I nodded. The Camorra was one of the most powerful and oldest criminal organizations in Italy. Leona’s own family branched off from them before they moved to New York generations ago. “I worked with them closely for a few years before I formed the Shadows with Ryuji.”
All my brothers stared at me, surprise evident on their faces.
When the Camorra had invited me to learn beneath them, I’d jumped at the chance. I had originally been unsure about leaving my family, but after my sister’s reaction to me…I’d had no choice.
“Regardless,” I continued, hopeful to move the conversation along. Revisiting the past was unnecessary. Only pain lay there.“They are skilled in credit card fraud. They may have produced a hacker with elite capabilities.”
My brothers knew where I came from, and some of how I became the person I am today, but I’ve kept much of my history to myself. Even Ryuji barely knew about the time I spent with the Italians, and for now, I would prefer to keep it that way. When it became relevant, I would make them aware of my desire to undermine the Italian empire and replace it with our own.
But only when it became relevant.
“Does it matter?” Wynn asked, one leg resting over the other. “We know where he is and who he is with.”
“It fucking matters,” breathed Ciel.
“So we go after him?” Leona asked a moment later. “We know where he is. Let’s go finish him.”
“You’re the best assassins in the world,” Caspian added. “Be assassins.”
“I’ve been to the Tommaso estate plenty of times. I know the ins and outs. Now that we know he’s there, we can kill him.”
An awkward silence fell over the group. Each of my brothers looked at me.
“So?” Leona continued, eyes flicking between me, and the rest of them. “What are we waiting for?”
I inhaled deeply. “I think it is fair to say we all vastly underestimated Volpe.”
“It won’t happen again.” Leona’s words sliced through the air as she stared at me.
I had always been the leader of the Shadows, and my brothers had, for the most part, deferred to my ultimate decision-making. But as Leona stared at me from across the room, a defiant glint in her eye, I felt a glimpse of a challenge. It was the same she’d had in the van during our trip home after the explosion.
Iwantedher to be our queen. I wanted her to grow into her own power, so that we could acquire everything we’d dreamed of, together. We could rule New York and create a new future for our families.
But she was not ready. Leona may be brilliant, but her inexperience nearly got her killed. She needed guidance, a mentor to teach her how to exist in this world. In the meantime, I would remain in control.
Everything I did in my past was to become strong so I could keep the people I love safe. My siblings and my hometown were, for now. But I had only achieved that because I made choices separate from my own desires to gain the power I needed. That meant thinking with my head.
“It will not.” I picked my words carefully. “Which is why it is important to take our time assessing the proper course of action to remove Volpe as a threat. We mustn’t rush.”
“It’s notrushing,” she countered. “It’s finishing the job. Get in, get out. Dead.”
Ryuji stood and poured himself a glass of scotch from the wet bar. “Look, I’m all for a nice dose of revenge, but he got the drop on us once. He’s smarter than you gave him credit for.”
“Fuck off,” Caspian said snidely.
“I’m just speaking the truth,” Ryuji snapped back, one finger pointing over the rim of his glass. “You came to us for a reason, and that was because you couldn’t take him out by yourself. He knows what he’s doing, but so do we. We should wait until he’s least expecting it, and then I’ll slip into his bedroom and slit his throat while he sleeps.”
“And how long will that be?” Caspian replied, shifting on the couch. “When he’s fucking sixty years old?”
“When we are properly prepared for this job,” I answered for Ryuji before the argument between the two of them took a turn for the worse. “Leona, he may not even stay at Tommaso’s forlong. He could already be gone. Additionally, we do not want to make enemies where they are not warranted.”
Despite how he might be involved with Volpe, Tommaso could be a player we could use. We needed to choose our moves carefully. Her mouth pursed as she weighed what I said.
“Wynn?” she asked, looking at my youngest brother sitting beside her. “What do you think?”
Wynn brushed a hand over her knee. “I think the longer we wait, the more difficult it will become. I agree we should make plans to take out Volpe immediately.”
Leona’s eyebrows raised, and she nodded, as if to sayduh.
