Lucien (The Marchesi Family 1)

“What did she say?” Angelo asked.

“She asked how she knew she could trust me. I told her I’d never hit a woman in my life, I never intended to, and neither did anyone else in my family. I told her you taught me respect,” he said looking at my father.

“I want in on this,” my father said, his expression hard.

“No, Pop,” Angelo said. “We’re not risking your heart.”

“I want to break this man in half,” he snarled.

I knelt in front of him and took his hands in mine. “So do I, and I promise I’ll get the job done, but I want you safe.”

“All right, son.” He lifted his chin, telling me to get to my feet. “I’m counting on you.”

I gestured for Devil to follow me. “Come on. Let’s go talk to her.”

“See? I’m not as fucking impulsive as you think.”

I wasn’t convinced of that. “We need a plan to get her out of here so we can keep her and the kids safe.”

“I know. I’m thinking on that.”

When we entered the sitting room where Lola had taken our guests, Elena rose immediately, placing herself between us and her kids who were playing on the floor with some toys Lola kept around for when my cousin’s children visited.

“Devil and I have no intention of hurting you or your children. But we do need information. If you cooperate with us, we will make sure you stay safe.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Don’t push him,” Devil said. “Just tell him what he needs to know.”

She sighed. “I can’t talk here.”

“Lola is on her way,” I said. “She’ll stay with the children.”

“I don’t like the idea of leaving them with a stranger.”

“She’s good with kids,” I assured her. “She helped raise all of us, and we’ll just go to the next room.”

Lola entered then, and the children both looked up at her and smiled. She had a plate of cookies and two cups of milk for them. “I promise I will take good care of them Mrs. Ricci.”

“I don’t really have a choice, do I?” Elena asked.

“No,” I said, “but you have my word your children are safe.”

“I don’t know who to trust anymore.”

I hated the pain in her voice. If I didn’t already want her fucking husband dead, I’d kill him for the way he’d treated her. “I’m no saint. That’s for damn sure. And I don’t pretend to be, but I don’t hit women or children, and I’d sure as hell never hit someone I was bound to protect.”

She exhaled, and for just a moment I saw how tired and scared she was. Maybe Sabrina would go with Elena wherever we sent her. She needed someone to talk to who wouldn’t seem as intimidating as me or Devil.

A moment later, she looked up and held my gaze, all signs of fear gone. She was strong. She would find a way to move on and take care of her children once I eliminated the major threat in her life.

“Ultimately, it’s you my husband is after.”

That didn’t surprise me. He might not be the strategist my father was, but he was smart enough to know the importance of taking out the head of the family.

“From what I’ve overheard, which hasn’t been much since he tries to isolate me from his business, he’d planned to draw this war out and make you suffer first, but now he just wants it to end. He’s calling in every favor he can, trying to amass as much support as possible. He’s making you out to be untrustworthy, a cheater, and too weak to control your own people.”

Devil exhaled and pushed a hand through his hair. “And I just fed those rumors with what I did today.”

“No one but the family knows I didn’t order you to bring Mrs. Ricci to me. I can put out the word that I did. I’m not weak, no matter what he says. My word is solid, and right now I’m saying I’m going to kill that fucking son of a bitch.”

“Will Mario retaliate?” Devil asked.

Mario was Damian’s son from a previous marriage. He seemed to be as asinine as his father but far dumber.

Elena frowned. “His loyalty is questionable. He and my husband each have their own agenda. If he’s made plans, I don’t know about them. I’m rarely around him. I think Damian worries I might choose to ally myself with Mario instead of him. He’s made it clear he’d be happy to take me off his father’s hands.”

Apparently, Mario needed to go on the kill list too. “Do you have any idea what he’s planning next?”

“No.” She glanced toward the next room where her children were. “If I did, I’d tell you for the chance to get them away from this life, but I don’t. I only know that he’s serious, and he’s moved up his timetable.”