“Sit. Down,” I repeat.
If we’re going to get through this, now is not the time to fall apart. If we cry, fight, kick, and scream, the Coppolas will always come back to this moment when we’re faced with injustice and remember our weaknesses. I take Lydia’s hand and hold it between both of mine, and I won’t be the first one to look away from Luca. Even as tears roll down my face, I keep my shoulders back and my chin up in defiance.
Luca draws a curved line from collarbone to collarbone, referring to his gift.
I saw this and thought of you.
“If we refuse?” Talent asks.
“If you refuse,” Giovanni answers, and Luca finally releases me from our standoff. He’s just as interested in the consequences as the rest of us. “I have the name and address of every single female associated with Hush. I’ll pick them off one by one until you change your mind. And if I get through them, and you still haven’t agreed, I come after these two.” Indicating Lydia and me. “I’ll start on the people who work in this building. Your receptionist, your paralegals… I’ll even get that little motherfucker who works in the mailroom. A bunch of dead prostitutes might not ruffle any feathers with the public, but dead bodies at the Ridge & Sons building will. The death of your women will. I destroy you.”
“How long do we have to decide?” Wilder asks like he’s been offered a job after a lengthy interview.
Shrugging his shoulders, Gio holds his palms up, weighing his options. “Until I decide I’m tired of waiting. It could be tonight, tomorrow… a year from now. You’ll know when Lydia’s girls start to disappear.”
“There has to be another way,” David insists.
“I’m afraid not,” Giovanni replies. “But in exchange, Hush can operate with no interference from us. I’ll honor the terms negotiated by Inez Ricci and richen the deal by extending our protection to you. There will be no fee to operate in Grand Haven, and you won’t ever meet a competitor in the area. If someone wants to pay for pussy, it’ll be Hush pussy they’re paying for. This is your chance to truly become the most powerful woman in the city. Of course, don’t tell my wife I said so.”
“I never wanted this,” Lydia admits, finding no humor in his attempt at a joke.
“Inez chose you,” Giovanni says. “From what I’ve seen so far, she chose wisely.”
“And in the meantime?” Lydia asks.
Giovanni inhales a large breath, exhaling as he says, “In the meantime, I want fifty percent.”
“For what?” she snaps, jutting her chin in a show of strength.
Pushing his chair back, Giovanni comes to his feet and buttons his suit jacket. “For what? For what?” he asks, chewing it over. “For nothing, Lydia Montgomery. Pray it’s enough to appease me. The alternative is everyone you know and love turning up dead.”
Luca hums a happy tune, making a show as he stands up and kicks his chair across the meeting room. “It’s always a pleasure catching up with you motherfuckers. My feelings were hurt to find out I wasn’t invited to my favorite girl’s birthday party.” He gestures to me. “You’re not wearing my gift.”
Pulling the blue velvet box from my sweater, I set it on the table. “This one?”
“Camilla, stop.” Talent closes his eyes and rubs his temples.
“That’s the one,” Luca affirms.
“Luca,” Nicolai says, approaching his cousin. “Enough of this.”
Wilder stands tall, and if looks could kill, Luca wouldn’t have a head.
I slide the box across the table, sending it into a spiral that stops just before falling over the side to his feet. “Actually, a client gave me the same exact necklace for Christmas last year. You’ll have to do better than that if you want to woo me, Luca Coppola.”
If he’s the darkness, then I’m the fire starter.
And I will burn this entire place down.
My whole life has prepared for an enemy like him.
“Keep it.” Luca grins. The serpent is so cunning. “The day will come when I see you wearing it. Mark my words.”
My flame flickers, and I clench my teeth to keep it from dying out.
“Mark mine,” Wilder says, saving me from myself. “The day will come when I put a fucking bullet in your head.”
“Gunfight,” Luca says as he walks out the door. “Sounds fun.”
