Page 91 of Massimo

And two, because Vito, Raf, and our other men present would question the depth of my depraved rage. Vito would see it for what it truly is—making the enemy pay for daring to try to take what's mine. Vito would instantly know that the rumors about me having Nova were true. And if he witnessed the psychotic things I wanted to do to this man, he'd immediately realize that Nova wasn't just a pawn in my revenge.

"What has he told you?" I ask Vito.

"Jack shit."

Raf thumbs his jaw. "Just keeps spouting that he knows you took the snake's princess, Massimo."

I sense Gabe getting ready to restrain me—not from attacking the man hanging from chains, but from attacking Raf.

That's twice now, my family's most loyal members have spoken with hate and malice when referring to Nova, making Renzo's warning hammer into my brain again.

Regaining control and putting my emotionless mask in place, I turn to our captive.

Vito, Gabe, and Raf step back, letting me take the lead. Mario and two other of our men lean against the wall, smoking a cigarette, happy to be spectators as well.

"What's your name?" I ask the dangling man.

He tracks me as I finishing taking my shirt off. Gabe takes it from me, and the captive's throat bobs as he swallows and studies my broad, massive chest. I'm not as chiseled as Vito, but I have a muscular physique and know I'm intimidating.

"Why?" he asks me. "So you can kill my family?"

"As your employer would do."

"Get it over with," he grits.

"You're an enemy who has come into my territory." I step closer, making his nostrils flare, but otherwise, he remains motionless.

Surprise spreads through me. I had assumed Mancini would send a dispensable low-level grunt on this suicide mission. In my experience, with those types of prisoners, their fear was palpable and they broke quickly. However, this guy has a backbone. Yes, he's clearly pissing his pants in fear—and literally, from the smell of him. But from Vito'sworkover so far, he hasn't crumpled like a grunt or even a new soldier in Mancini's army would've.

Which means Mancini sent someone higher than one of his lowest foot soldiers, and that tells me he is desperate to confirm and prove that I have Nova.

Technically, he could strike at me without that proof. However…

Some pieces start to crystalize into focus as a possibility.

Mancini isn't just aligning with Vincenzo, Gastone, Achille, and Camillo for profiting off Glucoaid-X. He wants my syndicate as a whole to turn against me, and even though I considered and dismissed it previously, Vincenzo and the others could be conspiring with Mancini to do so.

Normally, the 'Ndrangheta would automatically side with one of our own against an external threat. They'd stand beside me and honor our oath to protect the families within our syndicate. However, there's things I can't ignore that are supporting a conspiracy theory, including Beast—a member of the French Mafia, who is allied with Mancini—is a welcomed guest in Vincenzo's territory.

If Mancini had solid, irrefutable proof that I took Nova, technically the 'Ndrangheta couldn't do anything to me because I hadn't actually defied the vote and decision, which was to let Mancini live. However, if Mancini is conspiring with Vincenzo, Gastone, Achille, and Camillo, that's a different story—they could push through a vote for the 'Ndrangheta as a whole to attack me, using the evidence as their justification.

This may all be circumstantial conjecture, but a jolt of urgency rips through me.

The linchpin solution to all this potential threat is Nova pregnant with my heir. Even if she isn't my wife, if it's to protect my unborn heir that I've publicly claimed, the 'Ndrangheta wouldhave no choicebut to side with me and protect the woman carrying it. My marrying Nova would give her that continued protection once the child is born.

Renzo wasn't just right about me being short-sighted; I had the entire sequence of events wrong. Getting Nova pregnant was the most crucial, imperative thing I needed to do, followed closely by marryingher.

Turning my attention back to the captive hanging in front of me, I ask, "Why does Julien Moreau and the French want Nova so badly?"

He's clearly taken aback by my shift in questioning, but he scoffs. "You think I know what the boss is up to and planning? You're delusional."

I pride myself on having an uncanny ability to detect when someone is lying. I had missed it with Lixin and Amazu, which had made me doubt myself, and was a big reason for how I acted toward Nova at the start. However, in this, I know my gut instinct is right, and like a predator, I smell blood.

Stepping forward, I finger the cold chains wrapped around his wrist where he dangles from a hook in the ceiling. "Everyone has a breaking point; I'm happy to find yours."

Panicked, sharp pants of breath push out of his nose, but he doesn't beg.

Without taking my eyes off the guy, I speak, "I want barbed wire around his wrists for him to hang from instead of the chains. And I want a flogger."

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