She bit her lower lip and nodded as I turned my attention to Emil. “Keep them off the trail.”
“He’s coming for me,” Leda interrupted, catching both of our attention. “He’s got Adrian on his side, right? I mean, my father couldn’t have pulled that whole thing off without men on his side. He’s given Adrian a promise of something he wants.” She swallowed hard. “He must’ve promised him me.”
I wanted to lie and say that it wasn’t true, but the memories of how Adrian had reacted to Leda on the auction block told me she was probably onto something.
He wouldn’t get anywhere close to her. Leda was mine. “It makes sense,” Emil admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Adrian always wanted what he couldn’t have.”
I banged my fist on the table, causing the dishes to rattle. “It’s not going to fucking happen, all right? He can try all he wants, but he will have to kill me before I ever let him get close to Leda.”
“I think that my father’s plans are different,” Leda replied. “I think that he is going to come after Nico and me for what we did to him. I don’t think that Adrian’s plans are in alignment with his.”
“Adrian wants power,” I added, realizing where she was going with her thoughts. “He’s not going to fucking care about your father going after Nico, but you, he will be interested in. He wants to solidify his position in your father’s good graces. And what better way to do that than to marry his daughter?”
“You have to beat him at his own game,” Leda offered. “You have to take what he has done and seize the opportunity.”
“What are you suggesting?” Emil asked.
Leda looked over at me and there was a gleam in her eyes, one I had never seen before. “Start waging your own war. There are capos that are looking for a leader. Some will be pissed off to know that their only option is to follow Carmine or Adrian. They are looking for a leader.”
“Never let a good crisis go to waste,” Emil said.
“Exactly.” Leda nodded. “And we can’t forget about Adrian’s own fears. If my father can end the other Mafia Dons in the snap of a finger, how can Adrian guarantee his own safety?”
A smile crossed my face. Leda was right.
Adrian was a coward. Surely watching the other Dons be slaughtered at dinner would have woken him up? Then again, he might be so paralyzed with fear that the only option he could see is to get in deeper with Carmine.
“Put some feelers out there,” I told Emil. “Find the ones in hiding, and the ones sharpening their knives in the dark.”
“And what if it doesn’t work?” Emil asked. “What if you are just exposing yourself? It’s not like we’ve got the best relationships with them.”
“I have to take the chance,” I said firmly. “What other options do I have?” I needed men, and a lot of them if I was going to take on Adrian and now Carmine D’Agostino as well.
“It will work,” Leda said firmly, some of the color returning to her face. “Trust me. Not everyone is going to want to pledge their allegiance. If any of them have a shred of honor left, they’d want to listen to your offer.”
“Fair enough,” Emil admitted. “I will reach out to the few who’ll want to talk to me.” He eyed my clothing. “And I’ll bring you some proper clothing in the process. You look like shit, Don.”
***
“You’re fucking brilliant,” I told Leda after Emil left. “Do you know that?”
Smirking, she placed her hands on my chest and reached up on her toes to brush her lips over mine. “I’ve been waiting a long time to hear you say that, Lucas Valentino, but yes, I’m well aware of how brilliant I am.”
“You really think that Emil can find help?” I asked, feeling her hands slide up onto my shoulders. “I don’t know what your father sees in Adrian.”
“He’s not seeing anything but an opportunity,” Leda sighed. “You know that he’s the master of manipulation. Adrian is a pawn, the perfect complement to what my father needs right now. The moment that he’s done with Adrian, he will turn on him. Unfortunately, Adrian won’t see it until it’s too late.”
As much as that particular thought warmed my dark soul, I knew that if Carmine got his hands on my Mafia and the others that were pledging loyalty, he would become something far too powerful, and it would only be a matter of time before he would come after both Nico and Leda. Without an army myself, I wouldn’t be able to hold onto my promise to protect her.
Which was why I had to make yet another difficult decision in regard to her safety. While I had been resolved to keep her with me so that I knew where she was, it wasn’t the right thing. I wouldn’t be staying here, nor did I have any men right now save Emil that could even watch my back. Leda was a distraction for me. She always had been. “You’re right,” I told her, my voice suddenly thick even to my own ears. “That’s why I have to take you back to your brother.”