyes. Whatever he's going to tell me has him troubled.

"Spit it out."