Page 124 of War Within
“Gio.” Emilio snapped his fingers twice.
Jerking my head toward the sound of his voice, I blinked rapidly.
“You might want to take a look at the news.” He nodded toward the television.
Narrowing my gaze on the blank screen, I sat down on the couch in the middle of the room, switching it on. I tossed the remote back onto the table, sending it rattling into the modern, glass centerpiece. I waited patiently, but no news appeared on the screen.
Emilio offered me a scotch on the rocks, then scooped the remote off the table. Perching on the arm of the sofa, he switched the channel until he found the correct news station. I sipped my drink, crossing my ankle over my knee. Gnawing the inside of my cheek, I cocked my head processing exactly what I was seeing.
Luca ambled over, hovering nearby. He held a glass of vodka, studying the screen carefully. He always had something sarcastic to say but today he had been quieter. It meant something was weighing heavily on his mind.
Condensation from the glass began forming around my fingertips. I placed it on a coaster, disregarding his silence for the moment. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. Glaring at the sight unfolding before me, I sighed, tapping my fingers impatiently on the coffee table, one at a time.
After a four-hour stand-off with the suspect, Vito “Brains” Perillo, has been taken into custody by authorities without injury as far as we can tell from our vantage point. You can see on your screen this is a live view of Perillo’s Todt Hill residence where he resides with his wife and their four children. From what we know, Perillo is a high ranking member of the Rovati Crime Family. It is unclear at this time, what caused the in—
“You've got to be fucking kidding me.” I buried my head in my palms, running my fingers through my hair. Standing, I swiped my hand across the table with force, sending my glass and the centerpiece both shattering on the floor. “How could he be so fucking careless?!”
Emilio, chewing his bottom lip, lifted his gaze. “What do you want us to do?”
Luca presented his phone. “Do you want me to call Nick and we can handle this?”
Carmine nodded, reading my mind. “He doesn’t have time for this bullshit. Handle it.”
“I have work deadlines. I have to go get Cristiano from Lily. I need to focus my attention elsewhere and until I know what’s going on, I don’t want to be involved. I feel like I’m going to lose my shit any second.” While I spoke calmly, my blood boiled beneath the surface of my skin.
Emilio took a drag of a cigarette he had just lit, smirking. “We’ll handle it, Gio.”
I rolled my eyes, glancing down at the mess I created. “I'm sure Lily would appreciate not babysitting and trying to run her own business.” I stepped over, yanking the cigarette from Emilio’s fingers, dropping it into Luca’s drink. “Don’t fucking smoke in my office unless you see me smoking first.”
He huffed, crossing his arms, but soon found his reflection in the mirror and became distracted by his own vanity. Luca, glancing at his liquor with a repulsed face, set his glass on the end table.
I grabbed my black, pinstripe jacket off a chair, slipping it on. “I have to go now.” I grabbed the handle of my briefcase from the small conference table. “I told Lily I wouldn’t be too late today.”
Lily had been taking my now six month old son, Cristiano, to work with her every day. She took care of him while she ran her entire business. As Cristiano’s godmother, I am sure she felt some sort of a responsibility to help. Business was getting busy for her, so I am sure it was tough.
As I was on the way to get my son from her office, her name popped up on the dashboard screen with a single message notification.
On the way to your house with the cuteness and need to talk to you.The voice feature read her text to me.
I turned the music up, blaring a song as I tuned out most of the lyrics. Distracted from the earlier news on television, I stared straight ahead, squeezing the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white.
The afternoon sun peeked through the clouds, causing me to squint. I reached in the center console, pulling out a pair of Ray Bans, slipping them on the bridge of my nose. I peeked in the rear view mirror, making sure my security was still tailing me.
After today, I was suspicious about why the authorities were after one of my men. It was bad enough that Xavier was still on the loose, but now I wondered if he had anything to do with it and what he may have up his sleeve.
As I stepped through the front door of my home, I paused, glancing around the open foyer. My thoughts drifted to Jane and how she had betrayed my family in so many ways. I wondered if today had also been connected to her somehow. As the months had passed, my family and I uncovered more information, leaving me both crushed and distrustful of every person. Emilio always reminded me that is why he hated everyone.
Jackson approached promptly, taking my jacket, and draping it over his arm neatly. He then took my briefcase, bowing slightly. “Welcome home, sir.”
“Jackson, how many times do I have to tell you not to bow to me? I’m not royal.”
“May as well be, sir.” A coy smirk inched on his face before he cleared his throat, wiping it away. “Sorry, you know it’s a habit I’ve never been able to break.” He followed me to the bottom of the grand staircase.
Pausing, I spun on my heels, taking my jacket from his arm. “I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” He cocked his head ever so slightly.
Offering a curt nod, I lowered my eyes to my briefcase. “Just put it in my office.”
