Cassio cleared his throat, his eyes on me, and I finally tore my own gaze away from Aria. “My father’s health isn’t improving. He can’t take care of business anymore.”
“I will announce you as Underboss of Philadelphia in our next meeting.”
Surprise crossed Cassio’s face. “I thought perhaps you wanted to give the position to one of your cousins to…”
“To what?” I asked in a sharp voice.
He met my gaze. “To appease your family.”
I smiled darkly. “My family will bow down to my command if they know what’s good for them. You are loyal, and I prefer to reward loyalty than favor someone because of their blood.”
Suddenly Gianna appeared at my side and gripped my forearm. I leveled my gaze on her, caught off guard by her closeness.
“Luca, can you please come with me for a moment?” she asked in the most civil voice she’d ever directed at me. My body went into high alert at once.
“Excuse me,” I told Cassio, who nodded and stepped back.
Gianna didn’t loosen her grip as she led me out of the living room.
“What the hell is going on?” I asked suspiciously. I didn’t trust the redhead one bit.
“Matteo needs your help,” she whispered, her eyes darting to a door down the corridor.
“Fuck,” I breathed. “Get back to the party and find Aria and Romero before people get suspicious about us being gone together.”
She pursed her lips. “As if I would ever have a quickie with you.”
“Don’t worry, the idea of fucking you excites me just as much.”
I turned my back on her and headed for the door she’d indicated.
“Matteo?” I growled, already losing my fucking patience though I didn’t even know what had happened. Knowing Gianna and Matteo, it couldn’t be anything good.
Matteo opened the door and waved me in.
“What do you want? Gianna didn’t say anything,” I began when I spotted Bardoni behind his desk with Matteo’s knife buried in the underside of his chin. “Oh fuck.”
Matteo shrugged. “Bardoni had an accident.”
I couldn’t fucking believe his nerve. He’d killed one of my Captains in his home, as if I needed more problems than I already had. “Fuck, Matteo, what did you do?”
“If you ask me, I think good old Mr. Bardoni killed himself,” he said.
I walked around the body. Few people killed themselves by shoving a knife up their throat. “It’s because of Gianna, isn’t it? Bardoni did or said something that annoyed you and you lost your shit. I knew the girl would bring nothing but trouble.”
And that was the understatement of a lifetime. Damn it.
“The asshole has been on your death list for a while. He’s been stirring up shit. You are glad he’s gone—admit it. We’ve discussed having him killed countless times. I decided to finally act.”
“Of course I wanted him dead, but not in his own fucking home at his Christmas party. Damn it, Matteo. Can’t you think first and shoot second for once?”
I could tell that he wanted to make a joke, probably about having stabbed Bardoni and not shot him, but I narrowed my eyes and he shut up. “I’ll call Romero. He’s keeping an eye on Aria and Gianna, but we’ll need him here to deal with this fucking mess.”
I called Romero. He picked up after the first ring. “In how much trouble are we?”
Trust Romero to know shit had happened. “Come to Bardoni’s office asap.”
When Romero joined us a few minutes later and took in the scene, he looked at Matteo. “You killed him?”
“Why did it have to be me?” Matteo asked.
“Because you’re the crazy one,” I muttered. His sanity hadn’t improved since his wedding to Gianna. I turned to Romero. “Can you make this look as if Bardoni killed himself?”
Romero grimaced. “Few people stab themselves in the brain.”
“There’s always a first time for everything,” Matteo said with a fucking grin. I glared at him.
“Oh, come on. It was funny.”
I had to stifle a laugh. Matteo was a crazy fucker. “Search the room for a gun that could have blown his fucking head off. I don’t need the Bardonis on my back right now. I want this matter dealt with quietly,” I ordered.
“No matter how we make it look, the Bardonis will suspect something. They won’t believe it was suicide. Bardoni was far too narcissistic to end his own life,” Matteo said.
“Maybe I should put a fucking ankle monitor on you, too,” I growled. “You are a ticking time bomb.” I’d been the one who had suggested he put that thing on Gianna, but apparently he needed more supervision as well.
Romero stopped searching the drawers of the desk. “Even if the Bardonis suspect something, they won’t say it aloud. If they don’t have proof, they won’t seek retribution.”
Matteo shook his head. “I wouldn’t count on it. But we’ll make sure they won’t get a chance for revenge.”