Page 67 of Crimson Fate
Eva turns, the light catching her features now, softening them. “You don’t think that’s too soon?”
“It has to be soon. I can’t keep avoiding Gia, and if I have to see her, I don’t think I’ll be able to convince her that everything is okay. If we want to lure Anthony here with his guard down, it must be Saturday. Can we pull something together by then?”
Eva nods. “Absolutely. If that’s when you want to do it, I can make sure everything is ready. I found the caterer your parents normally used in your dad’s Rolodex. I can get everything booked fairly quickly.”
Marco shifts uncomfortably, his bulky muscular frame unable to find ease in the confines of the leather chair. “There’s something else we need to consider before this dinner,” he says, meeting my gaze.
“What’s that?” My clipped words reflect the tightness coiling in my chest.
“Anthony,” he mutters, and the name hangs like a curse. “I know we haven’t found any proof that the other captains are aware of his betrayal, but I have a gut feeling he’s got something going on that we don’t know about.”
I shake my head. A muscle twitches in my jaw. “Like what?”
“Honestly, I have no idea, and that’s probably what worries me the most. But what if he’s convinced Lorenzo to back him on any disagreement with you?” Marco suggests.
“DeLuca told me he would allow me to set my house straight; I trust him.”
“Well, Lorenzo may not give a fuck what his father told you. It’s lucrative for him to figure out a way to funnel their drugs into New York, and you know greed is the easiest way to breed disloyalty.”
“Dammit.” The word is a hiss through my clenched teeth. “Do you have any proof Lorenzo might be backing Anthony?”
“None. But, if Anthony approached the DeLucas in the first place, he must have had some sort of backup plan.” He leans forward, hands clasped between his knees, a portrait of concern. “I’m trying to think of all scenarios, boss. I don’t want us to be caught off guard.”
“I know, and I appreciate that, but no way Lorenzo does anything without his father’s say-so,” I reply.
“Okay.” Marco nods, his expression grim. “I trust you.”
“Where are we on figuring out who hit Smitty’s operation?” I ask. “Is there any evidence tying it back to Anthony?”
“No, nothing,” Marco replies. “But he has had some trouble in the past with some of the Russians.”
“Are you serious?” Eva hisses, and Marco’s and my heads both snap in her direction. “Do you have a single shred of proof that the Ivanovs are behind it?”
“Well, no,” Marco admits. “But—”
“But nothing!” Eva exclaims. “The last thing Vincent needs is you starting shit with his sister’s new husband without some sort of proof.”
“I wasn’t—” Marco begins, clearly taken aback by Eva’s response before she interrupts him again.
“Oh shit,” Eva snaps, looking at her wrist. “I didn’t realize what time it is. I have to get to work.” She approaches me and presses a tender kiss on my forehead.
“Have Nico drive you,” I instruct her.
She shakes her head. “I’ll take the subway. It’s fine.”
“I said have Nico drive you,” I repeat in a firm tone to let her know the matter isn’t up for discussion.
“Okay, fine,” she answers. “See ya later, Marco,” she adds before leaving the room.
He nods in her direction.
I chuckle as she leaves the room. “She might have the spirit a woman needs to fit into this family.”
“Boss,” Marco says, clearly not as amused by Eva’s outburst as I was. “Have you thought about how you will handle the Anthony thing on Saturday?”
“I plan to reveal that I got information Anthony was the one who approached the DeLuca family about moving the drugs into the city through our family. By doing it in front of the other captains, I think he will have no choice but to defend his actions.”
“I mean, once it’s out and everyone knows what Anthony did, how do you plan to handle it?” Marco clarifies.