“She’ll stay out of trouble,” Carmine said. “We’ll keep her back until we have Mauro.”
“I promise, I’ll stay back.” Cap stared into Mal’s eyes.
He sighed and tilted his head forward. “All right. If that’s what you need.”
“Thank you.” She leaned forward and kissed him.
“Beautiful,” Carmine said. “That’s a true marriage right there. That’s real love. I think we should all strive to emulate their example.”
“Oh, shut it,” Cap said, still smiling as she kissed her husband again.
Carmine looked at me and winked. I blushed and busied myself wiping glasses.
“It’s going down tomorrow night,” Mal said when he was finishing making out with his wife. “Cezary’s on board. Assuming he doesn’t double-cross us and go back to Mauro, which wouldn’t make any sense, it’s a done deal.”
“And what after?” I asked. “Does this mean the whole city’s under Carmine’s control?”
“The Falsone family will be back on top,” Carmine said, nodding. “Cezary will get his turf, but beyond that? We’ll have some smaller groups to clean up, some unhappy folks to either fold into my organization or kill, but it’ll be smalltime stuff. The major work happens tomorrow night.”
I reached across the bar and slipped my fingers into Carmine’s hand. “You’ll be ready.”
“I will. And you’re staying home.” I opened my mouth to argue, but he talked over me. “You have no reason to show up, Jules. You don’t know Balestra, and it’ll just be dangerous. You’re staying behind.”
I glared at him, but he squeezed my fingers and wouldn’t let me pull my hand away.
“Tell me you’ll obey my commands,” he said softly, a slight smile on his lips. “I am the Don now, you know.”
“You’re not my Don. I’m a cartel girl.”
“If you want to live under my roof, I’m your Don. Now I want to hear it.”
“Should we… leave?” Cap asked, frowning. “This feels kind of intense.”
I ignored her, staring into Carmine’s eyes. “Yes, Don Falsone. I’ll stay home.”
“That’s a good girl.” He leaned over and kissed me.
“We should definitely leave,” Mal said, and he and Cap walked off together, his big arm across her shoulders. But I didn’t pay them any attention.
I was too busy letting Don Falsone kiss my neck, my lips, and my cheeks.
“I love you,” he whispered. “You’re mine now, Jules. You’re all mine.”
“I love you too.” My chest tightened and swelled as we kissed long and deep.
I had a feeling that tonight, the night before his life changed, he’d need a little extra attention and care.
And I was more than ready to give it to him.
Chapter 26
Carmine
“My men are circling around back as we speak,” Cezary said, leaning over the handlebars of his motorcycle. He frowned into the distance, his eyes squinting.
I’d half-expected him to betray me, but ever since we’d made our deal in the back of that abandoned office, he’d been upfront and helpful. He’d given us Balestra’s location, and we’d confirmed it with our own people. He’d been a part of the planning, and even made some suggestions of his own.
All in all, he’d been a good ally.
That was something my father had taught me, and it was a hard lesson to learn. I saw it first-hand when I’d brought Mal into the fold all those years ago. Back then, my father had said I should make friends out of enemies whenever possible, because anyone strong enough to give me trouble as worth having as an ally. There were many ways to control a man, but loyalty was always best.
Mal had been an enemy, all those years ago. He’d been a rival dealer, and even though I’d jumped him with several of my men, he’d come back for more. After that, we’d become close friends, and now I couldn’t imagine my life without him by my side.
An enemy to a best friend. That was the way forward. That was how an empire could grow.
Cezary was like Mal in a lot of ways. I’d shown him mercy, and now he was prepared to give me his loyalty out of respect. Violence and death and pain, those things had their place. Sometimes, they were necessary, but more often, a small kindness could take a man a lot further.
I didn’t need to crush Cezary. He wasn’t my enemy, not really. Balestra was, and there would be no olive branch, no mercy, no kindness, not for him.
No, there would only be blood and revenge.
“How many guards does he have?”
“Around ten. Some are out right now running errands. No clue what they’re doing.”
“And he’s in the building?”
“Definitely. I made sure myself.” Cezary glanced over and grinned. “You ready for this?”
“I’m ready.” I squeezed his shoulder. It was a risk, to initiate such a friendly and intimate gesture, but it seemed to work. He sat up straighter. “Do your part and we’ll both come out of this stronger.”
“Remember, I’m here for my daughter. Don’t forget her.” He revved his engine and rolled off.