Page 87 of Vicious Little Princess

“I just got out of an emergency meeting with Giovanni, Leo, and your father. One that you were purposely excluded from. Marco got word that his partner regarding the military arms deal has been murdered, along with the entire organization. A real good thing that it’s not going ahead as far as I’m concerned. But not in their eyes. To say Marco’s furious would be an understatement. He’s ordered Gio and I to coordinate attacks on Benzino business interests. For my part, I’m to take their main meth lab. Gio’s gonna hit several businesses under their protection, firebomb them, the whole nine. Marco also talked about how he wants to use Caterina’s Camlann Corporation as a front for his illegal activities, to expand through her and use her reputation as a sign of stability to those that he and Santino are partnering with now, including a massive heroin deal that they informed us in this meeting has just been closed. It seems like that disgusting flesh trade idea that Santino is determined to follow through on will also be a part of what they intend to use Caterina Leone’s businesses for. They’re going to force expansion under their terms. Santino is spearheading it too. No other specifics were given on that, such as how and when they planned to put this to her.”

“How about the proposed attacks?” I asked, as I rapidly absorbed all the intel he’d just given me.

“Three nights from now. Now, I can’t refuse to take the Benzino lab, as I’m sure you understand. But this isn’t going to land well. It will put us at war, Nico. At a time when both the Marchettis and Leones are unstable and high-level decisions are being made by unhinged individuals. I’m not in a position to stop any of this. If anybodywasin a position to head off these attacks, though, the coincidental timing wouldn’t be outed by me.”

“Why are you coming to me with this? Why warn me about Caterina too?”

“You saved my life. And as I’ve alluded to, you’re not the only one disillusioned with things. But as Marco’s heir and arguably the most respected member of the entire outfit, there is something to be done about it, hope to be had, throughyou.”

“You’re pledging your loyalty to me?”

“Yes, I am. Do with that as you will.”

“Thank you. And thank you for bringing this to me.”

“Be careful, Nico. You’re definitely out of favor with Leo and Marco at the moment. Santino included. Leo has leaked the truth about your care for Caterina. They know you’re not doing as was outlined in that disturbing contract.”

“Punishment is coming.”

“I believe so, yes. I just don’t know how that will come about.”

“All right, thanks for letting me know.”

“No problem. Just be careful, Nico.”

“Will do.”

With that, I hung up and turned to Milo, who was looking on with a whole lot of worry.

“We need to get home now.”

“What’s going on?”

I hauled my car door open. “I’ll fill you in on the way.”

19

~Emilio~

Today had proven to be the day for people coming out of the woodwork and pledging their loyalty to us.

Honestly, it was about damned time. Nico had long deserved this deference.

And he wasn’t the only one anymore.

The moment we’d stepped back inside the Manor, Julian had been there getting us up to speed on an impromptu meeting that had taken place here involving Dante and Matteo from the Leone Family. Basically, the two of them had pledgedtheirloyalty to Caterina. They wanted her to take Santino’s mantle. They’d also given her intel on Angelo’s supposed location.

“Where’s Caterina?” Nico asked Julian as the three of us made our way from the entrance way toward the kitchen. I hadn’t eaten all day with these meetings and my stomach was fucking rumbling fiercely.

“She’s up in her room working on verifying the intel that Dante and Matteo gave us about the owner of Wharton—and a whole lot more than that.”

“And concerning Angelo’s location,” I spoke, wanting to see his reaction.

No. Needing to.

“Yeah, him too,” he answered without even flinching. And saying it strangely casually.

I shot a look at Nico, seeing the same worry from him that I was trying to conceal, given that text Caterina had sent us earlier.

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