Page 67 of His
“Looks like you were right,” I said quietly, turning to Sofia. “He’s using Ricci’s task force to take us down, one piece at a time.”
Sofia nodded, her expression serious. “Then we need to figure out his endgame—and fast. If we don’t, we might be next.”
I took a deep breath. “We’re not going to sit back and let him come for us,” I promised. “If Raffaele wants a war, he’s going to get one. But this time, we’ll be the ones setting the rules.”
She smiled, a fierce determination in her eyes. “I’m with you, Massimo,” she said. “Whatever it takes.”
The look in her eyes caught me by surprise and I reached out, needing to feel her hand in mine. My heart swelled as I stared back at my girl.
No.
As I stared back atmy queen.
It was time to come up with a plan.
I sat at the head of the long mahogany table in my private study. Leo and Stefano, my most trusted men, were on either side of me, their expressions focused and serious. Sofia sat across from me, her eyes bright and her jaw tense.
We needed to figure out what Raffaele and Senator Ricci were planning, and fast. Time was running out, and I couldn’t afford any more surprises.
“Alright,” I began, tapping my fingers on the table, “we need to understand the connection between Ricci and Raffaele. What do we know about Senator Ricci’s background?”
Leo, ever efficient, was the first to speak. “Senator Giovanni Ricci is a career politician. He’s built his reputation on being tough on crime, especially organized crime. He’s got a clean record—at least on paper—but he comes from old money, tied to a few questionable investments. He’s ambitious, with his eye on a bigger political prize. Some say he’s aiming for a ministerial position, maybe even higher.”
Stefano nodded, picking up where Leo left off. “Ricci’s had a lot of support from the public, especially after a personal tragedy last year. His cousin—a distant relative, but still family—was murdered in a mafia hit. It made the news, a lot of press coverage. Ricci played the grieving family angle pretty well and even turned it into a crusade against organized crime.”
Sofia leaned forward, her brow furrowed. “And Raffaele? What’s his angle?”
I sighed, my eyes narrowing as I thought about Raffaele Moretti. “Raffaele is a snake,” I muttered. “He’s always been good at playing both sides, manipulating everyone around him. He’s smart, ruthless, and patient. If he’s working with Ricci, it’s because he sees an opportunity. He doesn’t care about cleaning up crime—he wants power, and he’ll use anyone he can to get it.”
Sofia’s eyes flickered with understanding. “So, if Ricci lost a relative in a mafia hit, that could be his motivation. Revenge. And Raffaele… he’s feeding that need for vengeance, making Ricci think he’s helping him clean up the city while really only taking out his rivals.”
“Exactly,” I said, a grim smile tugging at my lips. “Raffaele’s using Ricci’s personal vendetta to his advantage. If Ricci can help take out the Russos, the Amatos, and maybe even us, Raffaele gets rid of all his competition without getting his hands dirty.”
Leo leaned back in his chair, frowning. “It makes sense. But why frame the Russos for the charity ball bombing? Why go through all this trouble?”
Stefano crossed his arms, thinking. “Maybe he wants to pit us all against each other,” he suggested. “If the Russos think we’retargeting them, and we think they’re targeting us, everyone’s distracted. Meanwhile, Ricci’s task force takes us out, one by one.”
I nodded. “It’s a smart move. Clever. But it’s risky. If any of the families catch on to what he’s doing, it could blow up in his face.”
Sofia’s gaze sharpened, and I could see the spark of an idea in her eyes. “Maybe that’s where we can hit him,” she said slowly. “Use his own game against him. Make him overplay his hand.”
Leo looked at her, curiosity in his eyes. “What do you mean, Sofia?”
She sat up straighter, confidence growing in her voice. “If Ricci is working with Raffaele because of a personal vendetta, he’s emotionally invested in this. We can use that. Make him think he’s getting closer to his goal, feed him just enough information to make him believe he’s winning.”
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “And how do we do that?”
Sofia smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “By giving them what they want… or what they think they want. We can plant evidence that leads Ricci and his task force to another family, someone outside our circle. Make it look like they’re the ones responsible for recent hits, the ones threatening his crusade.”
Leo nodded slowly, catching on. “If we can control the narrative, we can control their next moves.”
Stefano smirked. “And when they’re busy chasing ghosts, we can focus on taking Raffaele down.”
I felt a surge of pride at Sofia’s quick thinking. “It’s risky,” I admitted. “But it could work. If we’re careful, we can turn their own strategy against them.”
Sofia leaned forward, her eyes blazing. “And while they’re distracted, we find out exactly what Raffaele’s planning next and cut him off at the knees.”
I grinned, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. “Alright, then. We play this smart, and we play it fast. Leo, Stefano, get our people on it. I want every lead, every possible angle. We don’t leave anything to chance.”