Page 128 of Where the Wicked Reign

And right then I knew.

It had been because of me.

He’d never told me that before. I hadn’t even heard half of this story.

“You didn’t tell him?” Nico asked him, seeing the exchange between us.

“I didn’t see the need.”

“For someone who’s not fond of secrets—”

“It wasn’t a secret. It just wasn’t worth upsetting him.” He looked at me. “It was really close to what went down with your father. I wasn’t… settled with that at the time. I am now, as you saw for yourself when we walked into that Leone ranch where they were keeping those hostages for similar purposes, and I wasn’t… triggered, as Nico referred to it.”

I saw Cat looking between us, trying to figure things out.

It was the last thing I wanted to discuss, or for her to hear about. The fact she looked surprised meant I was fortunate that it was actually one of the few things she didn’t have intel on. I wanted it like that, somebody close to menotknowing about that shameful part of my life.

“Can we… let’s just move on. If you’re really intent on using these motherfuckers, let’s hear the plan,” I pushed.

“Agreed,” Cat said, rubbing my arm in a really comforting way that sent a wave of warmth through me and helped me to pull from the dark place my mind was threatening to head to.

I smiled at her, then sucked in a breath and settled in as Nico laid out his idea.

“The Red Vipers were punished for doing Carlo’s bidding, coming at us. We’re going to mind-fuck with the Lone Gunners to make them believe that the same is slated to happen to them, that a combined Marchetti-Leone attack is coming their way to wipe them off the board in order to ensure the Benzinos are down a formidable ally, to weaken them and put them in an even worse position than they already are now in with the newly reworked alliance between the two families excluding them.”

“Manipulating them to attack the wedding.”

“The reception. If the wedding doesn’t happen and is interrupted, we’ll be forced to go through it all again, something I know you don’t want.”

“It’s fucking dangerous,” I pointed out.

“Exactly what’s needed in this particular case. It will create chaos, thin the herd for us with both the Leones and the Marchetti Syndicate with everyone gathered in one place, it could even take out some of their business associates in the process, weakening their connections, and it will also eliminate many of those shithead motorcycle members. All wins for us and our goals.”

“What about the collateral damage?” Cat asked.

“I got the guest list while you were at the Business Forum last night. There will be no children or significant others. Every person there is involved in Marchetti or Leone business directly,” Nico told her. “Even the priest is a real bastard who works for your father and siphons money from a kids’ charity for him.”

“So, you’re saying every single person there deserves to take a bullet?”

He lifted a shoulder. “Don’t you agree?”

“Yes,” she hissed, that dangerous look in her eyes that was eerily similar to Nico’s flaring to life. “We need to be ruthless in order to do this. There’s no other way.”

Nico full-on grinned. “Precisely.”

“Err, you know thatI’mon the guest list, right?” I pointed out. “Do I deserve to catch a bullet, too?”

“That’s different,” Nico assured me. “You’re with us on this. You’re trapped in Marchetti business.” He grimaced. “Because of me.”

“It’s not because of you. I make my own choices, N. But what if there are others there in my position?”

“There aren’t. I’ve already reviewed every one of the three hundred guests. You’re there as my best man, making you the only exception and not one of the others there who are all integral to this new two-family-only alliance.”

“Me as your best man? Why not Milo?” It was the first I was hearing of it.

“When all hell rains down from the Lone Gunners MC, Milo and I will need to look like we’re defending the families. I need you to back up Caterina, get her to safety. In the chaos, you’llaccidentallyviolate protocol and secure her inmymansion.”

“So there’s no way, even with the Leone Estate no longer considered safe, that they’ll try to keep her there,” I realized aloud.

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