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Dario is the only family he has left.
I shut the thought down again, realizing my weakness.
It isn’t a miscalculation. There is now a new voice, in favor of Luca. I shove it down so deeply it’s snuffed out within seconds.
Dmitri considers me. I wonder if he notices the raging war and realization within me. Even if he does, surely he can see my resolve now.
Dmitri, I was coming to learn, is just as much the devil as Luca. The only difference is he masks it better. Despite it, I can’t deny I would most likely betray Dmitri in the same way he had me if a new opportunity presented itself. But I am not willing to risk his involvement on this plan because it is certain to put me in the grave if caught.
“Okay then. Be sure to make it catastrophic.”
I have no doubt it will be.
I am aiming for his one weakness.
His brother.
Surprisingly, I don’t hate Dmitri for what he’s done. We are both carefully weaving our way to our end goal. Because of that there is still room to use one another.
“There is something I need from you, though,” I admit. “I’d like to put in a contingency plan if I don’t make it out of this hit alive.” Because the risks are too high. Whatever reckless thing I am about to do, it is highly probable Luca will figure it out. I hope it isn’t before rage devours him and wedges deeply between him and his already strangled relationship with his brother.
I need to use it as a distraction. I need to risk the chance of Ivan being called back and the possibility of Luca returning to Italy. Because Luca is suffocating me and I can’t get close enough to my end goal with him blocking the path.
As for Dmitri, I need him to put everything into place as a backup plan. In case I didn’t make it out alive. No matter what, I still want my mother’s voice to be heard and my father questioned and buried for it.
40
LUCA
Iwatch Ara arrive home through the cameras I’d planted in her apartment. She’s awkwardly carrying the box of twinkies I had delivered to her office, impressed it is so far the only thing she hasn’t thrown out that I sent her this week.
I send her a text message.
Me: Glad to see the Twinkies are worth your attention.
She fishes her phone out of her pocket. Skeptically she looks into each room, trying to find me. Satisfaction fills me. Until of course, she refuses to reply.
I have to punish her again, I realize.
I’m back at the family mansion looking through old contracts and papers. It was bold of her to assume she could find anything here, but her instinct is not entirely misplaced. Where my father and I differed was he liked trophies and so I am aware of a few secure locations he hid contracts on his dealings. I kept them for peculiar situations such as this and if I ever needed them for blackmail.
Lorenzo pours me a whisky just as Dario stops at the entrance of the office. He looks disheveled and I have no interest as to why.
“Can we have a moment?” he asks and pointedly looks at Lorenzo as if requesting for him to leave.
“I don’t know what we could possibly have to talk about.” I say as I continue flicking through the papers.
“Please,” he adds. Slowly, I look up at my brother. Any form of conversation with him would only be a waste of time and most likely put me in a sour mood. But it’s the please that has me offering him the seat across. Perhaps because of a certain little viper, I was softening. Lorenzo excuses himself from the room.
I cover the papers of interest and take a sip of the whisky as Dario settles himself in.
“I know you hate me,” Dario begins. An understatement. “But I want to help you with whatever mess is happening here.”
“What could you possibly know about the mess that’s happening right now?” I ask. “You haven’t grown up, Dario. From then or now.”
His jaw grinds. “Is this what you want? Me and everyone scared of you?!”
“Yes.”
