I stroke my fingers on top of his hand. “Is it terrible that I think that’s kinda hot?”
“Sweetness,” he growls.
“I’ll always be your sweetness, Fernando. I want you to know that. You will be the only man to ever own my heart or any part of me. You were the first man that has ever shown me kindness. It pisses me off that these people have the audacity to call you the Butcher.” A smirk pulls at Fernando’s lips. “What?” I huff.
“It’s cute. You standing up for me, but sweetness, you get a side to me no one else gets to see. I’d be a liar, which I told you I’d never be to you, if I didn’t admit that I enjoy collecting the souls of some of those men.”
Fernando pulls up to the gates of the Palermo estate. They swing open for us. “Then today is going to be a good day for you, Fernando. I want you to collect as many as you can.” I turn to look at him. “My father’s being one of them.”
21
BUTCHER
“You ready?” Antonio tucks his Glock into the waistband of his pants.
“Always.”
“This isn’t a slice and dice operation, Fernando.” Gilly slides his pistols into their holsters, then pulls on his coat over them. “You need to keep a cool head.”
“I’m as cool as ever.” I stash some knives in holsters at my ankles, then more along my wrists.
Antonio sighs. “I can feel you seething.”
I holster my own pistols, then face him. “I won’t let them have her. I need you to know that, Antonio. I don’t care what happens or what the families try to decide for her. She’ll never be anything except mine.”
“I understand.” He and Gilly exchange a look.
“What?” I narrow my eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Antonio sighs and runs a hand down his face. “Angelica told me you and Bianca have …”
“Fucked,” Gilly fills in.
“Like I said, she’s mine.” I glare at Gilly.
He shrugs. “Just cutting to the chase. No offense intended, big guy.”
“The Frangiones are unaware of that. They think I arranged the kidnapping of Bianca as some masterstroke to bring down the Larones.” Antonio smirks. “I mean, I’m glad they think I’m that cunning, but their mistake is going to make this meeting even trickier.”
“They expect her to be a virgin.” Gilly, once again, cuts to the chase. “When they find out she’s not, it might get dicey. The Frangiones will take it as a direct insult, and her father will likely come for Antonio again.”
“Her father will be at the meeting?” I crack my knuckles. I may work for Antonio, and he may be like a brother to me, but my Bianca told me she wants me to collect the souls of her enemies–chief among them, her father. I won’t disappoint her.
“Why do you have that look in your eye?” Gilly shifts from one foot to the other.
“What look?” I ask.
“It’s the crazy look.” Gilly points. “Antonio, he’s got that crazy look.”
Antonio sighs. “Butcher, I know how you feel. I do.” He glances at the door. “My Angelica means everything to me, and if what Angelica says is correct, then Bianca means everything to you.”
I nod.
“I’m not going to let anyone take her. I won’t agree to it. Understand?”
I nod again.
He fastens his suit coat. “If anyone tries it, you have my blessing to do what you need to do to keep her in your possession.”
“Antonio.” Gilly gawks at him. “You can’t set him loose at a meeting like this. If he spills blood from the other families–”
“Then it will be on their own heads for coming between a man and the woman he loves.” Antonio’s tone doesn’t leave room for argument.
“But–”
“What if it was Carina?” I say quietly. “What if the Frangiones wanted her as their bride? Would you just hand her over?”
Gilly goes tense.
Antonio sighs again and shakes his head.
“Carina will never marry one of those rats,” Gilly snaps. “Over my dead fucking body.”
I stare at Gilly. “Same.”
He takes a deep breath, then gives me a curt nod. “I get it.” He rolls his shoulders. “All right, I get it. I just don’t want us to start something that the other families could finish. If they join together against us, we won’t have a chance.”
“They won’t.” Antonio opens the door and strides down the hall, Gilly and me following.
“How do you know that?” Gilly asks.
Antonio pauses right before the foyer and turns to us. “Because I’m taking the Butcher to the meeting. They aren’t going to start a single fucking thing when he’s standing at my back.”
“True,” Gilly agrees.
“Now, once we’re out of there with Bianca in hand, that’s when it might get dicey. But I have a plan for that, too.” Antonio turns back toward the foyer and strides away.
Gilly and I exchange a look.