Page 85 of The Mafia King's Lost Son
I nod. It’s a smart idea. Keep your potential enemy close, but not close enough to do damage.
He asks my opinion on timing, routes, and how many men is too many. And he listens when I answer.
Sometime around two in the morning, bent over maps and screens, with coffee going cold beside us, I realize something has changed between us.
I’m not just his baby mama or a woman who needs his protection—we’re partners.
22
DANTE
I call a meeting with my inner circle at six in the morning, too restless to wait any longer.
Viktor arrives first, which isn’t unusual. He’s always been punctual, always prepared, always exactly where he needs to be. It’s one of the reasons I’ve kept him as my second for fifteen years.
Marco comes next, then Santos, Dimitri, and Roy. My most trusted men. The ones who’ve proven their loyalty in every way.
Except one of them might not be loyal at all.
“We have a lead on the ledger’s location,” I say once everyone’s settled around the conference table. “St. Sebastian’s Cathedral in Brooklyn. Abandoned since the eighties. It was the Marchetti family church for generations.”
Viktor leans forward. “How solid is this intel?”
“Solid enough to act on.”
“What’s the source?”
There it is. The question I’ve been waiting for. The one that tells me whether my suspicions have any merit.
“The source is reliable. That’s all you need to know.”
Viktor’s jaw tightens slightly but he nods. “When do we move?”
“Not we. Small team. Marco, Santos, and two others I’ll select. Reconnaissance first to confirm the location, then extraction if we find it.”
“You’re not going yourself?”
“I’m staying here. Someone needs to protect the estate while the team is out.”
Viktor sits back in his chair and I watch him process this. Subtle expressions flicker across his face too fast for most people to catch.
But I’ve spent twenty years reading people. Learning to spot lies and manipulation and hidden agendas. It’s how I’ve stayed alive this long.
And right now, Viktor is showing tells I don’t like.
“We should discuss entry points,” Marco says, pulling up the cathedral blueprints on the screen. “Three main entrances. The front doors are too exposed. The side entrance through the rectory gives us cover but limited sight lines. The crypt access is underground and defensible.”
“Crypt makes the most sense,” I say. “If Antonio hid something there, he’d want it protected. Underground. Fireproof. Symbolic.”
“How do we know he hid it himself?” Viktor asks. “Could’ve been family members. Associates. Anyone with access to the cathedral before it closed.”
“Antonio trusted no one with his insurance policy. He would’ve placed it himself.”
“Still seems like a risk. Going in blind based on a lead that might not pan out.”
I turn to look at him directly. “You have a better idea?”
“Just suggesting we verify before committing resources.”
