Twenty-Seven
Aidan
There wasone consolation to this situation—the property’s security hadn’t been breached.
Valentini’s van and his men’s vehicles were all outside the gates, lined down the road, something I saw when, after calling Conor and getting him to stand the guards down, I accessed the cameras on the border walls through the app Kid had built for us.
I even watched the footage of Valentini sneaking through the gates. He’d flashed a light onto the sensor which made the gates retract. Normally, I had a guard standing there so that was a loophole that wouldn’t reoccur but still… I was pissed.
Not just at Valentini’s break-in, but at his news, and at Savannah’s disobedience.
Relieved that she was inside the Range Rover now that I'd shoved her difficult ass in there—a vehicle that could double up as an armored tank—I cast Valentini a glance and said, "If you tell anyone, anyone about what you know, Da is the last person you’ll have to fear."
Luciu turned to me. "I know what it is to protect family, Aidan. Conor should never have gone through that. If anything, you have my sympathies." His glance turned curious. "Is it true you are allied with the Satan’s Sinners’ MC? The one operating in Jersey?"
"Why?"
"I heard about that pedophile hunter." He rubbed his chin. "I might have some work for him."
"I don’t deal with them. My brother, Declan, does. If Father accepts you as an ally, I’ll get you an in."
Valentini straightened his shoulders. "What’s the likelihood of that happening? We can cut the bullshit now it’s just us talking."
My jaw clicked as I worked it. "Before this, I’d have said you didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell."
"So I was right to make this move." He laughed softly. "Interesting. This is good to know. Now the Italians and the Russians are dealing with turmoil, the Irish are the strongest influence in Manhattan.
"We all know the Triads aren’t that interested in our petty squabbles. They’re more concerned about the Yakuza. It would be in my best interest to remain friendly with your father. If he likes gifts, I can give him plenty of those."
"Little interests him."
"I’m not an ass kisser, but my family has been waiting sixty years to reascend to its rightful place. I will do whatever I must to make that happen. I’ve already got theFamigliaunder my thumb, but acceptance as its leader comes in different ways."
"I’m surprised. I thought one of the Genovicos would have taken the top spot."
Valentini smirked. "There are very few made men remaining in the top hierarchy. Our churches are busy with many funerals right now."
"Leading by fear." I grunted.
"A sad but true fact of life. Of course, in twenty years, I’ll have to deal with pissed off sons. Much as they’re dealing with me now, but I’m unafraid of borrowing trouble."
"Lead by example, then. Don’t trigger resentment."
"Once I’m in power, once my place is consolidated with a brokerage of peace from the Irish and the Russians, this I can do. As it stands, I still have to play the politician, and I’ll carry on doing that until my position is secured." His jaw tightened. "They’ll never be able to disband the Valentinis ever again."
Disinterested in his power grab, I cast Savannah a look and found her peering down at her cellphone in the Range Rover.
A nerve ticced at my temple when I thought about her disobedience from before, a disobedience that could have gotten her hurt, and I knew I’d be late getting to the family estate.
If neither of us were okay with my family hearing her moan, then being okay with hearing us fuck nasty was another matter entirely.
"Can I borrow the van?" I asked when it pulled up. Innocuous, like any of the million other white vans that roamed New York City, it would blend in easily with traffic.
"Of course. I’ll be trashing it after anyway. Can you deal with this?"
I arched a brow at him. "You trust me to do that?"
Valentini smirked. "We’re going to be allies, my friend. We’re going to own the city again.