Page 105 of Diavolo

"It seems we made a good team."

Elyse stressed, "Going forward, I think we could make an excellent team."

Mariposa flashed her a reluctant smile. "Può essere. Maybe."

Elyse asked, "Will you come with me, Mari? To speak with Ms. Berlusconi?"

Mariposa smirked. "I would not miss it for the world."

"Thank you—"

"Not as your ally," Mariposa clarified swiftly, "but as a bloodthirsty spectator. Cara wants you gone, and I cannot afford to cross her. My father does not want trouble with the Berlusconis."

Elyse narrowed her eyes. Cara's vendetta made no sense. After all, she'd saved the redhead's coked-out ass while Carmen tried to murder her. "What does she have against me? Carmen is the guilty one."

"Yes, Cara hates Carmen, too," Mariposa confirmed, "but she knows your mother-in-law is a dead woman walking. My guess is that she intends to keep her hands clean and watch Carmen dig her own grave."

Elyse drew in a sharp breath. What did Mariposa mean by that?

"You, however, stole the man she wants most," Mariposa continued in regretful tones. "I do not envy you tonight, Elyse. Cara is a crazy bitch who hates sharing. She does not play nice with others."

Suddenly, it became clear. Vendettas didn't need to make sense, Elyse realized, when bitches be crazy.

Mariposa's warning was unsettling. Elyse didn't want to fuck with the Vitale clan's shaky relations with the Berlusconis by antagonizing Cara any further. Especially when the woman was out for blood. What would be the next best course of action? Should she steer clear of Cara until tensions died down? But laying low only offered a temporary solution. Matters between their clans would remain unresolved.

Much like the matters between her and Alessandro.

Elyse's gaze flitted across the room for a few seconds.Longingly. Her gaze landed on Alessandro. She wanted to discuss this situation with her husband and plan their next move.Together.But she also didn't want to disturb him. Alessandro appeared to be locked in deep conversation withAberto and his men, and, judging by the furrow that marred his brow, the issues they were discussing appeared quite serious. Elyse sensed that she might be left to her own devices for the rest of the party.

As Elyse glanced around the party, she began to sort through the information Malina had relayed to her, trying to put names to faces and sort out friends from foes. There were five smaller clans that answered to the Vitales. The De Leóns and the Berlusconis were the most substantial ones under them while the Morettis, the Trevisanos, and Svizzis were the lesser three.

Moments ago, Mariposa had made it pretty clear the De Leóns intended to stay on the sidelines. Away from the mess that Carmen had caused. Elyse could only assume the other three clans intended to do the same. They wouldn't be any help to her. At present, Elyse had yet to amass power of her own. She would need to funnel support from another source. Someone more powerful than the De Leóns, the Morettis, the Trevisanos, and the Svissis combined. Someone influential enough to amplify her voice until Cara could no longer dismiss it.

But who?

Cara's older brother, Domenico Berlusconi, was the head of the Berlusconi clan. Malina had told Elyse that Cara and Domenico were thick as thieves. Cara would never listen to Elyse, but she might respond better with family. After all, family dictated everything in the mafia, right? Now that Elyse had married Alessandro, the Gravianos would soon be merging their might with the Vitales, which, in their own right, oversaw several other notable clans outside of Palermo. Elyse realized, then, that she needed to start reaching out to her grandfather. Only after forging a stronger bond with him could she borrow his influence to set a domino effect in motion. Benedetto could help her reach Domenico, who, in turn, might be able to calm Cara's ire.

"Buonasera," a familiar, husky feminine voice murmured behind Elyse.

Mierda.Alarm raced through her. Both Elyse and Mariposa turned around to greet none other than the she-devil herself, Cara Berlusconi. The older auburn-haired beauty was dressed in a lush, long-sleeved, indigo-blue velvet gown. The beautiful, regal dress boasted a high, modest neckline at the front and a backless design that plunged in a daringVjust above the curves of her ample behind. A small, elegant evening bag, made from the same indigo-blue velvet of her gown, dangled from Cara's wrist.

"Buonasera,Cara,"Mariposa replied while doling out air kisses to the older woman. "Seibellissima."

There was, however, no exchange of air kisses between Elyse and Cara.

"Good evening, Ms. Berlusconi," Elyse offered cautiously.

"Congratulations on your marriage,Signora Vitale," Cara drawled with hard eyes. "I hope your happiness will outlive mine when I was with Alessandro."

"How kind of you," muttered Elyse.

"I suppose I should thank you," the redhead continued in snide tones, "for not letting me die the other night."

"You're welcome."

Cara's honey-brown eyes squinted. "You must feel like you own me now."

"You owe me nothing," Elyse assured her. "I'm simply relieved to see that you're well again."

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