Deadly Devotion

Chapter Seventeen: The Plan Unfolds

The week that followed was the most stressful of my life.

Dante barely slept. He was constantly on the phone. Meeting with people I didn't know. Coming home at all hours looking exhausted.

I tried to help. But there wasn't much I could do. This was his world. His battle. I was just watching from the sidelines.

On the third day, something happened.

I was at the gallery when Dante came in looking both pleased and worried at the same time.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. It's working. The police just seized a major shipment. Three million dollars worth of heroin. All Castellano product."

"That's good, right?"

"It's perfect. They're scrambling. Trying to figure out how the police knew. Blaming each other. Their organization is falling apart from the inside."

"So your plan worked."

"Part of it. But now comes the hard part. We have to move on their businesses before they recover. Take over their legitimate operations. Their restaurants. Their construction contracts. Hit them financially while they're weak."

"How do you do that?"

"Carefully. Legally. Using front companies and legitimate business tactics. It'll take a few days. But if we pull it off, we'll have their territory without firing a single shot."

"And if they figure out it was you?"

"They won't. The information about the drug shipment came through channels they can't trace back to us. As far as they know, they just got unlucky. Or someone in their own family talked."

"You're making them paranoid. Turn on each other."

"Exactly. Divide and conquer. My father's way uses fear. My way uses strategy."

"I'm impressed."

"Don't be impressed yet. We're only halfway there. Anything could still go wrong."

He kissed me quickly and left. Back to whatever meetings and phone calls were running his life right now.

I went back to work. Trying to focus on gallery business. Trying not to think about what Dante was actually doing.

But I couldn't stop thinking about it.

He was destroying a rival family. Taking everything they had. And he was doing it in a way that wouldn't get anyone killed.

It was still criminal. Still wrong by the law.

But it was better than murder. Better than violence.

That's what I told myself anyway.

Day five, everything changed.

I was at Dante's apartment waiting for him to come home when my phone rang.

Chen.

I hadn't heard from her since the failed interview. Since I'd refused to cooperate.

"What do you want?"

"We need to talk. In person. It's important."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"It's about Dante. About what he's doing right now. You need to hear this."

My stomach dropped. "What are you talking about?"

"Meet me. One hour. The coffee shop on Lexington and 42nd. Come alone."

She hung up.

I sat staring at my phone. This was a trap. Had to be. Chen trying to pressure me again.

But what if it wasn't? What if she actually knew something about Dante's plan? Something that could hurt him?

I texted Dante.

Me: Chen just called. Wants to meet. Says it's about what you're doing. Should I go?

No response. He was probably in a meeting.

I waited fifteen minutes. Still nothing.

I made a decision. I'd go. But I'd be careful. I wouldn't tell her anything. Just find out what she knew.

Chen was already at the coffee shop when I arrived. She looked tired. Older than I remembered.

"Thanks for coming," she said as I sat down.

"What do you want?"

"To warn you. About what's happening with the DeLuca family and the Castellanos."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do. Dante's been orchestrating a takeover. He tipped off the police about drug shipments. Now he's moving on their businesses. We've been watching."

"If you've been watching, then you don't need me."

"We need you to understand what's coming. The Castellano family figured it out. They know it was the DeLucas. And they're planning to hit back. Hard."

My blood went cold. "How do you know?"

"We have someone inside their organization. He says they're planning something big. An attack. They're going to hit the DeLuca family where it hurts."

"When?"

"We don't know exactly. Soon. Within the next few days."

"Then arrest them. Stop it."

"We can't. We don't have enough evidence yet. Our source can't give us specific details without blowing his cover." She leaned forward. "But you can stop it. You can warn Dante. Get the family to protect themselves."

"I'll tell him. But why are you helping? You hate the DeLucas. You want them arrested."

"I don't want a gang war in the middle of New York. I don't want innocent people caught in crossfire. And I don't want you dead because you're sleeping with a mobster."

"How thoughtful."

"I'm serious, Mia. These people are dangerous. The Castellanos don't care about collateral damage. If they go after Dante, anyone near him is at risk. Including you."

"I can take care of myself."

"Can you? Against professional killers? Against people who've done this before?" She pulled out a photo. Slid it across the table.

It was a surveillance photo. Of me. Coming out of Dante's building.

"They've been watching you. Following you. They know you're important to Dante. Which makes you a target."

I stared at the photo. My hands started shaking.

"What do you want from me?"

