Gabriel Vitalio whipped his head towards the Boss, his eyes angry, his men on edge and their fingers on their weapons. “Is this why you invited me here, Lorenzo? For this?”
The Boss laughed. “You know exactly why I invited you, Gabriel. We’re done.”
“You really want me to air our dirty laundry here? I’ve got you by the balls and you know it, Bloodhound.”
The Boss leaned back in his chair and chuckled even as his eyes remained dead. “Look around you, Viper. You’re in my city. My territory. My house. Surrounded by my men. With your inner circle here.”
As though on cue, all the Boss’ men trained their guns on Vitalio’s men. Tristan swallowed, watching.
Gabriel Vitalio breathed in deeply. “Even if you break our deals, you can’t kill me. I have my own territory and fail-safes in place.”
“I know. I may not kill you, now,” the Boss said. “But I can do to you what we did to Reaper.”
Gabriel Vitalio went silent.
“You fucking bastard.”
Tristan’s eyebrows went up on his head. Who was Reaper and what had they done to him?
“As I said, we’re done, Viper. That means my head of security can roll you in the mud for all I care. If you’re not the ally, you’re the enemy.”
“You’re
stupid to think you can threaten me into silence, Bloodhound,” Gabriel Vitalio said in a low voice. “I can burn your empire with the things I know.”
“Then be ready to burn with me.”
Quiet.
Tristan didn’t understand what they were talking about but he held his breath as he took in the whole room. The two men glared at each other across the table, the tension so heavy in the air Tristan felt goosebumps on his arms. He rubbed them softly, trying to cool himself down.
Maybe he should leave. Just let the grownups talk. His father was there. He would find out whatever he could about Luna.
But Tristan didn’t move.
His eyes kept returning to the little baby smack in the middle of the men, the baby who had perhaps been the last of them all to see his sister. The baby who was curiously inspecting a spoon she’d grabbed with her hand.
Biting his lip, he stayed put.
It was his father’s voice that broke the silence, his harsh words directed at the bad man. Viper.
“Where are the girls?”
Viper grit his teeth. “How the fuck should I know?”
His father didn’t like that answer.
In the blink of an eye, his father pulled out his gun and pointed it right at Viper’s head, while the Boss sat back, watching the show.
Viper’s hand inched towards his pocket. His father shook his head.
“Don’t move an inch.”
Tristan held the pillar with his hand, his muscles tightening instinctively. Without moving his eyes from the scene, Tristan quickly bent down to his sock and took out the Swiss knife he’d stolen from his father’s stash one day, just in case he had to protect Luna. The knife felt slightly heavy in his small hand but Tristan held it, ready to fight if need be.
His father turned to the bad man and spoke in that loud tone that made Tristan flinch, the knife slipping in his hand, cutting across his palm. The pain exploded on his skin but he bit down on his lip, not wanting to give away his presence to anyone, wiping the tears streaking across his cheeks.
“I know you know, Gabriel Vitalio. I know that you know something. Spill it now, or I won’t be responsible for what happens.”