Page 14 of Vito

I do the math. Eden would be twenty-four now, and I know Aiken was thirty-six. "Twelve years… That's quite an age gap between Aiken and his sisters." Massimo nods, and I ask, "Did Daniele say how Fenton died?"

"Hit by a car while walking home from school. Hit at high speed; didn't have a chance."

"Fuck. Poor kid." I rub my forehead. "They catch the driver?"

"Hit and run." Massimo's dark brows pull together.

"Fucking coward," I growl. "Did Daniele find out why Eden ran?"

"No." He's smirking at me again. "You're awfully interested in the woman."

I'm not interested in her; my cock is. But it's nothing that fucking her once wouldn't cure.

"Just trying to figure out the dynamics of Aiken's life." Sighing, I scratch at the stumble lining my jaw. "But I guess it doesn't much matter now, being that he's dead and in the ground."

With that somber reminder, we sit silently, sipping our drinks while the bar clears, leaving only the Chamber representatives, the lawyer, and Gus.

Gilly's security team and the other security teams of the Chamber heads are stationed outside. Our father claps his hands to get everyone's attention, and Massimo and I get up to join him and Marco.

The lawyer is a leggy woman in a skirt suit standing close to the hallway that leads to the storage room, bathrooms, and Aiken's office. She eyes everyone in the room. She either has no idea she's in the room with the city's most powerful and ruthless elite, or she has some brass balls and doesn't show her nerves. I'm not sure how to read Ms. Cunningham.

Gus is the only staff member here since he's acting as the proxy operator until the successor is in place. He stands to thelawyer's left, glances at me, and dips his chin before taking in the crowd gathered.

Besides the lawyer, Pix is the only female, since the criminal world's inner circles tend not to have a representative workforce. She flashes me a grin and a wink, then hops up on the barstool between Ash and Bane.

My father slips his hand into his suit jacket pocket, and I know what he's reaching for—his talisman: the bullet he keeps on a leather strap. It's the first bullet he was shot with, and he keeps it to remind him about the preciousness of life.

He clears his throat and turns to the group. "Thank you for coming tonight."

"We had a choice, Tommaso?" Lixin grins, and the group chuckles.

Babbosmiles, then continues, turning more serious. "We all can agree that Aiken was a force when it came to Gilly's. He possessed the skills to run this conflict-free, neutral space. He was calm and level-headed but fiery when he needed to be, strong-willed and courageous. He was a true broker of peace. He believed in Gilly's intent and the sanctity of its purpose, and he lived that every day here.

"As such, when choosing his successor, he would've carefully considered his choice so his legacy and that of Gilly's continues unhindered."

My father coughs and pauses to take a sip of his red wine. "I strongly believe that when Aiken was choosing his successor, these skills, traits, and attributes would've been factored into his decision. I think we'd all agree that Aiken never made any decision without thoughtful consideration, analyzing it for the pitfalls and risks, and that whatever decision he made was sound. And whoever his successor is, we can have confidence in that choice."

Not that it matters, because the Chamber—or anyone else—has no say or influence over this. They get what they get.

"Ms. Cunningham." My father nods to the lawyer. "Over to you."

The lawyer sets what looks to be a custom-made wooden box on the table. There are slots for five keys. A thick, clear epoxy seal runs along the edge where the box will open. My father, Lixin, Amazu, Dom, and Ash step forward to the table, each taking out their key.

"Now would be a perfect time for that box to have a bomb," I mutter. Massimo kicks me, and I rub my shin. "Ow, you grumpy motherfucker."

The Chamber heads examine the box and confirm that neither it nor its seal has been tampered with.

According to Massimo, when news of Aiken's death became public, the CEO of the most prestigious and protected bank in the city called the lawyer, telling her Aiken had left him strict instructions in the event of his death. He told Ms. Cunningham there was a safe deposit box at the bank for her and where Aiken had hidden the key for it in her office. The lawyer could only access the contents of the safe deposit box when she was heading over to Gilly's after his funeral service. I'm assuming the custom-made wooden box was what Aiken had stored at the bank.

None of this surprises me because Aiken was a meticulous planner. Succession planning and protecting his successor selection to avoid any possible tampering were critical.

"Gentlemen, your keys, please." Cunningham gestures to the sealed box.

One by one, the Chamber heads insert their key and unlock their locks. Dom is the last one, and once the lock barrel has clicked, the lawyer lifts the lid, but it is difficult as she has to pry apart the thick seal. The box on the outside looks like interlinking wood; however, on the inside, it's lined with what Isuspect is bullet- and blast-proof steel. Likely the same material that surrounds Aiken's office and makes it an impenetrable fortress.

The lawyer pulls out a sealed, legal-sized envelope. She offers it to each Chamber head for them to verify that the seal is still intact, then she slits the seal and pulls out the documentation.

"Do we listen to Aiken giving away all his worldly possessions away?" Amazu deadpans. "If so, I need another drink."

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