Page 16 of Bound to the Enforcer

"Okay. So we keep searching. I want a full report within the next 72 hours. We have enough resources to find out who killed one of our own."

When I am done with my little rant, I look around the table and then meet with a pair of molten brown eyes that shine with a gleam of something. Is that pride I see?

I don't linger on that for too long.

I speak steadily. "So what does my uncle want? Power? Control? To see me fail?"

"All of the above," Matteo mutters. "He wants the throne."

"It doesn't matter what he wants," Alessio says, his tone firm. "What matters is how we respond."

I glance around the table, taking in the faces of the men who are supposed to be loyal to me. Some look uncertain, their doubt written plainly across their features. Others, like Matteo, arestoic, waiting for orders. Alessio, as always, is unreadable, his focus entirely on the task at hand.

"We hit back." The conviction in my tone is clear. "Hard."

"And risk starting a war?" one of the men asks, his tone skeptical. "We need to remember that Domenico is still an underboss. If we are to kill a sitting underboss, it will reflect poorly on us to the other families."

"We're already at war," I reply. "Domenico declared it the moment he started targeting us, targeting me. The only question is whether we fight back or let him take everything. The other families will see reason in my actions. The Irish know this game well. They underwent the same thing in 1967 when Cain Murphy tried to kill off his older cousin Padraig Walsh. They found his actions justifiable, and the truces remained intact. We can do the same. The Irish will side with us, and the Russians and English will follow suit. The only ones who may cause issues are the Spaniards and Mexicans. I am the only heir to the Romano empire, and I refuse for my father's hard work to be ripped from my hands. Woman or not, I am Alejandro's kin, and I will not be moved from my seat."

The room falls silent again, but this time, the atmosphere is different. There's a shift, a touch of respect in some of their eyes. I know I still have a long way to go to prove myself, but this feels like a start.

Alessio speaks next. "If we're going to hit back, we need to be smart about it. Target his resources and his alliances–many of which we are still unaware of. Cut off his support before he can gain more ground."

I nod, my mind already racing with possibilities. "Then that's what we'll do. Matteo, I want a list of all the warehouses and operations Domenico is tied to. Alessio, you and I will work on the strategy and build a case to present to the rest of the heads of the family. If he wants to hold a vote, then we will need tobe prepared. I am sure my uncle has been involved in an illegal deal or two, and any breaches of our code will serve us well. Find what you can."

Alessio raises an eyebrow, but he doesn't argue. "Understood."

The meeting concludes shortly after, but the weight of it lingers as the men file out of the room. Alessio stays behind, watching me carefully.

"You did well," he says after a moment.

"Don't patronize me," I reply. Now that the rest of the men have filtered out and it's just me and him, I feel slightly more at ease. Which is ironic considering how turbulent my relationship with him has been over the past couple of weeks.

"I'm not," he says, stepping closer, the distance pleading to be closed even further. "But this is just the beginning, Sophia. Domenico isn't going to stop, and neither can you."

He holds my stare. The brown in his eyes reminds me of the autumn leaves that began to fall just last week.

His words linger in the air long after he leaves, and I'm left alone in my father's study, the weight of my new reality pressing down harder than ever.

The hours after the meeting crawl by, heavy with preparation. Matteo delivers a comprehensive report on Domenico's known operations, outlining warehouses, supply chains, and suspected alliances. I pore over the details with Alessio by my side, his sharp mind cutting through the complexity like a blade.

We sit at the long table in the study, papers spread out before us, maps dotted with red markers pinpointing areas of concern. I'm trying to focus, but the sheer magnitude of it all is daunting. Every decision feels like a potential disaster waiting to happen.

Alessio studies me as I trace a finger over one of the maps. "You're hesitating," he says bluntly.

"I'm thinking," I snap back.

"Thinking is good," he replies. "But action is better. You want to hit him, so show me where we begin."

My irritation flares. "I know that. But every action has a consequence, and I'm trying to make sure I don't blow up what's left of my father's legacy in the process."

His expression softens, just slightly. "You won't."

I tear my stare from his and stare at the maps sprawled out in front of me. "Huh, you sound so sure when only days prior you couldn't even trust me in an interrogation."

"I was trying to keep your humanity intact."

His words catch my attention. My head snaps up to meet his face again, but his eyes are averted down to the paper before him.

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