20. Brie

CHAPTER 20

Brie

I follow Frank and Larry to the room where they're holding Vince, Larry muttering under his breath now and then. I ignore him and force myself to stay composed.

I've always known these places existed in the casino. Soundproofed, steel-doored, inescapable. But I've never entered one myself. And as Frank pushes open the heavy door, the first thing that hits me is the smell—sweat, blood, desperation. My eyes take a moment to adjust to the darkness, one spotlight shining down harshly onto the man himself.

Vince Sabatelli.

His suit is torn and stained, his hair matted with blood. One eye is swollen shut, but the other fixes on me with defiance.

"Well, well," Vince rasps, his voice hoarse. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Mrs. Colombo?"

I turn to Frank and Larry. "Leave us."

Larry gives a dark laugh, and Frank's eyebrows shoot up. "Now, Breezy, I don't think?—"

"I didn't ask for your thoughts, Frank. I said leave us . That goes for the guards too."

For a moment, I think he might protest further, but then he nods, ushering the others out. As the door closes behind them, I'm acutely aware that I'm alone with a man who, despite his current state, is still one of the most dangerous individuals in Las Vegas.

I pull up a chair, positioning myself just out of Vince's reach, even though he's tied down. His good eye follows my every move. I can feel him searching for weakness, for any sign that I'm out of my depth, any chance to grab hold of me.

"I have to say, I'm surprised to see you here," Vince says, a hint of his usual charm peeking through the bruises. "Didn't think Larry would let his new puppet out of his sight."

I lean back, crossing my legs, letting the slit in my designer dress reveal just a hint of thigh. It's a move I've used countless times to disarm men who underestimate me. "Is that what you think I am, Vince? A puppet? Is that why you tried to kill me when I turned down your ridiculous offer of marriage?"

"Look, I woulda got down on one knee if that's what you preferred," he chuckles, then winces at the pain it causes. "No offense, Breezy, but we both know you're in over your head. Terry kept you out of the Family business for a reason."

For years, I've played the role of the beautiful, slightly air-headed wife. It was safer that way, easier. Terry knew the real me under the act, even asked my advice from time to time But with Terry gone and my life on the line, I can't afford to be that woman anymore.

"No offense to you , Vince, but right now I'm your only chance. So be smarter than you're being."

Vince's one good eye squints at me. "Let me guess, Larry's been filling your head with bullshit about how I'm the one who offed Terry?" I don't respond, but my silence seems to be answer enough. "Christ," Vince mutters. "Listen, Brie, I loved the old man. It wasn't me who took him out. But you want to know who's willing to do whatever it takes to get to the top, even if it means eliminating the competition?" He leans forward as much as his restraints allow. "Larry fucking Caruso. The man's a psychopath."

"And why should I believe you?"

"Look at me, sweetheart. You think I did this to myself? Larry's been itching for a reason to take me out, 'cuz I'm the only one who might challenge him for Don. And let me tell you, he's not planning on letting a widow stand in his way, neither. It's him. He's the guy. He offed the boss and he tried to hit you, too."

"But why should he care about me enough to want me dead?"

"He don't like the influence you got in the Family. Thinks you'll side against him and turn some of the other guys, too."

That's news to me. "Where was he the night of Terry's murder?"

For the first time, Vince seems a little less certain of his accusation. "Well…he was in Phoenix. With me."

"You were both in Phoenix together?"

With a sigh, Vince shifts in the chair. "The old man sent us away to do a deal together. Said we needed to spend time with each other. Make friends."

I almost smile. I can just about hear Terry saying it to them, and I can certainly imagine their reactions.

"But that don't mean nothing," he goes on. "He could've hired someone, or got one of his crew to do it."

Maybe. But whoever did it—if they were unknown to the Family or to casino security—wouldn't have gotten far. Even one of Larry's crew members would have been noticed by someone . Terry tried to have as little contact as possible with the lower levels, to make sure there was plausible deniability for legal purposes.

" You could have hired someone, too," I point out, but then go on over his protests. "But let's say I believe you. What then?"

He studies me for a long moment, judging whether he actually has a chance here. "You let me go," he says slowly. "Reinstate me as Capo. I won't even ask for a chance at Larry—you can take care of him. And I know you will, eh?" He grins. "In return, I'll swear loyalty to you until a new Don is chosen. You pick whoever you like, and I'll fall in line."

I raise an eyebrow. "How do I know you won't just turn on Larry the moment you're free?"

"Because unlike some people, I know the value of loyalty," he spits. "Terry was a good boss. He treated me fair. I respected that." His voice softens slightly. "And I respect you, too. You've got more grit in you than most of these fuckers realize. So I'll lay off Larry, until I'm ordered otherwise."

His words catch me off guard. It's not often that any man sees beyond the facade I put up. And every instinct I've honed over years of surviving in this world is screaming at me to be cautious.

But there's another part of me, the part that's been pushed aside and underestimated for too long, that sees an opportunity. I think of where I came from, the trailer park that feels like a lifetime ago.

And I think of the man I left with a knife in his chest, bleeding out on the floor of the trailer with my mother crying and wailing over him.

