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For a brief moment, Eduardo’s voice is strong and firm through the windowpanes that separate us. “Go,amore! Run!” A second later it is soundless, his mouth open in a noiseless echo of the same command.
Run.
I turn and run before the light leaves his eyes. I don’t want to see that. I turn away from his light and flee into the darkness of the greenhouse.
Chapter 20
Ivan
As I approach thegreenhouse, I can make out the silhouettes of the men the others brought. With the span of the road and a parking lot separating us, I start counting them. One, two, three...most of them have a lit cigarette hanging from their mouths. Clouds of smoke billow above their heads and dissipate into the atmosphere, and I shake my head a little.
I've never understood the appeal of cigarettes. Then again, I'm considerably more physical than some of the others, Don and made man alike. It’s hard to break bones when you’re struggling to catch your breath.
I hate all of it. The smell, the health side effects, the way it stains cars and houses. But mostly, I hate how it exposes people. The cigarettes’ glowing cherries give the men away, fiery little beacons in the darkness. They mark the presence of careless men who are smoking what could very well be their last cigarette.
At least they’re not near my wife. If I witnessed this sloppy behavior in the men assigned to guard her, they wouldn’t remain alive for very long.
I didn’t want to bring her, and I certainly did not want to leave her in that car, but it’s the best place for her. I couldn’t take the risk that Azrael would be hunting, even as I am, and leave her open to their retribution. At least here, they’re not anticipating us, and don’t know she’s here.
As I get closer, my bad luck kicks in. The first group I come upon is led by Damon Papparado.
Great.Damon, the heir-apparent of the Valachi empire by merit of his marriage to Lulu Valachi, has somehow managed to rally Angel's men around him. Not that I left many high-ranking ones for him to gather.
But he’s Vivi’s brother-in-law. I have to fucking play nice, and not just for Vivi’s sake. If I want to leverage the advantages this connection could bring me, I’m going to have to suffer the relationship.
Damnit.Inwardly I roll my eyes, but outwardly I ensure my expression is neutral.
I scan the faces around Damon. None of them are familiar. I’m surrounded by the enemy, but at least it’s an enemy Vivi trusts. I won’t ever put my faith in them, but for her I will tolerate their presence.
"Where’s your crew?" Damon demands, his voice cutting through the night air.
"Exactly where I told them to be," I respond, my voice steady; I’m not going to tell him my men’s positions. He should worry about his own. I take a second scan of his men before I divert my gaze back to him. "Can any of these men handle themselves?"
"Well enough," Damon replies with a dismissive shrug. "These men are coming with me, and I have one on surveillance."
“Ask him how well he can see everyone’s fucking cigarettes.”
Before Damon can respond, Cassidy and Evie arrive. Both are adjusting bands on their arms, securing throwing knives. My stomach tightens; hopefully, they’ll be faster than Azrael, so those knives won’t end up used against them.
I give them a brief nod and turn to see Damon’s men snuffing their tobacco. Everyone busies themselves checking their weapons, and when I don’t, Damon raises a brow at me.
I yawn.
I have no need to second guess myself in front of these men. I checked several times before I left, leaving no opening for any signs of weakness.
Cassidy takes a final drag of his own cigarette before tossing it to the ground. "Where the hell are they? You’d think with all of usout here, someone would have run some interference," he says, his voice tinged with irritation.
Evie nods, her eyes scanning the area. "That’s exactly what I'm thinking. We should have seen our first sign of resistance by now."
Damon’s smirk widens, and I can feel his eyes on me, calculating. "Well, I’m sure our fearless leader knows why we haven’t seen Azrael yet," he says, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
I meet his gaze, and in that moment, everything clicks. Damon is here to support the cause, sure, but he’s also waiting for me to fail. My failure would secure his position once the Commission's influence is eliminated. The Valachis want to keep their power, and Damon sees this as his golden opportunity.
I can’t let that happen. Not now, not ever.
"We don’t know what we are walking into. That’s why I sent Enzo and Luca’s teams ahead of us," I explain, scanning the faces around me as I wait for someone to disagree. No one does. "We will follow. If they trigger anything, we can be the second wave to strengthen their attack."
In my mind, I hear Angel’s voice, a whisper from the past.
