15. Marco

Chapter 15

Marco

I was nearly killed in a drive-by shooting two days ago. I should be spending every waking minute figuring out who was behind it and making sure they pay.

Instead, half my time is spent watching Laura through the cameras in her house. Conveniently, more appeared on her network: one in the basement, another in the kitchen, and another in her upstairs hallway. She must've added them knowing I'd tap in and watch her every move.

I can spend hours staring as she sculpts in the basement. There is nothing more beautiful than a person doing what they're good at, and Laura is very, very talented. She's like a painter with that chisel, and when she gets into her flow state, nothing I can do or say will distract her. It's incredible, her focus.

It helps that she wears these cut-off tops and leggings, and even though her respirator covers her face, that's sexy too. It's a kind of mask, and masks are sort of our thing.

The real world beckons eventually. Even though all I want to do is watch my little demon work, I have to focus on what's really important. Which is why I end up at a bar in a nice part of the city sitting in a corner booth with Ronan and Julien.

They heard all about the attack from Adam already. "What I don't understand is how anyone knew the two of you were going to be together," Ronan says. He's leaning back with one arm across the back of the seat and a whiskey in his other hand. He swirls it, frowning deeply.

"That's all I've been thinking about," I admit. "Not many people knew about that meeting."

"But someone knew, and they did not like it," Julien says. He watches me carefully like he's looking for something. "This alliance you are trying to build, I can understand how there might be many people in this city that wouldn't want it to happen."

"That's true, but there's only one culprit with the resources and the gall to try an attack like that one." I meet his gaze, and he knows damn well I'm right.

"Let's say it was the Biancos." Ronan doesn't sound convinced. "It comes back to how did they find out?"

"Adam could have told them." Julien tilts his head to the side as if he's considering the idea. "But no, that doesn't seem possible."

"Not after I got him that restaurant," I agree, but the idea had occurred to me. Adam comes off like a quiet giant, but I know he's extremely clever. It's possible he's playing both sides, working me to get what he wants, while cozying up to the Biancos.

Except it was his guard that got killed. I didn't get the sense that the shooters were going for anyone in particular. It was more like an indiscriminate hit, and that makes me think they were aiming for both of us.

"It could have been your girl." Ronan gives me a hooded smile, chin tilted up, his eyes narrowed. For a beat, I think he's talking about Laura. But how the fuck would he know about her? "She helped schedule it, right? Valentina could have sold you out."

I let out a breath. No, he doesn't know about Laura. But my relief is short-lived as I sit up straight in the booth. "Valentina wouldn't do that."

"You sure?" Ronan shrugs a little like it's no big thing. "You and her dad were close, I get it, but she's got her own games running now."

"She wouldn't do that." I stare at him, almost daring him to go on. Anger swells in my chest. I don't like that he's even thinking that, much less saying it out loud.

Julien laughs and leans forward, practically getting between us. "Gentlemen, no reason to get angry with each other. We're all simply trying to unravel a mystery."

I grind my jaw. Ronan's got that cocky smile on his face, and I want to wipe it from his lips with my fist.

When her father was killed and the mafia was broken into warring factions, Valentina's life was in danger. There were more than a few Santoro Capos who saw her as a bargaining chip. Marrying the dead boss's daughter is a good way to claim control of the entire organization, or at least to give the veneer of legitimacy to a blatant power grab. There were even a few who wanted to kill her in case she decided to try for control herself.

I'm the only one she could turn to, and I protected her when she was at her lowest. I kept the other Capos from getting to her, at great fucking personal expense, and we grew close since all that went down. I consider her my closest friend, and there's no part of me that thinks she's ever betrayed me to the people who murdered her father.

Valentina hates the Biancos as much as I do.

"No matter who sold us out, it doesn't change the fact that the Biancos are the enemy." I watch Julien as I talk. I'm closer to Ronan than I am to the Frenchman, and he's the one I need to convince. "The fact that they tried to kill me and Adam only proves my point. The Biancos are going to come for all of us sooner or later, and the only way to stop them is to work together."

Julien frowns and stares down at his glass of wine. "You make it sound so simple."

"Because it is simple. Safety in numbers. We're stronger together."

"Yes, that is true, however, the moment we all begin working in an alliance is the moment we cement our fate." Julien's expression goes bleak. "The world is dark and painful, my friends, and I am afraid that we will only invite more darkness and more pain if we bring the attention of the Biancos down on us."

"Seems like it's too late for that," Ronan murmurs.

"Yes, but still." Julien gives him a hard look. "You wish to protect your family, yes? I wish to do the same with mine. However, the Biancos will try to crush us if they understand our intentions."

I try not to smile to myself. Julien is the opposite of Ronan. Where my Irish friend is chaotic and outgoing, Julien is more reserved and prone to long depressive moods.

We discuss our plans moving forward for another meeting between all five family heads, and when we go our separate ways, I'm left standing on the sidewalk alone thinking about who tried to murder me.

Valentina isn't an option. Adam might've let our meeting slip to someone inside of his organization, but he hasn't said anything about that.

I keep coming back to Laura. She's my closest link to the Biancos—but it's not like I told her anything. It's possible she's some kind of hacking savant and has been reverse-spying on me this whole time, but I really doubt it. Maybe I'm naive, but I don't think it was her—and I really don't want it to be.

I think Laura is exactly what she appears to be: beautiful, gifted, and tortured.

Which means there's a loose end I need to tie up.