He was the one who had torn his now wife from Archie’s grasp, pried her loose with blood still on his hands and violence still echoing in the room.For him, trust wasn’t a theory or a calculated risk.It was something Archie had already forfeited.
And it wasn’t something Gianni would ever hand back easily.
Gianni turned to me, eyebrows raised.“Are you fucking serious right now?You wanthim,of all people, in this room?”
I ignored him.
Archie continued, his tone indicating he was unaffected by the outburst: “I’ll confirm the warehouse where Semyon is hiding.And I’ll get invites sent out to every loyal Sokolov soldier.They’ll gather, unsuspecting, in one place at the same time.”He smiled.“And then you’ll just have to kill them.”
48
Raze
Ileaned against the wall, flipping my lighter open and closed with a soft click-click that drove normal people insane.Lucky for me, no one here was normal.
I forced myself not to look at Alessio’s lifeless body across the room.Not because I didn’t care.But because I cared too goddamn much.
Blood loyalty made you weak.Emotion made you stupid.And stupid got you killed.
I flicked my lighter open one last time, flame dancing, reflecting off the walls and the shadowed corners.
Fire had always kept me company.
Plus, it was good practice for the things I was planning to blow up.
Marcello saw the flame and sighed.“Please tell me you’re not going to set this place on fire.”
“Not today,” I remarked, snapping the lighter shut.“Tempting.But I have a schedule.”
Gianni snorted.Marcello pinched the bridge of his nose, and I was pretty sure he was already questioning whether calling me had been one of his smarter decisions.
I moved across the room and took a seat on the table, ignoring the chair.Chairs were too civil.Too tame.
“Semyon Sokolov thinks he’s invincible,” Archie continued, smoothing the edge of a blueprint.“He believes the Italians are fractured.This gives us a unique opportunity.”
“Let me guess.We lure him into a kill box and blow the floors out from under him.”
Archie raised a brow.“That’s… exactly the plan.”
I grinned wider.“I love it here.”
Marcello stepped forward, all logic and precision.“Walk us through it.”
Archie tapped the map.“Semyon is paranoid.He won’t meet with me one-on-one.But if I call a ‘peace council,’ claiming the Cavalho family is temporarily crippled, he’ll come.”
“Alessio’s death,” Gianni added quietly.“They’ll see it as a weakness.”
“And Atlas,” Archie added.“They think he’s dead, too, which will make them bold.”
“That will make them easier to kill.”
Archie nodded.“He’ll bring every loyal soldier.He’ll want the satisfaction of witnesses so he can boast later.”
“Perfect,” I muttered, kicking my foot lightly against the table leg.“A man with an ego.”
Marcello shot me a look.“Focus.”
“I am focusing,” I protested.“I’m picturing where to put the charges.”