Matteo went over to our aunt, and I turned to the younger girl and reached for her but she flinched away, her eyes wide and terror-filled. “Talia,” her sister crooned. “He won’t hurt you.”
“I will feel your legs and back for weapons. If you prefer not to have my hands on your front, you can lift your shirt, but I need to make sure you aren’t bringing weapons,” I told her firmly.
I touched her shoulders and could feel her shaking under my touch. Matteo sent me a look. I quickly felt her back then moved on to her calves and thighs. I decided against feeling her upper thighs. “Do you prefer to lift your shirt?”
I was a heartless bastard, but even I didn’t like forcing a girl who had obviously been through a lot of shit to lift her shirt, Still, I had to make sure this wasn’t a trap, and even innocent girls could be manipulated into becoming weapons. With shaking fingers, she lifted her T-shirt, revealing bare skin and a plain black bra but no weapons. I nodded and she quickly moved it back down. “You can get into the car. You, Cara, will sit in the front with me, and Matteo will sit with your mother and sister in the back.”
We would be taking them into the Sphere for now while Orfeo pressed information out of the man.Of course, Aria insisted that we take them in for a few days until we found a safe place for them to live. I didn’t mention that the main reason for helping them was because I needed Growl, the former Enforcer of the Camorra at my side, in case it came to war with the Camorra one day.
I thought I’d run into protest from my aunts Egidia and Criminella, but they were surprisingly glad to have their sister back. Since I’d disposed of my scheming uncle things had definitely gone smoother.
While Talia and Cara lived in the mansion, Marcella stayed in New York and the few times Aria visited my cousins while they stayed in the Hamptons, she left our daughter with Romero and Lily. Hiding Marcella’s existence was crucial. I had seen how Dante had used Aria against me. I didn’t want to consider what my enemies would do if they knew about Marcella.
When I saw Growl for the first time, my instincts told me to kill him despite our deal. He had been the Enforcer of the Camorra for many years. He was Benedetto Falcone’s son, Remo’s half-brother, all things that spoke against him. He was bound to be as twisted as them but I was a man of honor and had given him my word. He had upheld his part, had weakened the Camorra. He would have to prove himself over the next few months.
In April, three months after Growl’s arrival, Matteo and I sat in the living area of the penthouse, discussing the newest developments in Las Vegas.
“They will spend years fighting over power. The Camorra is in shambles, if and when Remo Falcone ever reaches for power, if he ever becomes Capo, he’ll be ruling over ruins,” he said.
I hoped he was right. I had done everything in my power to weaken the Camorra, but I still remembered our encounter with Remo Falcone and the look in his eyes. He would seize power eventually.
My phone vibrated in my pants and I pulled it out and picked up. “Orazio?”
His reports had become less frequent. Dante kept a short leash on all of his soldiers.
“Has Fabiano Scuderi showed up in New York?”
I sat up. “Fabiano? Why? What happened?”
Matteo raised his eyebrows.
“Rocco Scuderi said his son defected, ran off, and there’s no trace of him. Dante is looking for him.”
Dante would kill him for defecting. “He hasn’t showed up.”
“He’s been gone for two weeks now.”
“Are you sure he ran and Scuderi didn’t dispose of him? After all, he got a new heir with his child-bride.”
Orazio was silent. “I don’t know. Scuderi is an asshole. Dante should have removed him a long time ago but as long as Fiore Cavallaro lives, Dante won’t do it. He respects his father too much and wouldn’t dispose of the Consigliere he chose.”
Disapproval was clear in his voice. Orazio didn’t like how things were handled in the Outfit, but that wasn’t why he worked with us. That was something personal, something to do with his father.
“Dante suspects there’s a mole in the Outfit.”
“When we interfered in his gun delivery to the fucking MC in Pittsburgh, he probably got suspicious.” Dante was using guerilla tactics to weaken me, supporting MCs in my territory so they messed with my business.
“Maybe. I’m not sure how much longer I will be safe.”
I’d feared his spy work would eventually come to an end. “Come to New York. I will induct you officially and when my soldiers have worked with you for a bit, you’ll become Underboss in Boston.”