Page 77 of Cage of Thorns and Blood

“Exactly.” Nico agrees. “They want everything. Fingers in all the pies. Drugs, which means they’re going to come up against the Albanians. Weapons, putting them in the Volkovs’ crosshairs. They came after your shipment. I doubt they’d come after what we move because you need an ecosystem to move metals easily, but they might try.”

“People are stealing copper from trains, so I don’t think the lack of easy movement is stopping them,” Clifford points out.

“True,” Nico replies. “It’s such a fucking headache. Demand is through the roof, and people think they can make a quick buck on it. Of course, when they try to sell it on, they’re having to use rogue, small-level scrap dealers, and they’re all likely to end up getting caught. Still, it puts a dent in the profits. It’s why we’re moving out of it as quickly as we can.”

“Going legitimate,” Clifford says with a soft, mocking laugh.

“Yes, to a degree.” There’s a pause. “I hope you fuckers check your house regularly, and scrub your communications.”

“Absolutely,” I say. “We checked for devices the other day. We’re all good, and this phone will be gone in a week, and I’ll have a new number.”

“I’ll send you Nikolai’s number,” he says. “Call him, Clifford. It seems we don’t need to form an alliance, though because the Volkovs will be helping you solve your problem.”

“So, we go back to fucking with one another,” Clifford says with relish.

“No,” I interject. “I’m going to be marrying an Andretti. We need to stop the fucking idiocy. This with the Greeks should have taught us. The mistakes of the past don’t need to be repeated by us.”

“You’re not marrying her,” Clifford explodes.

“I am. I have Nico’s permission.”

“You had my permission when I thought some goons were going to cut her up. If the Volkovs nullify the threat, then she’s not in danger.” Nico laughs.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Nico.”

“Yes?”

“I love your sister.”

Clifford makes a retching sound.

I ignore him and carry on. I prepare myself for Nico to explode. “I realized I loved her the very day you found me at you family estate.”

Instead of the anger I expect Nico to lash at me, all I get is a low chuckle. “I probably should have put you out of your misery then.”

“And I’m thankful you didn’t.”

“Listen. I don’t give a fuck who Renata’s with as long as it doesn’t make our family a laughingstock. She thinks I hate her, but I don’t. Not anymore, but she’s a loose cannon. Good luck taming her. She’s a seeker, Matteo. She’s been searching for something her entire life.”

I suck in a breath because he’s not wrong, and his assessment of her is scarily accurate.

“My parents would have had a shit fit at her marrying you back in the day. They are painful snobs. They saw your family as richer than ours, but trashier. Now, these days? They think you’ve detoxified the Mancini brand. They think you’re all nice and legitimate. I know that’s not true. I don’t give a fuck, though. On the surface, you’re respectable. Underneath? Well, you’re no better or worse than us. So why would I be against Renata marrying you?”

“Well, when you put it like that.”

“If you can keep her from doing something to shame our family, I owe you one. I had honestly become worried she was going to join Cindy’s Godmother and live in Italy, which would have been disastrous. All I could see was the headlines she’d generate. So take her off my hands, gladly.”

“Christ, I didn’t think it would be this easy.”

“Come on. You think I’d prefer her ricocheting around out there from one hairbrained venture to the next, dallying with fucking idiots and attracting media attention to marrying into a solid Italian family?”

“Maybe, to be honest. I don’t know.”

“You have my permission, and I’ll ensure my parents don’t get in the way. You have to persuade her to say yes. And my sister has an uncanny habit of always making the worst decisions and fucking her life up.”

I laugh. “She’ll say yes.”

“Good. Send me an invite to the wedding. And I say again, good luck; you’re going to fucking need it.”

---