Page 98 of Brutal Devil
I shrug, flexing my knuckles, still dripping on the gym floor. “She didn’t try to stab me in the eye with one of her pens.”
“Does she know why she’s moving back to the penthouse?”
“Yeah.”
I don’t say anything else. No need to.
Saint takes a long sip of his whiskey. “I don’t blame her. No one would want to be bait for scum like that backstabbing asshole.”
“She’s not bait for Amedeo,” I snap, not liking the accusation. “She’s proof that we’re committed to the families becoming one. If the Revello capos don’t trust us, we’re not going to be able to hold the alliance together, particularly not with Squeaky looking like he’s switched sides.”
I’ve tasked Scorpion with trying to get to the bottom of what Amedeo might have on Squeaky. But so far, no word.
Saint runs a hand through his hair. “Fuck. I don’t like this. There’s got to be another way, one that won’t put Luna in harm’s way.”
“There isn’t.”
“What about a picture or a video?” he suggests.
“AI is too good these days. Anything can be faked with an app.”
“A video call, then.”
“I’m not ready to put a phone in Luna’s hands just yet. I give her a phone with internet capabilities, and then next thing I know, she’s calling 9-1-1 and telling them Matteo Andriani andhis brothers kidnapped her and are holding her against her will. Think the Feds won’t have a field day with that?”
Saint blows out a breath.
It’s plain to see he cares about Luna, and that still bothers the fuck out of me, even if I understand why. She gets under your skin, into your blood and bones, to the marrow. She’s feisty and smart and mouthy and beautiful and vibrant, and fucking damn it, I can’t let anything happen to her.
“This dinner you proposed,” Saint begins, apparently finally coming to grips with the fact that this is the only way to proceed. “Where do you want to have it?”
“Our territory somewhere. Wherever you think we’ll have the most advantages for defending ourselves if it comes down to it.”
We’re going to be armed to the teeth. There’s no way I’m allowing Amedeo the Animal or any of his men within a mile of Luna without knowing we’re prepared for all outcomes. We don’t have any proof of who was behind Antonio and Tomasso, but Amedeo is far from having been ruled out.
The more time that goes by, the higher he climbs on my list of suspects.
“What do you think about having it at Lucchese?” he asks.
It’s one of our newer ventures, a private supper club for city elite. Membership costs fifty grand a year, and our clientele is a who’s who of the upper echelons of society. We can close it down for a private event, with security high, and it won’t even raise an eyebrow. Plus, it’s on our turf.
I nod, liking the idea.
“Lucchese could work. We’ve been keeping the Revellos off the membership list ever since it opened, and a ladder-climbing asshole like Amedeo will likely jump at the chance.”
“It’s settled, then. I’ll look at the calendar of bookings and see what we need to move so that we can have the club empty andall to ourselves that night. I’ll also make sure we have triple the men. I’ll handle security.”
“Make that quadruple the men,” I say. “I want a motherfucking army, Saint. If this prick is after my wife, I want him dead before he can even so much as raise a finger against her.”
“You know I’ll do everything in my power to make sure everything is as secure as possible.” He pauses, his expression serious. “But you also know there’s still going to be a risk. There’s no way to keep her one hundred percent safe. All we can do is take every precaution we can and hope for the best.”
It’s a sobering reminder, but one I don’t need. I’m already aware of the danger involved in this meeting and in bringing Luna out of hiding so soon, none of which are part of my original plan. But it’s what I need to do for the good of the family—the combined families. It’s what I promised our father I would do when he was on his deathbed after the heart attack that left him brain-dead.
“I know the risks, and I know the rewards. It’s a chance we have to take,” I tell my brother.
“It’s a chance we’re taking with Luna’s life.”
His mouth is tight at the edges, and for once, all traces of Saint’s odd sense of humor are gone. He’s deadly serious.