I've reinvented myself countless times. Why not do it again? The Colombo Family power broker. I like the sound of that.

"Here's the deal, Vince. And it's the only one you'll get from me, so listen carefully. I'll have you released. I'll even have you reinstated as Capo. And you'll be my guy, like you say." He nods vigorously. "But if I so much as suspect you're playing me, I'll make sure what Larry did to you looks like a day at the spa. Are we clear?"

Vince's good eye widens slightly, a mix of surprise and respect. "Crystal clear, Mrs. Colombo."

"And you cut out the sleazy bullshit."

"Consider it cut."

I move to the door, then pause, looking back at him. "It might take me a few hours to talk Frank around. Make sure you stay alive until then."

He nods, a slow smile spreading across his battered face. "You got it, Girl Boss."

"I'm no girl, Vince."

He chuckles painfully. "Nah, you're a goddamn queen."

"You got that right," I tell him, and then I open the door and step out.

Frank and Larry are waiting there with a few other low-ranked Colombo guards, and whatever conversation they were having stops as soon as I appear. "Was Vince with you in Phoenix the night of Terry's murder?" I ask Larry without preamble.

"Yeah," Larry says after a moment. "Yeah, he was."

"And the other night, he was in the poker game the whole evening," I go on. "Is that right?"

"Yeah, that's right," Larry says. "He was there the whole time. Came up with me and Hudson Brooks after Frank sent down word."

"So Vince had no access to his phone that night?"

Another pause. "No, I guess not," Larry admits at last.

"The hitman who came after me was very well prepared. He had a casino uniform and he'd managed to disrupt the private elevator. Vince Sabatelli is a capable man, but even he wouldn't have been able to set all that up during the game."

"So he set it up before," Larry argues. "Easy as pie."

"But he had no reason to want to kill me then. Not until after I'd publicly humiliated him at the game." Which means the previous attempt on my life probably wasn't Vince either, but I don't point that out. "Vince isn't the guy," I go on, when there's no response from anyone. "Let him go."

Larry's face contorts with rage. "What the fuck? Breezy, you can't be serious?—"

"Not only am I serious, but I'm also telling you, Frank, to reinstate Vince Sabatelli as Capo, effective immediately."

The hallway erupts into chaos. Larry is shouting, his face turning an alarming shade of red. Frank is trying to calm him down, while simultaneously shooting me questioning looks.

"You got no rights here, lady," Larry snarls, getting in my face. His breath is hot against my skin, and I can smell the expensive scotch he favors. "You have no idea who you're dealing with!"

I think of all the times I've had to smile and nod at men like him, pretending to be less than I am. Not anymore. "I know exactly what I'm doing, Larry. I am protecting my husband's legacy and I am protecting the Family—unlike you, whose only interest seems to be in gaining control. Vince Sabatelli did not kill my husband, but I'm starting to wonder about you ."

The threat in my voice is clear, and the other men all drop into silence as they consider my words. And for a moment, I see a flicker of uncertainty in Larry's eyes. But it's quickly replaced by fury.

"This is bullshit," he spits, before storming off.

As the men file uncertainly after him, Frank turns to me, shrugging. "I sure hope you know what you're doing, Breezy. Larry has a whole lotta support in the Family."

"Then he can take those fools with him if he chooses to leave."

"Leave?" Frank blinks.

I sigh, wondering how blind he can possibly be. "The Family cannot survive in its current form, Frank. Even if Larry and Vince kiss and make up—which they won't—the cracks can't be wallpapered over. We're headed for an earthquake. And when it's over, the landscape will be completely different."

He just blinks at me. "Breezy, are you really serious about letting Vince go? Because the first thing he does, he's gonna go after Larry, and that?—"

"He won't go after Larry. Not if he knows what's good for him." I put a hand on Frank's arm. "Vince didn't kill Terry. He was in Phoenix that night, and there's no way a hitman could have gotten into those back rooms without security noticing." In fact, the only thing that Vince seems to be guilty of is an inadvisable public proposal and vague threat about me keeping my mouth shut. I almost chuckle, but swallow it down.

"I mean, when you say it all reasonable like that, it sounds okay," Frank sighs. "Maybe Terry was onto something when he…" He trails off, and I see a look on his face that I don't think I've ever seen before.

Guilt.

"When he what?" I ask sharply.

"When he—when he married you."

I could swear that's not what he was going to say originally, but I've got more important things to do than wheedle information out of Frank Colombo. So after I make him promise he'll release Vince, I send a quick text to Holden, and then I call Nik. She sounds like she's outside, maybe walking along the Strip. "Where are you?"

"Close by. You done?"

"Yes. I'm heading to security. I asked Holden to meet me in there to go over the footage again."

She gives a huff that could be from relief. "Security room? Good idea. You need to eat?"

After the smell in that room where they were keeping Vince, I don't think I'll ever eat again. "Not hungry," I say. "And we still need to talk to Sophie Johnson, too."

"You don't go near her without me. Stay in security and I'll be there in ten."

I hang up and keep walking, hoping like hell that Holden has managed to get something from that footage.