Except for Lorenzo. You still need him to fill the only spot left empty.
I push those thoughts away as I enjoy the lighter conversation of the night. I let the blanket of love comfort me.
∞∞∞
Lorenzo
“Where are we with Fillipo?” Gio asks me as we sit in the meeting room at Bash’s.
“As far as I can tell, he’s stepping carefully. I don’t think he planned on things going south. It looked as if he’d been about to skip town until the commission made their decision to protect him. He must have friends in high places.”
“I don’t buy it.” Bash looks uncertain, which is unusual for him. “I understand where they were coming from. My father had been an unforgiving man. He had racked up quite the body count, but this was too close to home. I think he has someone in one of the other families protecting him.”
“I’ve vetted them all. I have men watching their moves discreetly. So far nothing’s turned up. If he’s working with another family, they’re keeping it quiet.” I inform them.
Every spare minute I have, I’ve been digging into the other families. It’s harder since they, like us, take precautions to disguise their movements, but not impossible. I haven’t figured it out yet though.
“What about Fillipo’s house? Have we gotten in there yet?” Bash looks as frustrated as I feel.
“We have,” Gio confirms. “I had one of the girls cozy up to him. He took her back to his place here in Brooklyn. She said it didn’t look like anyone lived there. Very sparse. When she mentioned the fact, he had been cocky. Told her that he would never bring her back to the place his wife lives. He told her it was his Brooklyn home where he fucks trash like her. She stayed the night and attempted to search the place, but said it was unusually clean.”
I frown as Giovanni gives his report. It’s the only address we have for him. Seems Fillipo has been doing a lot of things off the books lately. I grit my teeth in frustration.
“Just let me kill him. I don’t even care if the commission didn’t give us permission. I’ll take the consequences. You can tell them I went rogue.” The murderous rage that always lingers beneath my surface springs forward. The beast wants blood.
“I can’t let you do it, Lo. It would blow back on me, rogue or not, and you know it. Besides, I need you alive. You two are the only two I can trust right now.”
The beast growls, but I take a deep breath, attempting to put him back in his cage.
“Fine, but if he makes a move, I’m taking him out.”
“You will not! You will obey me, Lorenzo.” Bash’s booming voice does little to calm me. “I see the rage in your eyes. You need to control yourself. Fillipo has been planning something for a long time now. If we give in to our urge to kill him, he will win. We will have lost it all. Iwill notput my family in danger. I will not let another rule in my place. Instead of giving into these urges, we need to use that rage. We need to get ahead of him. Find his home, Gio. I don’t care what you have to do but do it. Bring his wife in. Kidnap his daughter. You find out everything you can.”
Gio nods before standing to leave. Once the door closes behind him, Bash turns to me.
“You have been an important part of this organization for a long time. I understand your rage. I feel it too. You need to calm it. Go see Mia. Release some stress. Let Gio handle this one. I’ll call you when I know more. I need you to keep it together, brother.”
I growl. “I can’t do nothing! This fucker is messing with my family. He’s a threat. It’s programmed into my DNA to get rid of any threats.”
Bash’s eyes harden. “He’s a threat, and hewillbe dealt with, just not right this second.Weneed to be smart about this, Lo. We can’t fly off the handle half assed. It will only get us killed or, even worse, our family. I know you don’t have any blood anymore, but you have Mia. Are you willing to put her in danger for this murderous rage I see in your eyes?”
The flames douse as an image of Mia flashes across my mind. Dirty blonde hair that stops just below her shoulders. Those hauntingly beautiful honey-colored eyes. Those delicious, plump pink lips.
Fuck.
“I will doanythingto protect Mia.”
“Then live for her! You can’t protect her if you go all vigilante and wind up killed as a consequence.” He pats my shoulder as he stands to leave. He’s at the door before he turns around. “What are you doing with her anyway? Are you going to publicly claim her?”
I growl, and he laughs.
“I think you already have.”
Then he leaves me sitting there, stewing in all the feelings I try to keep buried. I’m coming unraveled. I knew it was a matter of time; I just hoped I would have more time before it happened.
“Fuck!” I scream out in the now empty room. “I’m fucked.”
∞∞∞
