Page 62 of Sins and Secrets

“When do you want it done?”

“As soon as possible. If Paolo is going to try and take out another hit on Arturo, he is going to do it while I’m out of town. If Arturo is safe in my home, that leaves Paolo with no options to personally hurt me.”

“I’ll see to it personally as soon as the capos arrive to deal with the soldiers.”

“Good.” I’m about to hang up when I think of my conversation with Billie. She thinks that I’m capable of being a better leader than my father and brother. “Thank you, Davide.”

There is a long pause before he clears his throat. “You’re welcome, sir.”

“Good luck.” I hang up and slide the phone back into my pocket.

That little thank you may not have been a lot, but it was more than my father and brother would have given anyone they deemed beneath them in the hierarchy.

I rake my fingers through my short beard before opening the door and stepping out. Billie’s sweet laugh echoes through the boathouse. I smile and take a moment to just listen to it. It’s little moments when death isn’t surrounding us on every side that I enjoy the most. Billie laughing and smiling as she teases me are my favorite parts of any day.

Billie looks up from her conversation with Hadley as I walk into the room. She has her legs pulled up beneath her, tendrils of her blonde hair falling around her face. I take a seat across from them in one of the beige leather armchairs.

The sky outside the massive windows is dark and gray. It looks like a storm is rolling in. The waves rock the boat tied to the dock.

Jovan bangs around some pots and pans in the kitchen, the scent of garlic and onion filling the room. He puts a plate draped with a towel on the kitchen island.

“Did you make carnitas tacos?” Hadley asks, her eyes lighting up as she gets up from the couch. “Please tell me that you made carnitas.”

Jovan laughs and nods, putting a tray of shredded meat on the counter beside the tortillas. ‘Yes. There’s some cheese, pico de gallo, and lime wedges ready too. Didn’t bother with the rice this time, but everything else is ready.”

“You guys are going to die when you taste this,” Hadley says, grabbing Billie’s hand and pulling her up from the couch.

There is a knock at the door as I go to stand. Jovan looks at me and nods before abandoning lunch and heading for the door. His voice is too low to make out the words he says, but I’m sure he is giving Christian the speech he gave me about where everything is.

Jovan leads Christian into the room a few minutes later. Billie stops in the middle of stuffing a taco in her mouth to look at him. Her gaze flicks over to me before she returns to eating.

I stand and hold out my hand. “Good to see you.”

Christian nods and shakes my hand. “It’s good to see you as well, though I wish it was under different circumstances.”

“Well,” Jovan says as he claims a black recliner by the fireplace. “Why don’t the two of you grab some food and take a seat. We can get to business right away.”

Billie nods to a plate loaded with tacos sitting beside her. I wink at her before grabbing the plate and sitting back down in the leather chair. Christian makes himself a plate of food before taking the seat beside Jovan.

“So, I know Hadley, but who is that?” Christian asks, his tone sharp as he cuts his gaze toward Billie.

“Billie Carbone. She’s the daughter of my consigliere. He is unfortunately unable to be here, so she is with me until he heals.”

Christian nods and digs into the food. “Alright. So, this Paolo problem. He needs to die.”

Jovan chuckles. “Nobody is going to argue with you there.”

“How did this fucker even get to power? He should have been put down the moment an uprising began.”

I grit my teeth.

“You’re not wrong about that either. I allowed him to live after I made a promise to my dying brother. For years, Paolo fell in line and acted the way he was supposed to. It has only been within the last several months that he has decided to try to take control.”

“He is doing a decent job,” Christian says, putting his plate on the wooden coffee table. “You would think that you would have been able to take him out on your own.”

“You would think that you would have been able to take him out on your own,” I say, my tone sharp as I lean back in my chair, my plate of food balanced on my lap. “He is stealing your people as well. Last I heard, there were two different attacks in Nashville at a couple of the bars you own.”

“You’ve been doing your research.”

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