Chapter 1

BEFORE – SALVATORE

“You do remember what I told Phoenix last time I saw him? I doubt he’ll have any kind of interest in working with us after that,” Simone muttered, pacing the room. “He will kill me the moment I set foot in his territory, trust me. Fuck, I would kill me if I were him.”

Cosimo shook his head. “He is angry, but he will see reason.”

I nodded. “He wanted to protect his property, his wife, but he’s still a businessman, and we

have good arguments for cooperation. Drugs are still his main business, and our contact in his lab tells us they can’t produce enough for the increasing demand. Phoenix needs to import drugs, but he can’t because we hold the west and Manuele holds the middle. His smugglers lose too much of the shit before it reaches the East Coast. If he works with us, we can guarantee safe transport through our territory and in return he promises us to stay out of our fight with Manuele Villondo. We don’t even want his help.”

“We don’t need it,” Cosimo insisted, dark eyes hardening. We disagreed on that point;

additional help facing an opponent like Manuele Villondo would have been very appreciated, but like Phoenix, Cosimo let emotions get in the way of rational decisions.

Simone frowned. “Phoenix isn’t like you, Salvatore. Not every single one of his decisions is based

on logical reasons. He’s furious because we insulted Caroline, and his pride might stop him from making the logical decision. Trust me on that.”

Pride and fury. Neither were useful.

“If you tell your sister that you gave Alessia that bracelet, she will convince him. She’ll think

you are her little brother again. She’ll want to believe it. Take Alessia with you. Make it out to be a family visit, for all I care, but convince Caroline and Phoenix to talk to us. Tell him I’m going to meet with him personally,” Cosimo said.

I gave Cosimo a slanted look. Last time he talked to Phoenix hadn’t gone over too well. Years had

passed, but if Phoenix held on to grudges, he’d remember that too. And Cosimo had a way of provoking people that didn’t go over well with the other Capo.

“He won’t believe that we’re trustworthy,” Simone said. “And you talking to Phoenix is the

fucking worst thing that could happen. Cosimo, you are a fucking time bomb. You get a hard-on just imagining how it would feel to bathe in Phoenix’s blood, damn it. Do you really think you could stop yourself from trying to kill him?”

Cosimo leaned back with a smile on his face that I’d learned to be wary of. “The Famiglia is all

about bonds to ensure peace, aren’t they? We give them what they want, what your sister wanted for you and everyone else.”

He hadn’t answered Simone’s question.

Simone stopped his pacing and crossed his arms. “And what’s that supposed to be?”

“Peace and love.” Cosimo’s mouth twisted as if he was going to start laughing. “We’ll suggest a

marriage between our families. It worked between the Outfit and the Famiglia for a while.”

Cosimo hadn’t mentioned anything to me. Usually he consulted with me before he made these

kinds of decisions. For Cosimo, it was a surprisingly reasonable plan. Marriages had prevented many wars over the centuries of human history—of course, they’d started just as many as well.

Simone laughed but I could tell that he was displeased from the narrowing of his eyes. “For a

few years and now they are back to killing each other.”

“A few years is all we require,” I told him. “Phoenix knows as well as we do that any kind of

peace arrangement will always only be for a short period of time.”

“You can’t believe that Phoenix will agree to an arranged marriage.”

“Why not?” Cosimo asked, grinning. “It worked for him and your sister. Look at them, sickly in

love. I’m sure he can spare one of his cousins. Didn’t you say his father had three sisters and two brothers? There have to be a few cousins in marrying age, or even a second cousin for all I care.”

“One of those sisters was married to a traitor whom our father killed. I doubt she will give

her daughters to us,” I reminded Cosimo.

“One of her daughters is the fuck-thing of that bastard Puma. As if I’d accept her or her sister

for our family,” Cosimo spat. I inclined my head in agreement. It would send the wrong message if we allowed the Famiglia to give us the leftovers of our traitorous half-brother.

“Phoenix wouldn’t choose either of them. But who the fuck is supposed to marry a woman from

the Famiglia?” Simone asked, raising his blond eyebrows at my brother. “Don’t tell me it’s going to be you, Cosimo, because I won’t make that fucking offer. We all know that you are the last person we can parade around as a husband. You lose your temper all the time. That will end in a fucking bloody wedding and you know it.”

Cosimo grinned, his eyes shifting to me. That explained why he hadn’t consulted with me. “I

won’t marry anyone. Salvatore will.”

Lifting my eyebrows at him, I asked, “Will I?”

Simone sank down onto the sofa, grimacing. “No offense, but Salvatore isn’t really the right

person to play husband either.”

I tilted my head. I’d never considered marriage. It seemed unnecessary. “If you’re referring to

my lack of emotions, I can assure you that I can fake them if required.”

Cosimo shrugged. “It’s not like it’s a marriage for love. Salvatore doesn’t have to feel anything to

marry. He only needs to say yes and fuck his bride, perhaps father a kid or two, and keep his wife alive as long as we want peace with the Famiglia. You can do that, right?”

I narrowed my eyes, not liking his tone. “I can do that.”

Simone shook his head. “That’s a fucking bad idea and you know it.”

