Page 170 of Phantom Mine

Emiliano Marchesani glowers at me from across the table. A thick vein runs down the middle of his forehead in testament to his displeasure.

The power shift from our last meeting is laughable. Whereas I’d previously had to entreat him into an alliance, he’s the one foaming at the mouth in anxious trepidation to see me actually go through with it now.

“You’ve been putting this off, Leone,” he accuses, setting his frame wide in his chair to make himself look bigger.

Enzo shifts next to me in a not so subtle warning to Marchesani that he settle down. I tip my low ball glass on its edge and watch the amber liquid through the crystal.

“You can understand that I’ve been busy in service of theFamiglia, Emiliano.”

He scoffs loudly, the sound derisive. “And what have you to show for it?” He doesn’t stop to let me answer, leaning forwardinstead and pointing a reproachful finger at me. “You’re the one who came to me, begging for an alliance. Don’t let yourself be blinded by your newfound power like the rest of your family—you’re in this position only because I’ve publicly announced my allegiance to you. That support can be retracted as quickly as it was granted,” he sneers. “If you want to remainDon, you’ll make right on your commitment and announce your engagement to Marina. I’d suggest including the planned wedding date in that announcement as well.” His tone makes it clear it’s anything but a suggestion.

“An alliance.”

Marchesani frowns. “What?”

I drag my gaze from my glass up to meet his. “You asked what I have to show for my efforts. That’s my answer, an alliance,” I tell him. “And the identity of my father’s killer.”

Enzo stills almost imperceptibly next to me. He’s wondering what my angle is here, what I’m up to. Even without knowing what the play is, he’ll follow me blindly.

“Who killed him?” Emiliano asks.

“The Colombians.”

His face darkens. “So it was Da Silva. Thatstronzomust have lost his mind if he thinks he can attack us without retaliation.” He shakes his head. “Who is the alliance with?”

I grin. “The Colombians.”

Technically, Thiago hasn’t officially signed off on the truce. Given that the only point of contention standing in the way of an agreement is his sister, and given that I don’t intend to accept any outcome other than her being mine, I’m considering the deal set in stone.

Seeing his features twist in total confusion is pure entertainment. His mouth opens and closes several times without a sound being uttered before he finally says, “I’m not sure I understand.”

“With my father’s knowledge, my brother kidnapped da Silva’s sister. They either murdered her or sold her into a sex trafficking ring.” Emiliano’s face contorts in disgust. “He’s been looking for her for two years. Their killings were acts of retaliation themselves, so theFamigliadoes not have justification to strike back in return.” I take a drink, enjoying the burn of the scotch down my throat. “Let’s be honest, Emiliano—da Silva rid us both of two major problems. Augusto and Rocco’s deaths cleared the runway for the emergence of a newFamiglia, one without corruption, greed, and internal turmoil.”

There’s just one final piece that needs to be dealt with, but I don’t bother Emiliano with the details. Finding Guido and ensuring the girls’ safety is the priority now.

“An alliance with the Colombians gives us peace we sorely need. We’ve spent the past couple of years wasting our energy and resources killing and attacking each other when we could have and should have been working together. We can help each other without stepping on each others’ toes, and da Silva agrees with that,” I explain. “If you accept it, so will the rest of theFamigliathat is loyal to you, Emiliano. You know this is an alliance that’ll benefit us greatly.”

He leans back into his chair, the tension relaxing down to a low simmer between us. It’s his turn to clutch his glass, to twirl it absentmindedly between his fingers as he thinks through my proposal. I can feel Enzo waiting for his response with bated breath, but I breathe easy beside him. Marchesani would be stupid to turn this down. He’s many things, but a fool is not one of them.

“Alright.” He lifts his head and pins me with an almost reluctantly impressed look. “You’ve done well with this and you have my support. There’s never been an alliance between the Colombians and the Italians in the storied history of theUnderworld before, it’s quite a feat,” he grunts. “We can announce your engagement now.”

“We can’t.”

Enzo stiffens.

As quickly as it eased, the tension is back to fully taut between Marchesani and I.

“And what excuse can you possibly have for putting it off now?” he demands, voice tight.

“I have no excuse, Emiliano. I can’t marry your daughter.”

He explodes out of his seat. “You’d insult Marina this way?”

“I mean her no disrespect,” I say, coolly. “In fact, it would be disrespectful to marry her when my heart belongs to someone else.”

Emiliano turns red with rage, the vein in his forehead popping disturbingly now. By my count, he hasn’t taken a breath in thirty seconds. Ten more and he may just keel over and die.

“Who cares about your fuckingheart, Matteo?” he spits, saliva flying everywhere.

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