Page 78 of Captive Heart: Armani
“An honorable man. You are using my own words against me. I like it.”
“Look, I didn’t come here to lie to you—in fact, I originally planned to offer you my family’s winery. Because I know a successful, legal business enterprise in America would greatly benefit your operations here. And I thought the only way my family and I could save ourselves was to sell everything we have, take the money, and disappear. But that’s not on the table anymore. Because Bruno has signed his own death warrant. It’s over for him.”
He shrugs. “According to you, Mr. Bellanti. But you cannot predict the future.”
“In this instance, I can,” I say. “When the Italians find out that Bruno betrayed my father while they were allies, when they hear about the bomb Bruno planted on that boat, how he killed my mother, kidnapped my sister, then kept her identity a secret for twenty years, all for the purpose of employing her as a pawn—Bruno will bedone. So if you join forces with him, there won’t be a single Italian family willing to partner with you. And, worse than that, you’ll bring a whole new war upon the Bratva.”
“Ah, but what if no one ever finds out? These people who know of Bruno’s indiscretions…they could all die tragically,” he says, insinuating the worst. “And suddenly.”
He’s right, of course—if the Bratva kills my whole family, and the two former Bruno associates in jail, it’s possible that Bruno’s ordering of my mother’s execution—and Juliana’s kidnapping—could remain a secret forever.
But that’s not going to happen, thanks to the letters that my lawyer is sending to every family who has ever allied with the Bellantis or the Brunos. Complete with copies of Juliana’s DNA test, and digital copies of the phone call recording that Clayton just acquired. The news of Bruno’s treachery will spread like wildfire. He’s dead in the water.
After telling all of this to Orloff, I ask, “Do you really think I came here armed with this information and no plan to use it?”
He laughs. “Threatening blackmail. A quick way for a man to get killed.”
“This isn’t a threat. It’s a series of events that are already in motion, even if you kill me right now. Bruno’s crimeswillbe made known, whether you’re linked to him or not. Informing you in advance is a courtesy I’m extending because I’m an honorable man, and I believe that you are, too. But maybe you still want to take your chances. I can’t stop you. The choice is yours.”
“I’m done listening to you, Mr. Bellanti,” Orloff says.
I shrug, as if I have no skin in the game.
“That’s too bad, because I have some advice for you. Call off the alliance with Bruno. Keep the Bratva from getting pulled into a mob war with the Italians. Then ask your friend Armani Bellanti to arrange a meeting for you with Nicolo Riggante, as a courtesy. This will give you the opportunity to forge a better alliance, one that presents no danger to the Bratva and which your bosses won’t be unhappy with. Hell, you might even get a promotion.”
I saw the way his brows shot up in recognition when I mentioned Riggante’s name, but now Orloff shakes his head as if he can’t believe I dared to offer him my advice.
Without warning, he whips a gun out of his jacket and I find myself staring down the barrel of a Makarov pistol, a favorite of the KGB.
“Did you actually think I would fall for this?”
“Fall for what? I’ve provided you with information that will enable you to cut ties with Bruno, thereby preventing future strife with the Italians who will soon wage their own war on him for breaking our code. All you have to do is walk away, Orloff. It’s that simple.”
He cocks the gun.
I don’t break eye contact. I don’t blink. I’m barely even breathing.
“Alexei!” Orloff’s voice booms through the building in a cold, hollow echo.
The door opens and another man hurries inside. They speak in Russian, they laugh, and then my arms are grabbed from behind. The man spins me to face the door.
“Goodbye, Mr. Bellanti,” Orloff says. “Alexei will take care of you now.”
A gun is jammed into my spine.
I’m done. A dead man. This is it.
But at least I tried.
I gave this meeting with Orloff all I had in a last-ditch attempt to secure my family’s safety. But even though I failed, the fight isn’t over. My lawyer will execute my plans to take down Sergio Bruno and ensure that all the Bellantis are taken care of. Once Bruno is destroyed, my brothers can finally leave the mob. With their wives and children at their sides, they’ll be able to live the lives they’ve always dreamed of.
As Alexei marches me through the darkened warehouse, I think about my baby being born into such a strong, loving, and tight-knit family, and my heart begins to ease. Dante and Marco will be great substitute fathers. I couldn’t have chosen better men for the job.
I’m shoved roughly to my knees, and that’s when I realize I’ve been taken outside.
“Hands behind your back. Count to ten.”
Silently, I do. Ten. Nine. Eight.
