Chapter 31 Juan

A week. Seven days of nothing but dead ends and humiliation. The failed attempt to take Gabe still burned in my chest like acid. And now that Salvatore knew the boy was his, everything had changed. His men were everywhere, circling Sara, circling the kid, circling that old woman like she was royalty. I couldn’t get within a mile of any of them without running into a Ricci soldier.

Sara quit the bar. There was a guard on her grandmother’s porch. Another at Gabe’s school. And Salvatore’s men shadowed her like she was the crown jewel of the family.

It was supposed to be simple. Quick. Clean. No war. But nothing was simple anymore.

The door opened and Rafe stepped inside, shutting it behind him. He looked nervous, which meant the news wasn’t good.

“Well?” I asked.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Got word from my buddy at the courthouse. Something big.”

My jaw tightened. “Say it.”

He swallowed. “Sara and Salvatore… they got married.”

For a moment, everything in me went still.

Married.

That meant she wasn’t just under Ricci protection...she was Ricci protection. A made‑man’s wife. Untouchable. Off‑limits. Any move against her now wasn’t just a risk. It was a declaration.

Rafe kept talking, voice low. “Your plan to avoid a war? It’s done. This… this changes everything.”

I already knew that. My plan had blown up in my face. War was the only path left. But not a stupid war. Not a loud one. Not one that got us all killed. If we were going to take on Salvatore Ricci, we needed to be smart. Careful. Strategic.

We needed someone on the inside. Someone close. Someone easy to control. Someone who could open a door from the inside while the Riccis slept. I leaned back in my chair, thinking. “We find the weak link. Someone in his house. Someone in his crew. Someone who doesn’t belong.”

Rafe nodded slowly. “You want me to start watching?”

“Yes,” I said. “Watch his men. Watch the house. See who comes and goes. Everyone. Every day. Every hour.”

Rafe straightened, understanding the weight of the order. “And when we find someone?”

I smiled, cold, sharp, certain. “Then we start planning.” Because this wasn’t over. Not even close. And if Salvatore Ricci thought marrying Sara made her untouchable…He was wrong.

Three days passed after the courthouse news, and every hour of it made my jaw grind harder. Salvatore Ricci had married Sara. Married her. The one move I didn’t expect him to make, the one thing that changed the entire board.

A made‑man’s wife was untouchable. A made‑man’s son even more so. Any attempt now wasn’t just risky, it was a declaration of war. And I wasn’t ready. Not yet. I was still thinking through the angles when Rafe walked in again, closing the door behind him with a careful click. He had that look, the one that meant he had something, but he wasn’t sure if I’d like it.

“What now?” I asked.

He hesitated. “We might have… someone.”

I leaned forward. “Who?”

“Not confirmed yet,” he said quickly. “I want to follow her a little longer before we approach.” Her. That caught my attention. Rafe continued, “She’s close to the Riccis. Real close. Always around the house, always trying to get Salvatore’s attention. And she’s not subtle about it.”

I frowned. “Explain.”

Rafe scratched his jaw. “Roc’s little sister. Violetta "Letta" Hale.”

That made me sit back. Roc’s sister. The one who’d been hanging around Salvatore for years. The one who thought being Mrs. Ricci was her destiny. I’d seen her once or twice, all attitude and perfume, always looking at Salvatore like he was a prize she deserved. And Salvatore? He barely noticed her. She was invisible to him.

Invisible people were useful.

Rafe went on, “She’s jealous. Real jealous. She hates that Sara and the kid are living in the house now. Hates that Salvatore married her. She’s been complaining to anyone who’ll listen.” A slow smile pulled at my mouth. Jealousy was a powerful motivator. Jealousy made people stupid. Jealousy made people easy to control. But I wasn’t stupid enough to jump too fast.

“Follow her,” I said. “Watch her. See who she talks to, what she does, how far she’s willing to go.”

Rafe nodded. “If she’s the one, we’ll know soon.”

“And if she is,” I said, leaning back in my chair, “she’ll open the door for us. From the inside.”

Rafe didn’t argue. He just left to do what he did best.

I stared at the wall, thinking. Salvatore thought marrying Sara made her safe. He thought it made Gabe safe. He thought it made them untouchable. But every fortress had a weak point. And I was going to find theirs.