Page 121 of Vito

I give him a two-finger salute, backing away. "Point received and heard,YourHighness."

"Vito."

But I've already pivoted on my heel and am stalking out the door.

Chapter 33

Eden

I'malreadyonextraedge due to Amazu's odd insistence on being in my office. When Ohith calls me about the information Vito shared with them about the tattoo on my attackers were also found on some Czech mafia soldiers, that pushes my 'on-edgeness' up to what I think is my maximum threshold.

That is, until Massimo walks into the bar and requests to speak with Gus and me in my office.

Is he going to grill me about Vito? Threaten me to stay away from him?

No, he wouldn't do that with Gus present.

The three of us going into my office could still look suspicious, but I'm unwilling to chance having this conversation anywhere else.

Gus looks at me with concern as we enter my office with Massimo, and I shut the door. "What's going on?" he demands. "Is there a development about last night?"

"Take a seat, Gus," Massimo offers like it's his goddamn office, but I curb my annoyance.

I stalk around my desk and sit in the chair, motioning for Gus to sit and relax. Then, I level Massimo with my frigid, resting bitch face. "Take a seat, Massimo," I throw his words back at him.

The corner of his mouth twitches, and he sits. His big body engulfs the chair as he relaxes back and interlinks his hands over his stomach.

"You can speak freely with Gus here."

Now that the initial panic has subsided, the logical part of my brain knows that Massimo wouldn't have asked Gus to be involved in the meeting if he planned to warn me away from Vito.

He eyes me closely. "Do you currently have or have you ever had any connection with the Czech mafia or the Mancini crime family from Boston?"

Well, that's direct and to the point.

Gus stiffens, looking from me to Massimo. "That sounds an awful lot like an accusation, Massimo. Ed, do you want me to get Frank?"

"Easy, Gus," I say calmly. "And no, Massimo, I don't have a connection with either criminal faction."

"Could anything from your past be indirectly connected?" he presses.

He knows about Ohith and Axin and is likely referring to that. I frown as I consider. Ohith and Axin's main work as the highly sought professional clean-up team was in this area. I know they didn't work on the East Coast, nor would they involve themselves in cleaning up the messes of criminals involved in human trafficking. I know they would never help get rid of the bodies of people who'd been heinously violated or do anythingto aid criminals like that. They may not be 'good' men, but they have some standards and morals.

"No," I answer with confidence.

"What the hell is going on, Massimo?" Gus barks in his hoarse, raspy voice.

Regardless of Gus's obvious worry, Massimo doesn't answer as he studies me. "You know about the tattoo and the link to two Slovak soldiers?" I nod. "That tattoo is also linked to a businessman named Manuel Morales."

I also know this from what Vito told me earlier, but I keep silent.

"He was involved in the threat against my sister-in-law, Sophie."

Gus sucks in sharply at the connection. But I know more connections must have been discovered if Massimo is here, having this conversation.

"Morales also has a connection with Silvestro Mancini." He pauses, and his dark eyes move between me and Gus. "This part doesn't leave the room." He only resumes after we nod. "Mancini was spotted with another of our enemies in our territory."

Meaning that whatever's happening with the Santoros is somehow connected to last night's attack.

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