Chapter 6
Damian refused to answer.
Marguerite did too.
So I let the silence stretch.
Then Elaine started crying.
Quietly.
I looked at her.
“Elaine.”
Marguerite snapped:
“Don't.”
Elaine covered her mouth.
I waited.
She finally whispered:
“They were supposed to scare you.”
I almost smiled.
“Six men?”
“They weren't supposed to hurt anyone.”
Damian laughed bitterly.
“Stop talking.”
Elaine flinched.
That told me enough about who had been giving orders.
“What were they supposed to do?”
She looked at me.
“Come through the south corridor after dinner.”
“And?”
“Create confusion.”
“What kind?”
“No one told me.”
“Try again.”
She shook her head.
“I swear.”
I looked at Damian.
“You told seven relatives this was a loyalty test.”
Nothing.
“You had Leonard plant a coin on me.”
Nothing.
“You brought six men into my house.”
“They're Vescari men.”
“Mine?”
Silence.
“Yours?”
He looked at me.
There it was.
My answer.
I turned toward Marco.
“Keep the children upstairs.”
His jaw tightened.
“Already moved.”
Good.
I looked back at Damian.
“What was the point?”
He finally leaned forward.
“To make people see you hesitate.”
“Because?”
“Because you always hesitate when they're near.”
The children.
Of course.
“What were your men going to do?”
“Nothing to them.”
His answer came too fast.
Marguerite looked at him.
Not comfortable.
I noticed.
“So they were involved.”
“No.”
“Then why did Marguerite look at you?”
Marguerite straightened.
“I did not.”
I ignored her.
Damian exhaled.
“They were supposed to move the children upstairs.”
“Against their will?”
“They're children.”
“That wasn't my question.”
Silence.
“And then?”
“You'd stop everything.”
I understood.
The armed men weren't there to kill me.
They were there to prove something.
That I could be controlled through my children.
Damian wanted the entire family to watch me surrender the moment someone touched them.
A demonstration.
A humiliation.
Exactly what he had done at dinner.
Only larger.
“You wanted them taken in front of the capos.”
His face didn't change.
“You wanted everyone to see me obey.”
Marguerite finally spoke.
“We wanted people to see the truth.”
I looked at her.
“What truth?”
“That you'll give up anything for them.”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
She blinked.
The answer confused her.
“I will.”
I leaned closer.
“My seat.”
Silence.
“My house.”
Nobody moved.
“My name.”
Damian's jaw tightened.
“Anything.”
Then I straightened.
“But you misunderstood something.”
He stared at me.
“Being willing to give something up does not mean you can take it from me.”
The south corridor erupted with noise.
Not gunfire.
Shouting.
Bodies against walls.
Furniture scraping.
Then silence.
Thirty seconds later, Marco returned.
Two men behind him dragged Leonard Price into the room.
His lip was split.
His jacket was torn.
But he was smiling.
That smile bothered me.
“Where are the six?”
Marco answered.
“Contained.”
Leonard laughed.
“You think those were Damian's only men?”
Damian's head snapped toward him.
“What?”
Leonard looked at him.
And suddenly I realized Damian was not in control of everything.
Leonard smiled wider.
“You really thought this was your family coup?”
Marguerite went pale.
I stared at Leonard.
“Who are you working for?”
He looked toward the ceiling.
Toward where my children were sleeping.
Then back at me.
“Someone who wanted to know exactly how easy it was to make Anthony Vescari choose.”
My hands went cold.
“Choose what?”
Leonard's smile disappeared.
“His family…”
May you like
He paused.
“…or his empire.”
