Page 111 of Savage Enemy

And the man just kept talking.

“Then Chicago is the bad guy because they’re getting in the way of true love. And for those who aren’t romantic, you have a claim to this woman. She’s the mother of your child, and the Moscatellis have not only stolen her from you, but they also made a deal with the Russians.”

I hated to admit it, but his plan did make me look more like the hero rather than a villain if I went into Chicago, with all of New York behind me, and burned it to the ground to prevent my wife’s tragic death.

However, it would also give Lordi a lot more power.

More than mine.

I never wanted to be part of the Commission. It had been my life’s goal to tear it apart.

I’d already lost a finger for the woman I loved. Was I willing to lose my integrity too? Break the promises I’d made to my family? To my mother?

Yes, I decided immediately.

Yes, I fucking was.

CHAPTER 22

STEFANO

In less than ten minutes, I’d gone from having to face the whole of Chicago alone—not just the Moscatellis, but also those who owed them fealty—to having an entire army at my back.

Promised by the one man I swore to kill.

Edgardo Lordi had offered me what I needed to get Val back home safely, and it would only cost me my soul.

I’d always believed Lucifer was a fat Italian who smelled like salami and horseradish. I’d also thought Satan’s pride would cause him to hide his gluttony, but I got that part wrong.

Despite my lightheadedness, I needed to run through the options. I hadn’t gotten as far as I had by making rash decisions.

If I said no to Lordi and went into Chicago on my own, I would have only a handful of men. I didn’t have the time to organize some great assault. It would be just me and a handful of my men breaking into Moscatelli’s home. In broad daylight while anyone could see us.

A mafia boss’s estate never stood empty, and I had a feeling Moscatelli preferred to work out of his home.

Fogginess sent my thoughts in random directions as the room spun around me, making it hard to focus.

I shook my head, which only made it worse, and stared at the glass filling with my blood. My dripping finger showed no sign of slowing down.

Fuck, I should have eaten more than a sandwich.

What was I supposed to be thinking about?

Valerie. Valentina. Getting her back.

At night, with many more men, we would use the cover of darkness, and most of the Moscatelli soldiers would be sleeping, just a handful on duty. More men would make it easier to get in. Additional soldiers would overwhelm Moscatelli’s men, and that meant I had a much greater chance of getting Val out alive.

Hell, I might even get her out without any more bruises or gunshot wounds.

My girl already had so many injuries, and if this fat fuck in front of me knew she and I had shared a moment of passion in the ladies’ room, then so did her father.

Her twin worried me. He took pleasure in hurting her.

She would need the doctor when I got her home.

She needed to sleep somewhere safe to heal.

Her safety meant everything to me.

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