Page 37 of The Brat's Bargain

The safe house buzzed with tension, a powder keg of conflicting loyalties and simmering resentment. Antonio paced the length of the cramped living room, every muscle coiled tight as he struggled to process the bombshell that had just been dropped.

Gina Caruso. Damien's right-hand woman, the person he'd trusted above all others, had been the traitor in their midst.

"I still can't believe it," Antonio muttered, running a hand through his disheveled curls. "How the fuck did we miss this?"

Damien's jaw clenched, a muscle ticking beneath the skin. He stood by the window, his broad frame silhouetted against the fading light, every inch the dangerous predator barely contained in designer threads.

"Because she was good," he growled, voice low and deadly. "Too fucking good. I trained her myself, taught her every trick in the book."

Antonio's heart clenched at the raw pain in Damien's voice. He wanted nothing more than to go to him, to offer comfort and reassurance. But the room was full of wary eyes, members of both families watching their every move.

"So what now?" Vivian asked, her sharp gaze flicking between Antonio and Damien. "How deep does this betrayal go?"

Marco Benedetti snorted, contempt dripping from every pore. "Deep enough to cripple both our families, if we're not careful. This little coalition of yours has been compromised from the start."

"Our coalition," Damien corrected, turning to face the room. His eyes found Antonio's, a silent promise passing between them. "And it's not compromised. Not if we act fast."

Antonio nodded, squaring his shoulders as he addressed the assembled group. "Damien's right. We need to root out any remaining traitors, shore up our defenses. And then we take the fight to them, hard and fast."

A chorus of muttered agreements and reluctant nods rippled through the room. But one voice rose above the rest, dripping with disdain.

"And why should we trust either of you?" It was Carmine, one of the old guard Lombardis. "For all we know, this whole thing is just a ploy to consolidate power. The Benedetti heir and the Lombardi spare, playing us all for fools."

Heat rose in Antonio's cheeks, anger and embarrassment warring for dominance. He opened his mouth to fire back, but Damien beat him to it.

"Watch your fucking mouth," he snarled, advancing on Carmine with predatory grace. "You want to question my loyalty? Fine. But leave Antonio out of it. He's twice the man you'll ever be, you crusty old fuck."

Carmine's face purpled with rage. "How dare you?—"

"Enough!" Vivian's voice cracked like a whip, silencing the room. "We don't have time for this petty bickering. Antonio, Damien—what's your plan?"

Antonio shot Damien a grateful look before clearing his throat, addressing the room with newfound confidence. "Alright, here's what we're going to do. First, we need to lock down our most vulnerable assets. That means securing our warehouses, safe houses, and front businesses. Lorenzo, I want you to coordinate with our street-level guys, make sure everyone's on high alert."

Lorenzo nodded sharply. "You got it, boss."

Antonio continued, his voice growing stronger with each word. "Next, we need to cut off the coalition's supply lines. Damien, your contacts in the port authority will be crucial here. We shut down their shipments, starve them out."

Damien's lips quirked in a proud smirk. "Consider it done, baby boy."

"Good," Antonio said, trying to ignore the warmth blooming in his chest at Damien's praise. "Now, for the offensive. We hit them hard and fast, coordinated strikes on their key locations. I've got a list here of their most likely hideouts, based on the intel we've gathered."

He spread a map across the table, pointing out various marked locations. "We'll need to split into teams, hit these simultaneously. Timing is everything—we can't give them a chance to regroup or warn each other."

As Antonio laid out the details of the attack plan, he could see grudging respect dawning in some eyes. Even Marco Benedetti, who'd been eyeing him with barely concealed disdain, seemed impressed.

"It's a solid plan," Marco admitted gruffly. "Risky, but if it works..."

"It'll work," Damien said, his voice brooking no argument. His hand came to rest on the small of Antonio's back, a subtle show of support that sent shivers down Antonio's spine.

Vivian spoke up, her sharp gaze assessing. "And what about internal security? How can we be sure there aren't more traitors in our midst?"

Antonio nodded, having anticipated this concern. "We'll implement a new vetting process for all personnel. Restricted access to sensitive information, regular polygraphs, the works. It'll be a pain in the ass, but it's necessary."

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room, but Antonio could still sense undercurrents of tension. He caught snippets of whispered conversations:

"Can we really trust them?"

"It's unnatural, is what it is."

---