Page 17 of Savage Angels

He cracks his neck from side to side. “Okay.”

Relief washes through me. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I’ve got this whole chapter ready to burn the Abruzzis to the ground. It might not be so easy to talk to talk them down.”

Before I can respond, our cell phones ring simultaneously, displaying ‘Unknown’ on the screens. We exchange a wary glance before answering.

“Emily?” I say, relieved to hear her voice on the other end of the line.

“Kat?” Dane’s voice softens as he says his wife’s name.

“I’ve been worried sick,” Emily says, her voice filled with worry and frustration.

“I’m handling things, amare. You know I can’t tell you everything,” I reply, trying to keep my tone soothing but tinged with the hardness of the reality we live in.

“Dammit, Salvatore, I hate this,” Emily murmurs. “I hate not knowing whether you’re safe or not.”

“Listen, amare, you’ll be home soon,” I promise, feeling the weight of her fear and concern. “Just trust me.”

“Be careful,” she whispers.

“Is Tony taking care of everyone?”

Emily laughs. “He says it’s like herding cats, but yes, he’s keeping us safe.”

Her voice is the very thing I need to soothe my frayed nerves. “Is he there?”

“Yes. He said I can’t talk long. In fact, he’s tapping his watch. Sal, I love you. We love you. Please be careful.”

Turning my back to Dane, I say, “Amare, I love you and our children more than anything. Do what Tony says.”

“I will. I have to go. Be safe.”

“Always,” I reply, and she ends the call.

“Everything okay?” Dane asks.

“Same worries as always,” I admit. “But that’s what we’re trying to avoid, right? More danger for our families?”

“Right,” he reluctantly agrees.

“How is Kat?”

Dane smiles. “Pissed at being sent away. She misses me… hell, I miss her.” The smile disappears. “With Blaze and Gunner being so young, I’m missing out on all their firsts. Sending them away to protect them was the right thing to do but I don’t like it. This had better work, Sal,” Dane warns. “Because if it doesn’t, all bets are off.”

“Understood,” I reply. “We’ll do whatever it takes to keep our families safe. You have my word.”

“Good.” Dane claps me on the shoulder. “Now let’s get to work.”

Holding up a hand, I say, “It can’t be me who kills Don Abruzzi. I want to take over his business, but according to our laws, if I kill him, I can’t.”

“Then who?” Dane asks.

“Lorenzo,” I reply without hesitation. “He’s loyal, knows how to keep his mouth shut, and he’ll get the job done.”

“Fine,” Dane agrees. “But remember, if this goes sideways, it’s on you.”

“Understood,” l say, extending my hand to seal our agreement.

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