Page 54 of Angelo

Was her grandfather about to turn them over to the cops? Green eyes popped as she gasped, "What!"

Clicking his tongue in disapproval, Benedetto gestured to the burning church and the dozen or so dead bodies surrounding it and muttered,"Questo disastro è troppo grande per essere nascosto da soli. Avremo bisogno dell'assistenza delle autorità." This disaster is too big to cover up on our own. We will require assistance from the authorities.

With an arched eyebrow, Alessandro asked in low tones,"Hai chiesto qualche... favore?" Did you call in some... favors?

"Ma certo." But of course.

"Dovremo fornire loro una buona storia." We will need to supply them with a good story.

Benedetto grunted again,"Ma certo." But of course.

Alessandro's eyes flitted over to Cara for a moment, glowering at her, before casting a hard, penetrating glare at the small crowd of survivors.

He declared,"I Berlusconi ci hanno aggrediti durante i funerali di mio padre. Sono colpevoli di tutte le morti e dell'incendio. Chiunque dica il contrario..." The Berlusconis attacked us during my father's funeral. They are guilty of all the deaths and the fire. Anyone who says otherwise...

Elyse shivered as her husband's voice trailed off in a threat. Armed and on standby, his men had them all surrounded. What Alessandro left unsaid was clear. Anyone who refused their rendition of truth wouldn't live to tell another tale.

The Trevisanos, the Svizzis, the Gravianos, and their men stayed silent and complicit. They seemed to accept Alessandro as their leader at last. Valentina grinned in an unreadable manner. Gaspare's face clenched with anger, but he didn't fight back. He kept quiet, too.

The only dissenter was Cara. She rebuked Alessandro's warning, spitting back loudly,"Vai all'inferno, amore mio." Go to hell, my love.

Alessandro smiled back at her, but his eyes remained stony."Non sono il tuo amore, Cara. Sono il tuo capo." I am not your love, Cara. I am your capo.

On edge, Elyse watched her husband rally back and forth with his old lover. Their exchange brimmed with malice.

Cara asked with a sullen expression,"Domenico è morto?" Is Domenico dead?

"Sì."

Cara wailed in despair,"Il mio clan è allo sfascio." My clan is in shambles.

Alessandro's face didn't soften. His steely tone didn't waver when heconfirmed once more,"Sì."

The auburn-haired woman asked, seemingly more to herself than to Alessandro,"Che ne sarà di me?" What will become of me?

"Confesserai i tuoi crimini alle autorità." You will confess your crimes to the authorities.

This wasn't a request. It was a fucking order. Elyse's eyes widened with understanding. Her husband intended to let Cara take the fall for her whole clan. The woman wouldn't die, but she’d spend the rest of her days behind bars.

Desperate watered in her eyes as Cara tried to play on Alessandro's sympathies,"Domenico me l'ha fatto fare, amore mio! Lo giuro, non potevo rifiutarlo!" Domenico made me do it, my love! I swear, I was helpless to refuse him!

Alessandro remained unmoved."Avresti dovuto provare di più." You should have tried harder.

Elyse watched the hysteria set in as Cara realized her fate was sealed. Tears streamed down the older woman's cheeks. Cara began to weep,"No, no, sono troppo carina per andare in prigione!" No, no, no, I am too pretty to go to prison!

"Allora,"Alessandro replied calmly,"non saresti dovuto venire per mia moglie con quella tua piccola pistola, non avresti dovuto attraversarmi oggi, e non avresti dovuto scegliere tuo fratello al posto del tuo capo. Le azioni hanno conseguenze." Then, you should not have come for my wife with that little gun of yours, you should not have crossed me today, and you should not have chosen your brother over your capo. Actions have consequences.

Alessandro's glare remained on Cara, his words were directed at her as well, but Elyse sensed that he was also speaking to the other clans. She listened carefully to everything he said and even more carefully to the shit he left unsaid.

Everything began to click.

There was a reason why Domenico, Carlo, and Aberto were no longer alive. They'd failed to stay in their lanes. When every man wished to be king, executions became inevitable. They'd gotten lucky with Domenico and Carlo. The two assholes were taken out rather quickly. Aberto had been trickier. Even though putting a bullet in him hadn’t been a part of their strategy, the kill was necessary. Aberto was too strong of a rival. As long as he stayed alive, they'd never know peace. Now that Alessandro had turned Aberto into a corpse, the greatest threat to his reign ascapowas gone.

But this blessing was also acurse.

Dealing with enraged members of the De León clan wasn't going to be pretty. Gaspare would likely come for their throats once he rallied enough troops. Mariposa might hate them, too. But, now, at least, the De León snake was headless, and the playing field was now skewed in their favor. Change never came without sacrifice.

This was what Elyse told herself to calm the buzzing anxiety within her chest. Today was the first time her husband had unveiled his true self to allies and enemies alike. Alessandro had shown them that he was no longer a playboy, a fuckboy, or a princeling.

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