Chapter 38

Savina~

Surprisingly enough, I'd slept through the night, never even feeling Aurelio getting into bed at whatever time that he'd gotten home last night. As soon as he'd left to go be with Nero, I'd thought about the meeting with Stewart, but then had promptly fallen asleep within minutes. While my mind had been awake, my body had finally had enough.

So, when I had woken up this morning, it'd been to find that Aurelio had finally gotten some clothes for me, and though his shirts were comfortable, it was nice to have options. Though the clothes were a bit expensive for my taste, I'd have plenty of time to do some actual shopping later.

I'd also woken up to breakfast, the news that Kasen had given Nero a healthy son, both mother and child were doing well, and that the rest of the organization was celebrating the good news, hopeful that Nero would quit acting unhinged.

Aurelio had also spent most of his day at Nero's, catching him up to speed, but also doing his job. I was going to have to re-acquaint myself with the hours that he worked and remember that the man didn't work in an office with a set schedule. While I wasn't sure what all his job entailed now that he was Nero's consigliere, I knew enough to know that Aurelio was a bit of everything for the organization, and he always would be. That was just the kind of man that he was.

"Are you ready?"

I nodded. "Yes."

After discussing it with Nero, Aurelio had called Stewart to arrange the meeting in Quinquo Park. The place was beautiful during the day with lots of trees, ponds, and picnic benches, but during the night, it looked like a place that invited crime and atrocities against humanity. In all actuality, it was creepy as hell, but when you were a Sartori, you could roam the streets freely.

The ride to the park was a quiet one, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Aurelio had his thoughts on meeting with Stewart, and I had mine. While I wasn't scared to meet Stewart, I did wonder what he could possibly want to talk about. He obviously wanted me in jail, so whatever this was, it had to be his way of making that happen.

"You think he'll be wired up?" I asked as I stared out the window.

"Probably," Aurelio answered.

"He's going to try to set me up, isn't he? He's going to try to get me to say enough to admit that I killed Ashton on purpose."

"I imagine so," he agreed. "Still, he's not going to get the chance."

I turned to look over at Aurelio, and his dark eyes were already looking my way. "I'm not worried."

His lips twitched. "I didn't think that you were."

"He could also be there to kill me," I posed. "I mean, grief is unpredictable."

"It is," he replied carefully. "However, Congressman Oliver doesn't strike me as that self-sacrificing." Aurelio cocked his head. "Also, do you honestly believe that I'd be letting you meet him if I thought that any harm would come to you?"

"That's not how I meant it," I assured him.

His black eyes glittered with anger and regret as he said, "No one will ever hurt you again, Savina. I mean it."

Before I could say anything to that, we were pulling into the park, and we didn't stop until we were in the back of the foliage, a black sedan already waiting for us. I also knew that we weren't alone. For all that Stewart had insisted on absolute privacy, the Sartoris weren't as powerful as they were because they were stupid. I knew that Aurelio had one-if not two-crack shots hidden in the trees somewhere.

My heart started pounding in my chest as Aurelio got out to open the door for me. I wasn't feeling nervous, so much as anticipation was the culprit. No matter the situation, I wasn't so clueless that I couldn't understand that Stewart had just lost his eldest son, even if his eldest son had been a piece of shit. Parents weren't supposed to outlive their children, and despite how I felt about Ashton, Stewart's grief was real, and I understood that, even if I didn't want to sympathize with any of the Olivers.

I grabbed Aurelio's hand as he escorted me out of the car, and he gave it a quick squeeze before placing his hand on the small of my back. As anti-women's lib as it was, I couldn't deny that I felt stronger with Aurelio standing at my back. There was just something profound about having someone waiting to catch you if you fell, even if you never did. Aurelio didn't need me to fail in order to feel like a man, and I didn't need to emasculate him in order to feel like a woman.

We just needed each other to simply be.

"Stewart," I greeted as soon as I stopped in front of him.

Foregoing niceties, he said, "I want you to pay for what you did to my son. I'll turn over the tape that I have on Jorge Bustamente in exchange for your confession."

I almost laughed.

I couldn't help it.

"That tape is fake and can be proven as a fake," I told him.

"It doesn't matter," he replied coldly. "Once it gets out, the police will be on the Sartoris like a bad rash, and by the time that everyone finds out that it's a doctored tape, the damage will already be done."

I eyed him, concluding that grief must really be making him stupid. "You'd have to be insane to go after the Sartoris."

He arched a brow. "You act like getting rid of the Sartoris wouldn't benefit the O'Briens or the Kotovs." That had my heart skipping a beat. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? I'm sure that Declan and Avgust would both be able to see the upside to taking down the Sartoris."

"And what makes you think that the police won't pick apart that video and finally find the councilman's murderer?" I asked.

Stewart gave me a cold smile. "Again, the police know which side they need to be on."

That's when I knew.

"You helped Ashton kill Jorge Bustamente, didn't you?" I huffed, figuring it out a little too late. "You helped Ashton set me up for his sick proclivities."

"He was my son," he replied as his only excuse, which was a good one if you were a parent, I supposed.

I felt Aurelio's hands on my shoulders, and I was surprised that he'd kept quiet for this long, considering how the tape was all about him. Still, I appreciated the confidence, and by allowing me to handle this, Aurelio was showing Stewart that I had my own power to wield in the face of a threat.

Done with Stewart's bullshit, Aurelio said, "While you're on the subject of videos, and while you like to remind Savina that you have the police on your side, she has all the people and videos that she's ever going to need for your shit, Congressman." I felt him squeeze my shoulders a bit. "Word of advice, dealing with people on the darker side of things, you might want to keep in mind that we have our own set of rules, which is what makes us what and who we are."

"Meaning?"

"We have copies of all the surveillance that took place at the brownstone for the past two years, Stewart," Aurelio said, making Stewart pale a bit. "We have copies of every single fucking time your piece of shit son put his hands on Savina, and we also have footage of Ashton's visitors. So, I'd re-think your threat a bit if I were you. Unlike the video that you have in your arsenal, our videos are authentic."

"You bastard," he seethed.

Ignoring Stewart's outrage, Aurelio said, "I suggest that you keep your home movies under wraps, and we'll do the same."

"She killed my son!" he yelled, finally losing his composure.

"Your son deserved it," Aurelio replied mercilessly.

"We can do this quietly and discreetly, letting you set the narrative with an obligatory statement to the press, or we can put every ugly detail of the truth out there, Stewart," I told him. "Either way, I don't care. Once those videos get out, your campaign will take a hit, women all over the country will side with me, and it won't hurt me one bit for people to see Ashton for the monster that he was. In fact, I'm hoping you don't take the deal. I'd love for the world to see the real Ashton Oliver."

Stewart was vibrating with rage, but what could he say? He, his wife, and his remaining son still had a chance at a future, but if those tapes got out, his political career would go up in flames, and he knew it. I'd also be exonerated with the evidence, turning the case into political sensationalism. Stewart had nothing left in his bag of tricks, and while he could still go to the Irish and Russians for help, he'd have to promise them his soul for that kind of backing.

Finally, Stewart said, "I'll make a statement in the next couple of days, claiming an unfortunate accident."

"Good," I said. "However, this little cease fire will expire the second you ever come near me again, Stewart. Are we clear?"

"We're clear," he bit out, and I felt my entire body relax as I watched him turn to walk away.