“It’s unconventional,” I conceded, “but it’s a practice that’s been used in our circles for

generations. Even before our families came to the US, they arranged marriages to establish bonds between different families. And the Famiglia has old-world values. They are the only family outside Italy that still follows the bloody sheets tradition. I’m certain that Phoenix’s family will welcome the idea of another arranged marriage between families; Phoenix needs to keep the traditionalists in the Famiglia happy, especially now that he had to take in some of his relatives from Sicily. And there are still traditionalists in the D’Angelo who’ll appreciate that kind of agreement.”

Simone shook his head again. “I tell you again, Phoenix won’t agree. He will kill me.”

Cosimo smirked. “We will see. I hear he needs to protect his children.”

Simone jerked. “Caroline’s got kids?”

Cosimo and I had known for a while. One of our contacts told us. Phoenix made sure to keep Caroline

and the kids out of the press and even killed a few photographers who didn’t grasp the concept of privacy. Cosimo hadn’t wanted Simone to know because he worried Simone would get too emotional during his visit in New York. Apparently, he changed his mind.

“ A daughter and a son,” I said. “He needs to protect them, and if we offer him peace in the

west, that should convince him.”

Simone was silent. “How long have you known?”

“Is that important? It’s not like Phoenix would have let you anywhere near his kids,” Cosimo said.

Simone nodded but his mouth was tight. “You know Manuele wasn’t the main force behind the

attack on us. It was my father.” He looked at me then at Cosimo. “Manuele might kill my father before we get our hands on him. I don’t want that to happen. Let me go to Chicago and bring him to Las Vegas.

We can still ask Phoenix for peace after that.”

Cosimo gave me a pointed look, obviously needing me to be the voice of reason as usual.

“That seems unwise,” I said. “You are too emotionally invested to lead an attack on Outfit

ground, especially on your father. And we don’t know for certain if your father acted without Manuele’s direct orders. Manuele might not kill him.”

“It was my father’s plan. You heard what the Outfit fuckers said when we tore them apart. My

father sent those fuckers because he wanted me dead,” Simone growled. “And I want to kill him. I want to tear him apart limb by limb.”

“And you will,” Cosimo said firmly, touching Simone’s shoulder. He paused. Again with that

smile. “But it would be a good wedding gift. If we get our hands on Caballero, we could have his death as a peace offering for Phoenix and his clan. After all, the Caballero sisters don’t hold much love for their father either.”

“Of course they don’t. He is a despicable asshole,” Simone said.

“We can’t waltz into Chicago and drag their Consigliere out. You realize that, right? Manuele

will have put every possible protection in place.” I had to say it because it was becoming increasingly obvious that neither Cosimo nor Simone would make the wise choice when it came to bringing down the Outfit. “The only logical choice is to send me to New York for the meeting with

Phoenix. I’m not emotionally invested. I will be able to deescalate the situation if required.”

Cosimo shook his head. “I am Capo. I should be at the front. Only a fucking coward would send

his brother out to risk his sorry ass in a situation like this.” “What about my fucking ass?” Simone muttered.

“Your ass is safe because of your sister. No matter what Phoenix says, he’ll always think twice

before putting a bullet in your head. With Salvatore, nothing’s holding him back.”

“He won’t shoot me. His next delivery will have to pass our borders in the upcoming days …

if our informants in Mexico are to be believed. We intercept it, keep hold of his men and his drugs until the meeting, and I’ll give the order to have them released as a peace offering, a sign of goodwill.”

“Drugs and expendable soldiers won’t stop Phoenix from killing you,” Simone said.

“We will see,” I said. “It’s the only logical choice.”

“Your fucking logic is pissing me off,” Cosimo muttered.

“I’m the future husband, so it is the logical choice to send me. We’re doing this on my terms,

Cosimo. I won’t have you two mess this up with your emotions.”

“I think he’s pissing me off on purpose,” Cosimo said to Simone.

Simone nodded. “I think he is.”

“It doesn’t take much effort to piss you off, Cosimo.”

Cosimo narrowed his eyes at me. “The logical choice would be to take someone with you. You

shouldn’t go alone. Take Simone.”

Simone rolled his eyes. “Yeah, take me. Because apparently I’m bulletproof because I’m a

fucking Caballero.”

I regarded the blond man. “Maybe your presence would rip open too many wounds for Phoenix.

We don’t want to start on the wrong foot.”

“I think that ship has sailed,” Simone said.

“Do you want to come with me to New York?” I asked, my expression doubtful.

“I’d rather go to Chicago and kill my fucking father, but if an insane marriage between you and

some poor Famiglia woman brings me closer to that goal, I’ll go to New York and talk to Phoenix fucking Romano. But I don’t think he’ll be very happy to see me. He won’t believe I’ve changed for one fucking second.”

“You haven’t really. Except for your behavior toward Alessia. You are still a cruel bastard, so Romano shouldn’t trust you,” I said.

Simone looked between Cosimo and me. “Am I going or not? I’ll have to figure out a way to

tell Alessia about this without freaking her out.”

Cosimo shook his head. “I should go as Capo.”

“We’ll save that reunion for the second meeting when Romano is convinced the benefits of a

bond outweigh the joy of cutting off your head,” I said.

“I take it that means I’m going.” Simone got up. “I really hope this fucking ordeal allows me

to kill my father, or you two will have a lot to make up to me.”

I still wasn’t convinced that Simone’s presence would improve our situation. He was Caroline’s

brother, true, but even that wouldn’t protect him forever. Taking Cosimo was out of the question. I’d have to make sure Phoenix and Simone would follow my reasoning and not let their unpredictable emotions run the show.