Page 27 of The High Priestess

Santiago rests his forearms on the table and leans forward. “You don’t look fine.”

Even though my fear intensifies until it borders on terror, I keep my face as expressionless as possible. “I was told you hadmy family buried. Eleni just passed away, and I want to have her buried with them.”

The men all look at me with compassion.

“We’re sorry for your loss,” Leo says, his voice filled with compassion.

My eyes flick to the head of the Italian mafia, and my lips part to thank him, but no words come out.

“I know there’s a lot to take care of, but I think you should still be in the hospital,” Santiago says while standing up.

I watch him walk around the table and lightly frown when he crouches beside my chair. His eyes are filled with compassion as he looks at me.

“What do you need done, Cassia? We’ll take care of it while you recover.”

I glance at everyone, then ask, “Shouldn’t we talk about my position in the alliance?”

Santiago straightens up again, and shoving a hand into his pocket, he frowns at me. “Why? Do you plan on withdrawing?”

I quickly shake my head. “No, but my organization took one hell of a hit. I don’t know how long it will take for me to rebuild it all.”

Everyone looks at me with confused expressions, and I begin to realize the men have never given me any reason to assume they’d want to cut ties with me.

Enzo lets out a sigh as he stands up. He buttons his jacket while muttering, “We don’t turn our back on each other when shit goes down.” He gives the other men a chin lift and walks to the door. “Go back to the hospital and heal.”

When he leaves the room, my gaze swings back to the remaining three men.

“Is that what you thought?” Dominik asks. “That we’d kick you out?”

“I don’t have much to offer the alliance right now,” I admit.

“You dragged my ass out of a burning building,” Dominik reminds me.

“Mine too,” Santiago adds.

“Now it’s our turn to help you,” Leo says as he climbs to his feet. “I’ve sent word out to any survivors in your organization. My men are on the ground and helping them find their way to Chile.”

Oh my God.

For a split second, my chin trembles, but I fight to keep my composure. “Thank you, Leo.”

“You would do the same for me,” he says before heading to the door. “Let me know when you’ve fully recovered so we can plan how to proceed.”

“I will.”

When I’m alone with Santiago and Dominik, Santiago takes the seat beside me and scoots closer.

He places his hand on my shoulder. “You’ve suffered one hell of a blow, Cassia. We’re all here to help where we can. What do you need?”

“I need to have Eleni transported to Athens so she can be buried there,” I say while my throat strains. My heart shatters again as I ask, “Did they really wipe out my entire family? No one survived?”

Santiago gives me a compassionate look that makes it so much harder for me not to cry. “Your uncle and aunt were hit at the same time as you. They also attacked three of your warehouses. None of your family survived. I’m sorry, Cassia.”

Jesus.

“And my mother’s sister?”

He tilts his head. “You have another aunt?”

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