Page 81 of Urgent Vows
He's right. "You see why I had to keep it analog and in a secret room."
Both men nod, but go back to skimming my notes.
"This is about when you took over as don, Severu. She notes the alliances father formed, those you are likely to keep and those you will probably build. Damned if she isn't right about every single one." Miceli sounds astounded and impressed.
"Let me see," Severu says, tucking the composition book he's holding under one arm.
Miceli hands him the one from five years ago. Some books have multiple years, but some only cover a single year. It depends on what information I gathered and how many important events happened.
Severu looks up from reading, his dark gaze intent on me. "These are amazing, Catalina. Thank you for telling me about them."
"You are my husband." And I trust him.
I would have never shown my research to my father.
Scooting past both Severu and Miceli, I pull a file from one of the boxes on the right. "I think this will interest you."
Severu tucks the second composition book with the first and then takes the thick file from me.
"You can spread it out on the table," I suggest.
He does just that and silently reads through the news articles, social media posts and highlighted portions of the government reports on organized crime I found related to the pattern I found.
When he curses long and volubly, I know he's seen it too.
Miceli is reading over his shoulder and grows more and more tense as he flips one article after another. "You think the Gutierrez Cartel is behind the attacks on both the Irish mob and us."
"Yes. They did it in three port cities on the East Coast already."
"Pitting two big syndicates against each other and moving in to reap the spoils of the massive conflicts." Severu's big body is rigid with fury.
Miceli whistles. "You think they're financing the bratva family in Detroit."
"They need those routes to move drugs and people." I despise the Gutierrez Cartel because it is one of the main players in human trafficking. "I don't know why they're trying for New York. Like the bratva, they have access to other ports."
That's the part that doesn't make sense to me. The cartel knows exactly what they want and how to get it, whether it's using a bratva family to take over territory they want or coming in hot on their own and securing a port that they need.
New York crime families are entrenched and have been for generations. Severu is not a weak don like Russo in Detroit. There's no way he's losing a war, even against the Irish.
"I can't figure out what the cartel hopes to get out of a conflict between us and the Irish. Even if we are in a full-scale war…" Which I hate the idea of. So many would die. "Unless they are bringing in a huge contingent of their soldiers, which you and Brogan Shaughnessy would notice, they can't hope to take territory from either of you."
"It fits with what they've done in other states, but then again, it doesn't," Severu says, his tone cold and calculated.
Right now, he's the don. The Genovese. Nothing of the passion we have shared shows. No inkling of the man who could rub cream into my bruises so gently.
"What else is here?" Miceli asks, indicating the many boxes beyond those he and Severu have been looking at.
"Nothing that would be of interest or help tola famiglia," I say with a shrug.
Miceli nods, like he believes me. "All of this…" He waves at the 12 boxes filled with information about organized crime players. "Will have to be moved to the vault."
"Yes," Severu says before I can respond.
They are right, but it'smyinformation. I spent years compiling it. Only it's not safe now that people know about the secret room, even if those people are only my husband and his family. Secrets that are shared get out.
And I won't be living in the mansion to watch over my hoard of information any longer.
Severu is crouched down and looking at something in the bottom box beside the table and nearest the doorway. "What is this?"
