Page 8 of She Belongs to Me

Shit. This couldn’t be much worse.

“Relax, baby girl. Just relax.” I ended the call, forcing my mind to put together a quick plan. I immediately called over a Capo I knew had ties to America. “Luca. I need your help.”

“Of course, boss. What can I do?”

“I need a team of security men in the Philadelphia area positioned around a motel until I arrive. Once I know the address, I’ll let you know.”

“As in the United States?” he asked, his tone incredulous.

And I wasn’t in the mood to take any shit. “That a problem? You have buddies there.”

“No, no problem. I’ll need to call in a favor is all. What’s going on?”

“My goddaughter and ward has gotten herself into some ugly trouble. I’ll give you the details later. Also contact my pilot. I need a team of at least six with you and Enzo. We’re headed to America.”

“For how long?”

“For as fucking long as it takes.”

He nodded, moving away quickly. I could count on my two Capos without question. I polished off my drink, slamming the glass on my desk and grabbing my iPad. It didn’t take me long to find a short article on the murder, although the details were clipped. One thing was clear. Alexandra was right. The men she’d made the mistake of crossing were very bad men indeed, considered barbarians in the world of crime syndicates. They were Greeks, their family lineage rivaling almost every Cosa Nostra within Italy for decades.

I’d known the firstborn son taking over from his dying father had come to America for greener pastures. However, I’d thought his regime remained in Philadelphia. It was a crucial mistake, one I wasn’t used to making. I’d crossed paths with Adonis Dimitriou on two occasions, neither one of them pleasant. In fact, he’d made the mistake of threatening my regime.

As if he had enough power to do so.

Now I was beginning to wonder.

I headed upstairs to pack a small bag, not planning on staying in DC but for so long. I had no desire to enter into a battle at this point. I simply wanted to keep Alexandra safe.

Somehow, I had a bad feeling a war might be inevitable. What I wanted to learn was the identity of the man they’d killed. That had yet to be identified pending notification of next of kin. Discovering that would answer a significant number of questions.

For right now, getting to the States as quickly as possible was most important.

A few minutes later, I returned to the main floor, moving to my safe to grab my weapon and several magazines of ammunition. There were more weapons on the plane, but even landing at a private airport, we’d still be required to go through international security. I wanted no trouble.

“Everything is in place just waiting for the final address,” Luca stated as he returned to my office. “Enzo and the other men are on their way to the airport. Now, what’s going on?”

I handed him the iPad highlighting the news article, securing my weapon and the ammunition in my briefcase along with my laptop.

“Yeah? Did your goddaughter witness this?”

“She did.”

“I thought she was a medical student.”

“Wrong place, wrong time.” My phone pinged and I breathed a sigh of relief. She was at this moment safe. But for how long? “I’m texting you the address.”

“Excellent. I’ll take care of the rest.” My Capo was shaking his head. He knew as well as I did this could get very messy.

I took a few seconds to think about the past, but quickly shoved the memories aside. There was no room for lamenting or for condemning my behavior around her. I’d known Alexandra would be better off growing up in the States and with a female as her role model. Never would I have expected this.

Things were about to get dicey.

“I’m so glad you made it,” Gregory said as he shook my hand. He looked very much the proud papa, although his eyes highlighted the recent tragedy he’d suffered.

“I wouldn’t have missed Alexandra’s christening for the world.” I pulled him in for a bear hug. We’d become fast friends in college. My father had insisted I receive an American education to broaden my horizons. I hadn’t lived in a fancy condo, my father also insisting I live in a dorm room. It had been humbling, but rooming with Gregory had been a godsend.

He was brilliant, funny, and someone I would always consider my best friend no matter the distance or the years.