Page 28 of Forced Arrangement

Giuseppe Costa chuckles, the sound smooth and pleasing. He has always been too slick by half, too inviting, too charming. His honeyed words and beautiful face have always been the perfect cover for his evil heart. “Come now, is that any way to greet family? After all, you’ve brought my sweet little niece home. I’ve missed her, you know.”

I grit my teeth, fighting the urge to smash the phone against the dashboard. “She’s not your niece, Costa. She’s Carlo’s daughter, and you’re nothing to her.”

“Oh, but you’re wrong,” Costa purrs, his voice dripping with condescension. “I’m all she has left of her dear papa’s legacy. And I’d like to have a little family reunion, don’t you think?”

I glance at Franco, who is watching me intently, his jaw clenched. He can hear every word, and I know he is already calculating the implications of this call.

“What do you want, Costa?” I ask, keeping my voice steady.

“What I’ve always wanted,” Costa replies smoothly. “Control. Power. And right now, that little bird of yours is sitting on a very valuable perch. I want her, Angelo. Send her to me, and we can all walk away from this with our heads still attached.”

“You know that’s not going to happen,” I say, my voice low and lethal. “She’s betrothed to me. Her father left her as the family heir, and I will give her the license to claim it.”

Costa sighs dramatically as if he’s disappointed. “I had a feeling you’d say that. Which is why I’ve decided to give you a little incentive.”

The line goes silent for a moment, and then I hear it—a scream, muffled and distant, but unmistakable. My blood runs cold.

“Who is that?” I demand, my voice sharp.

“Just a little friend of yours,” Costa says, his tone sickeningly sweet. “Consider it a reminder that I’m not someone to be trifled with. You have until tomorrow to send her to me, Angelo. Or I start sending you pieces of what’s left of your friend.”

I feel a surge of rage, a white-hot fury that made my vision blur at the edges. “If you touch her, I swear…”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it,” Costa interrupts, his voice dripping with false sincerity. “But accidents happen, you know? It would be such a shame if anything were to happen to someone you care about.”

“I've never expected much from you, but even you should know what a mistake it would be to mess with me. I'm sure tales of my possessiveness have spread far. You think touching anything of mine is a good idea?”

His laugh is dry and deep, the laugh of a wretched man with almost nothing to lose. In my line of work, I've discovered that everybody has something they want to protect by any means. Money, a loved one, something precious, the list goes on.Guiseppe has always lusted after power, and he will do anything to get it. It is the most precious thing to him.

Power comes from finding that thing your enemy would do anything to protect, and taking it from them, destroying it, or using it to your advantage. It’s a skill I've had years to hone.

“Angelo, you talk too. much. I much preferred your father. He was a brutal son of a bitch, but he had actions. Bring Sophia to me and maybe I won't kill her. Last I saw her, she was beautiful and had tits that would make a dead man hard. I'm sure I could find a use for her here.”

Regardless of how vile this man is, I can't show him how much I care for Sophia. That would only be putting a target on her back. I have to play this smart. Giuseppe is smart enough to know how power works too.

“That’s sick, even for you. But, I guess I shouldn't expect more from someone who couldn't even wait for his brother’s corpse to get cold before trying to take his throne. You're such trash. I wouldn't even let your blood stain my shoes after I killed you.”

The call ends abruptly, the line going dead in my hand. I stare at the phone, my heart pounding, a thousand scenarios racing through my mind.

Franco’s voice cuts through the haze of anger. “What did he say?”

“He’s got someone,” I reply, my voice tight. “I don’t know who, but he’s using them as leverage.”

Franco swears under his breath, his eyes flashing with anger. “We need to find out who and where he’s keeping them. Fast.”

I nod, already formulating a plan. “Get the team on it. I want every possible lead tracked down. No stone should be left unturned.”

Franco doesn’t hesitate, pulling out his own phone and barking orders to the team. The calm, controlled demeanor heusually displays is gone, replaced by the same cold fury that is burning through me.

As the car pulls up to our destination, I feel the full weight of what is happening settling over me. Costa has made his move, and it’s only a matter of time before we are dragged into a full-blown war.

But I’m not going to let him win. Not this time. Not ever.

As we step out of the car, Franco turns to me, his expression grim. “We’re in this now, Angelo. All of us. No turning back.”

I nod, cold determination settling into my bones. “I know.”

And with that, we walk into the building, ready to face whatever comes next. Because this is no longer just a fight for survival, it’s a fight for everything—and I’m not about to lose.

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