Page 119 of Ruthless Oath

“What’s wrong with me?” I stood and leaned across the desk, going head-to-head with my brother. “Lissia has been missing for almost twenty-four hours. We’re pretty certain that lunatic Collins has her. What are the chances he hasn’t—”

I didn’t want to think about what he had done to her in that time.

“I have to do something to help her,” I said. “She sacrificed herself for us. Shouldn’t I do the same?”

“Throwing yourself on the mercy of a cartel we know nothing about isn’t the answer. Negotiating with Gian definitely isn’t the answer. He wants our territory. Are you willing to give it to him? Are you willing to get us all killed?”

“Of course not.” I sat back down. “Do you think I would betray Dad like that? Betray this family?”

As much as I wanted Lissia back safe and in my arms, I couldn’t hand over Accetti territory to Gian. If I did that, I would show weakness. Every other rival would come for us, knowing she was my soft spot. They would bleed us dry, and there would be nothing for my father to come home to.

“Look, I know you’re desperate. I want to get Lissia back too.” Milo tapped his fingers on the desk. “She doesn’t deserve any of this. It’s not her fault she’s a Gallanti.”

“I’m not desperate enough to do something stupid. I’m trying to weigh all the options.”

I knew who I was and I remembered everything my father taught me. I would find a way out of this. That was my job. That was why my father trusted me to run things while he was gone.

“You’re not going to do something stupid like getting yourself killed and leaving me to clean up the mess?”

“Is that your way of saying you would miss me?” I asked. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You better not.”

“When you came in here, you said you had news. What is it?”

“I heard from Juan. Argentina is sending a representative to meet with us in the next day or so. I don’t have the details or the location. It might not even be in New York.”

“Do you think it will be out of the country?” There was no way I could leave the state, much less the country. Not until I had Lissia back.

“They’re going to want to meet on their terms in a location where they feel secure. That’s what we would do,” Milo said.

“We’ll need to have a security team in place. Lucas will go with you to negotiate the details and assure them that we will do whatever it takes to make up for the shipment they lost.”

“That sounds like a solid plan.” He sat down. “Except for the part where I take Lucas with me.”

“He’s our consigliere. Why wouldn’t you take him with you?”

“I realize he will be going, but where exactly will you be when this meeting is taking place? Don’t you think it will look a little suspicious if you’re not there? They could see it as a sign of disrespect.”

“I’m hoping to be right by your side, but if we get something on Lissia, I have to go after her.” I glanced at my phone again and noted the time. I could now add another hour she was away from me. “I can’t be in two places at once.”

“Christ, Marchello.”

“You and Dad keep saying I can’t split my focus. If it comes down to it, you’ll take the meeting, and I’ll go after her.” I pointed at him. “You are my second, are you not?”

“You know I am, but my job is to protect you. I can’t let you go off and face Collins without me. I won’t do that.”

“Milo, I feel the same way about sending you into that cartel meeting alone, but sometimes, we have to make the hard decisions. I’m thinking like Dad would. We need a plan in place. We have to look at this from every angle if we’re going to survive.”

“You sound like him.” Milo grinned. “He would be proud.”

“I don’t think so.” I glanced around the office, wishing our father was here to get me out of this situation. “I think he’s furious that I got us into this mess. Every day we take to clean up this shit is another day he can’t come home. We’ve gotten nowhere on the Bello situation.”

“We did get preoccupied when Lissia got nabbed.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Again.”

“This is different than when I took her. I would never hurt her.” I closed my eyes and tried not to imagine her being tortured or… “She doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut, Milo. She pushes and pushes until you snap. She’s going to push Collins too far if she hasn’t already. He doesn’t have the control and the discipline I do.”

“Try not to think about that.”

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