He gathered his gun. “I am the boss, Theresa. I go where I need to, when I need to. If I tell you, it’s not for your approval. It’s for your information.”
He glanced at Lorenzo then turned back to me as he stuck his gun in his waistband. Of course, if he didn’t tell me, it would look as if he had to hide things from his woman. I’d put him in a position.
“I’m going to meet Donna Maria Carloni. Right now,” Antonio said. “I need to clear it up. I need to tell her I was already married and show her the trouble I saved her. Present it like a favor. It’s easily done, and this all gets done.”
“And what if it’s your territory she really wants?” I yanked against the drawer. It opened but didn’t come out. “You’re delivering yourself into her hands. She kills you, and she gets it? Is that right? It’s as good as a marriage, but she doesn’t have to share.”
“If she wanted my territory so badly, she would have done it already.”
“Bullshit. She wasn’t threatened before. There was no Bortolusi union. You know how people act when they’re cornered.”
“I am not taking you to a den of snakes!” he shouted. “End. No more. You brought this on yourself by insisting you can do things you shouldn’t. Otto’s gonna knock first. If anyone else comes in here, shoot them in the fucking head. If I’m not back in two hours”—he dropped a phone and gun on the counter—“call somebody.”
“I’m calling someone as soon as you turn your back,” I spit out.
“That’s enough of a head start.” He strode out.
Zo gave me an apologetic look before following. I yanked the drawer hard. It didn’t budge. By the time I figured out how to get it out of the counter, Antonio would be long gone into the den of snakes.
twenty.
antonio
hen she’d lain on top of me and fallen asleep, I stayed awake for hours. Her chest rising and falling, her legs on mine, her breath on my neck, the blossom smell of her—I was trapped inside her. In the lack of movement, the absence of logistical puzzles, the only thing I heard in my head was:
A quarter million.
The amount was serious, and it floated over her head and under her feet, weightless because of her ignorance of it. She knew she was in danger but didn’t seem to understand what the price tag meant. The Carlonis were not messing around. Word would get out in less than a week, less than another day even, and she would be hunted worse than me, because she was a woman, and vulnerable, and if I was out of the picture, they’d get her. As ferocious as she was, they’d get her. I’d be too dead to stand in front of it.
My first thought was to attack. Go into the Carloni compound guns blazing. But the odds of winning that battle were small, and Theresa would be left alone. She had a vengeful heart and would get herself killed trying to get to the Carlonis.
She was the priority. Her long life. Her health. The price on my head was manageable. As soon as I’d started making money in Los Angeles, I became more valuable dead than alive, as my business would transfer to my murderer.
I had to extricate her.
Meet Donna Maria in a neutral place. Tell her about Valentina and trade my territory for Theresa’s safety. I would be free, Theresa would be safe, and maybe I’d be out of the business. Maybe if they let me live, I’d walk. More likely, she’d make up a debt. A term to serve as her consigliere again. Which I’d do, if I could just have Theresa.
It seemed so easy. But with the list of things that could go wrong as long as a man’s arm, I had to leave Theresa behind. By promise or force, she couldn’t join me.
When it became force, I decided I was at peace with it. I’d make it up to her. I walked out of Margie Drazen’s safe house relieved.
“I need to get Donna on the phone,” I said to Zo. “I need a neutral place.”
“Got it, boss.” He plucked his phone out of his pocket.