Page 72 of Reckless Royalty

Isit at the head of the long oak table in my study, a glass of whiskey in hand, waiting for my oldest friends to arrive. Two days ago, Madison Graves unwittingly shattered an alliance with her news, now it’s time to inform those closest to me.

The room is dim, the warm glow of the lamp casting shadows across the leather-bound books lining the shelves. Declan and Dmitri have never been the kind of men to keep you waiting, and right on cue, the heavy doors open.

Dmitri’s expression is cold as he walks in, his sharp features hard as steel. He shrugs off his coat, tossing it over the back of a chair, his movements precise, calculated.

Declan, by contrast, is smooth as ever, his green eyes scanning the room before settling on me. His knuckles are tattooed, the black ink peeking from the cuffs of his tailored suit, and he greets me with a tight nod.

“Gentlemen,” I greet, standing to pour them both a drink. “Glad you could come on such short notice.”

Declan takes his glass, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t call a meeting like this unless it’s important, Ion. So, what’s the matter?”

Dmitri sits, his hand gripping the glass like it’s the neck of an enemy. “I assume this has something to do with Santiago.”

“It does,” I confirm, taking my seat again. “But it’s more than that. Maddy—Mihai’s charge—came forward with some critical information. And I couldn’t reach Vito when I called you all. Now, I’m glad I didn’t.”

That gets their attention. Dmitri’s already cold expression darkens further, and Declan leans forward, his green eyes narrowing.

“What did the girl say?” Dmitri’s voice is a low rumble, his accent sharpening the edges of his words.

I take a slow sip of my drink, giving them a moment to prepare for the storm that’s about to break.

“Santiago was speaking to a man named Xander just before the hit. They mentioned Giannini—no surprise there. But here’s the kicker: Santiago said Giannini and Vito were the ones who worked together to send him to jail.”

Declan’s grip tightens on his glass, and he sets it down with a deliberate motion. “Vito,” he says, his voice low but venomous. “And Giannini? Working together when they’re supposedly at war? Christ. That’s a betrayal of the highest order.”

“It gets worse. Declan, you’ll want to pay attention to this part,” I continue, my gaze shifting to Dmitri. “Santiago mentioned someone named Anthony Dawson in Ireland. Dawson’s name came up as someone Santiago had planned to use to lay low while everything settled.”

Declan’s jaw tightens, his usual smooth demeanor giving way to something darker. “Dawson,” he mutters. “That little cunt’s been trying to edge into my territory for years. If he thinks he can use this to make a move, he’s sorely mistaken.”

“That’s not all,” I say, looking at Dmitri now. “If Vito is working with Giannini, that puts Chiara’s kidnapping in a whole new light.”

At the mention of Chiara, Dmitri’s mask cracks. His eyes blaze with fury, his jaw clenching so tightly I can hear his teeth grinding.

“You’re telling me Vito knew?” His voice is low, dangerous. “He knew my stepdaughter would be taken? That she’d be—” He cuts himself off, the words too vile to say aloud. “And he did nothing?”

“I am,” I reply grimly. “And if he betrayed us once, he’ll do it again. The ambush on Mihai and the others with Maddy wasn’t a coincidence either. Vito knew their route, their timing. He knew everything.”

Dmitri’s fist slams onto the table, making the glasses tremble. “That traitorous piece of fucking shit! I knew he couldn’t have gotten all that information from Leo when nothing I did worked!”

I raise my eyebrow and Dmitri continues. “When we were interrogating the piece of shit who raped Chiara, I stepped out for a few minutes and when I came back, Leo was out cold and Vito said he managed to get information from him. I’ll rip his fucking throat out myself for this.”

Declan places a calming hand on Dmitri’s shoulder, though his own expression is anything but calm. “Easy, Dmitri. We’ll make sure he pays, but we need to be smart about this. If he’s already in bed with Giannini, then the betrayal runs deeper than we know.”

“We need a plan,” I say, my voice firm. “Something that ensures Vito doesn’t see it coming. If we strike too soon, he’ll run, and we’ll lose our chance to cut this cancer out at the root.”

Dmitri grits his teeth but nods, his sharp mind already working through the possibilities. “What are you thinking?”

“We set him up,” Declan says, his smooth voice taking on a razor-sharp edge. “Lure him into thinking he’s safe, that we don’t suspect a thing. Then we take him down, publicly,so everyone knows what happens to traitors even if they’re a Crown.”

“And Giannini?” Dmitri asks, his tone cold as death.

“He’s next,” I assure them. “But one step at a time. First, we handle Vito. Once he’s out of the way, Giannini will be vulnerable without information. We take advantage of that.”

“We’ll need to pull in the boys for this,” Declan takes a deep breath, leaning back in his chair with his whiskey glass in hand. “This won’t be an easy conversation, especially for Giovanni.”

“Better he hears it from us than finding out the hard way,” Dmitri says. “Call them in.”

I send out the call, my fingers steady as I type the message to Mihai, Nikolai, Connor, and Giovanni. This isn’t a conversation any of us want to have, but it’s necessary.

---