Page 35 of Leave Me (Touch of Death 2)
“I can’t imagine you came all the way to New York just to tell us how bad of a job you think we did,” Nero says, and I’m grateful to him for the diversion.
Gabriella’s eyes linger on me a beat longer, probing, digging beneath my words, before she finally tears them away and looks at Nero. “No, I came to propose an alliance.”
Nero’s eyes narrow, and he taps his index finger over his bottom lip, a habit of his when he’s deliberating something. “And how would an alliance with you benefit me?”
“Enrique killed my father and hunted my sister down like a stray dog. He’s hired the Elite to come after Adelina and now your family.” Her shoulders rise and fall on a deep breath. “I know you want him dead, Nero. You aren’t built to let that kind of offense go.” She isn’t wrong.
I know Nero wants to string Enrique Bianchi up by his ankles, but he hasn’t. Yet. Truthfully, I’m almost proud of his maturity in the matter. He’s placing business and the wellbeing of the mafia over his own personal vendetta. The rational soldier that I am approves of his behavior, though I admit, certain weakened bits of me wish he would return to his former rash self.
Nero casually crosses his ankles and flicks a piece of lint off his sleeve. “I can’t be seen involved in Sicilian affairs.”
“He brought an army to your door. He practically declared war,” she snarls. “You’re Nero Verdi.”
His jaw tics, and his eyes harden to a glacial stare. “That still doesn’t answer my question. How would an alliance with you benefit me?”
A small smile touches her lips, as though she knows something he doesn’t. “You may think me weak, Nero, but I’m still Gabriella Ricci. That name holds weight.”
“Does it? Or was it only Eduardo Ricci’s name that had any real meaning?”
She visibly bristles before taking a slow, measured step toward Nero. “I still have my alliances, Nero. I will destroy Enrique Bianchi with or without you.”
For a moment, Nero says nothing, and then a slow smile creeps over his lips. “Spoken like a true Ricci.” He pushes to his feet and starts to move past her, pausing when they’re shoulder to shoulder. “Those manicured hands of yours won’t stay clean for long, Gabi. You’re right; you do appear weak. Show them all otherwise.”
Gabriella’s jaw tenses, and she lifts her chin before giving the smallest of nods.
He strides past me toward the door. “I will discuss your proposition. Stay tonight, and we’ll speak tomorrow.”
He leaves the room, and Gabriella releases a long breath. Those dark eyes seek me out, hard, and yet there’s a softness to her that’s reminiscent of her sister.
“You think I’m weak,” she says quietly.
I frown, confused as to why she would voice this, as though my opinion would mean anything. “I think that we do what we have to.”
“Adelina is all I have left.”
“You’re willing to risk everything for her?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“And she’s willing to marry Bianchi to keep you from war; yet, here you are, starting one anyway.”
He jaw tenses. “She thinks she’s saving the family, but tell me, what is any of that worth when there’s no family left? She and I, we are the Ricci legacy.”
“And is that why you want a war? For the sake of a legacy?”
“Power is everything in our world. If Enrique marries her, he’ll take over what’s left of my father’s empire. And that may be worse than killing him. Daddy would be rolling in his grave, but mostly because his daughter is married to that monster.”
I think of the jagged cuts carved into Adelina’s skin with Bianchi’s initials, and my fists clench instinctively.
“He died trying to stop this.”
I know, all too well, what Eduardo Ricci suffered for his mistake; however, I can’t feel sympathy for a man who would barter his child to begin with. Gabriella is just a grieving daughter and a desperate sister trying to pick up the pieces of something he put into motion before either of them were old enough to comprehend any of this.
“I just want my little sister back. It’s my job to protect her, not the other way around.”
I pity her, and that doesn’t happen often. “She’s determined to kill him. She won’t be swayed.” Not by me at least.
“I’m willing to fight for her, but I need Nero. I need you.” She looks at me without a trace of pride, simply need. “Are you really done trying to help Adelina?” she whispers.
I duck my chin, forcing myself to step back from the situation. “Yes.” I force the word past my lips, almost choking on it.
“You don’t believe that any more than I do.”
Closing my eyes, I tilt back my head, trying to calm the storm churning around my mind. The clarity I crave so desperately evades me, and I find myself fighting through the chaos in search of it. As always, Adelina is the storm, beating away at me, battering my foundations until I’m shaky.
