Page 46 of House of Lies
“What if?—”
“Come with me,” Domenico interrupts, pulling me in the opposite direction. “He’ll be fine.”
“You don’t know that!” I yell, surprising both of us.
I stop abruptly, staring at Domenico. Confusion clouds his expression, mirroring my inner turmoil. He waits for me to follow him, but my heart tugs me in the opposite direction. There isn’t enough time to sort out my conflicting emotions, understand why I hesitate, and even consider entering the house where danger lurks.
“If anything happens to him, I’ll have your head.”
“Understood.”
He nods.
Stupid, stupid heart. It’s not that I care about his life. I just don’t want to be a widow.
Mattia will die, but it has to be by my hands. No one can steal that from me.
CHAPTER 27
Kaz
“Can someone explain what the hell just happened?” Ermanno’s voice booms, silencing the room.
I’m just as unhappy about this situation as he is. The charity ball was supposed to be secure, unless Ermanno is involved in some business that Mattia is unaware of. We had strict security measures, with guards at every entrance and exit. This event was invitation-only.
“It might have been the Russians,” Ermanno’s consigliere suggests.
No, it wasn’t the Russians. I’m standing here, surprised by the attack, just like Ermanno. The plan was to destroy Ermanno’s empire from the inside, step by step, brick by brick. But sometimes, I wonder if it would be easier to put a bullet in his head right now. I’ll handle Mattia, my uncle, and Vanya. Dragging this out for so long seems pointless. Dead is dead, and he won’t care about his legacy from the depths of hell.
“Why would the Russians target us? We have no business with them,” I interject, observing their reactions.
“Mattia is right,” Ermanno responds too quickly, fidgeting with his hands. “They have no reason to go after us.”
They do have a reason. It started with an affair gone wrong. My muscles tense, and it takes every ounce of self-control to stand in the same room as my father’s killer and do nothing about it. I have met with him before, just the two of us. I can handle this, but my mind is elsewhere. Seeing Fiona earlier fucked me up in a way I wasn’t expecting, and now I can’t think of anything other than Caelia. Ermanno’s problems are not my concern. There may be a traitor among his ranks, someone who allowed unauthorized access.
The only reason I’m interested in finding the culprit is because they put Caelia’s life in danger, and I have no fucking clue where she is. Domenico knows what to do in situations like this. That’s my only consolation.
“Look into this,” Ermanno commands, his words directed at no one. “And make sure no one outside this room is given any information about what happened.”
I will investigate this, but not tonight—not personally, anyway. I need to find Caelia and ensure her safety. The men exit the room, leaving only Ermanno and me. This could be the perfect opportunity to kill him, but it’s too soon.
“First the shipments, and now this.”
“Why does Tommaso believe it’s the Russians?”
“He doesn’t know what the fuck he’s talking about.”
I’m not where I am because people can sell me lies. But Ermanno won’t share any information about this with Mattia. I will have to uncover the truth on my own. There are so many secrets and lies. It’s fucking exhausting.
“Do you need anything else, father?” I inquire, biting my tongue until it draws blood.
“No, son. We’ll meet tomorrow. Are you all right?”
Ermanno studies my disheveled appearance. Whoever was responsible did a lousy job. The bullet barely grazed my arm. I nod and leave his office. The dead bodies have been removed, but the bloodstains remain on the floor. All the guests have departed, leaving behind a press nightmare. I don’t see anyone around. Thankfully, my car is parked at the back, and the keys are in the driver’s seat. I leave behind the mess of this evening, calling Domenico. He doesn’t answer. I clench the steering wheel, thinking of the consequences of what I’m about to do. My mind isn’t clear enough to consider all the angles as my father would expect, but I call Dmitri and request that he looks into this. I want no stone left unturned.
I’m not heading to the mansion. I gave Domenico specific instructions if anything like this ever happened. In case of a threat against the Benedetti family, he will take Caelia to my penthouse. It's a place no one knows about, and we’re the only two people who have access to it.
“Where the fuck is she?” I demand as the elevator doors open, not waiting to catch sight of him first. He emerges from the kitchen, holding a cup. “And where is your phone? I called you.”