"Leave. Get out of New York. Go somewhere safe until this is over."

"I'm not leaving Dante."

"Then you're an i***t. You're going to get yourself killed for a man who's already destroyed your life once."

"He didn't destroy my life. I made my choices. I'm still making them."

"Then make a smart one. Walk away before it's too late."

I stood up. "Thanks for the warning. I'll tell Dante. But I'm not leaving."

"Mia, wait."

I didn't wait. I left the coffee shop and called Dante immediately.

He answered on the second ring. "Hey, I saw your text. Sorry I couldn't respond. I was in a meeting. What did Chen want?"

"The Castellanos know it was you. They're planning to hit back. Soon."

Silence. Then, "How does she know?"

"They have someone inside the Castellano family. An informant. He told them there's an attack coming."

"f**k. Okay. Where are you?"

"Walking to the subway. Coming to you."

"No. Go to the gallery. I'll meet you there. Don't go to my apartment. Don't go to your apartment. Just the gallery. Okay?"

"Okay."

"And Mia? Be careful. Watch for anyone following you."

He hung up.

I looked around. The street was crowded. Normal people doing normal things. But suddenly everyone looked suspicious.

Was that man across the street watching me? Was that car moving too slowly?

I walked faster. Got to the subway. Kept looking over my shoulder.

Made it to the gallery without incident. Locked the door behind me. Turned on all the lights.

And waited.

Dante arrived twenty minutes later. Marco was with him.

"Tell me exactly what Chen said," Dante ordered.

I repeated the whole conversation. The informant. The planned attack. The surveillance photo of me.

"They've been following her?" Marco looked angry. "That's a direct threat."

"I know." Dante was pacing. "This changes everything. I thought we had more time. Thought they were still trying to figure out who hit them."

"Obviously they figured it out faster than we expected." Marco pulled out his phone. "I'm calling Dad. He needs to know."

While Marco made the call, Dante came to me. Took my face in his hands.

"I need you to do something for me."

"What?"

"Leave. Tonight. Go to my cottage. The one on the coast. No one knows about that place except family. You'll be safe there."

"I'm not leaving you."

"This isn't a discussion. The Castellanos are coming after us. After me. And they'll use you to hurt me if they can. I need you somewhere safe."

"Then come with me. We'll both go."

"I can't. I have to handle this. Protect my family. Make sure my plan didn't just get everyone killed."

"Dante..."

"Please. Please do this for me. I can't fight them and worry about you at the same time. I need to know you're safe."

I looked at his face. At the fear in his eyes. Not fear for himself. Fear for me.

"How long?"

"A few days. Maybe a week. Until we know what they're planning. Until we can handle the threat."

"And then I can come back?"

"Yes. I promise. Once it's safe, I'll come get you myself."

I didn't want to go. Didn't want to leave him when things were dangerous.

But I also didn't want to be the weakness that got him hurt. The distraction that made him vulnerable.

"Okay," I said. "I'll go."

Relief flooded his face. "Thank you."

Marco finished his call. "Dad wants everyone at the estate. Emergency meeting. We're going into lockdown until we know what the Castellanos are planning."

"Good. I'm sending Mia to the cottage. She leaves tonight."

Marco nodded. "Smart. Get her out of the city."

"I need someone to drive her. Someone I trust."

"I'll do it," Marco said. "I'll take her myself. Make sure she gets there safely."

I looked at Marco in surprise. He'd hated me for so long. And now he was offering to protect me?

"You don't have to do that," I said.

"Yeah, I do. You're important to my brother. Which makes you family. And we protect family."

Dante pulled me into a tight hug. "Pack a bag. Marco will pick you up in an hour. Take your phone but don't tell anyone where you're going. Not your friends. Not your family. No one."

"What do I tell them?"

"That you're going away for work. An art acquisition trip. Something that sounds normal."

"Okay."

He kissed me. Hard and desperate. "I'll come for you as soon as it's safe. I promise."

"You better. Because if you get yourself killed, I'm going to be really mad."

He almost smiled. "Noted."

An hour later, I was in Marco's car with a hastily packed bag.

We drove in silence for the first thirty minutes. Then Marco spoke.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For being such an ass to you. For not trusting you. For making things harder than they had to be."

"You were protecting your brother. I understand."

"Yeah, but I was wrong. About you. About what you mean to him." He glanced at me. "He's different with you. Better. More like the person he actually wants to be instead of the person Dad expects him to be."

"He's still himself. I didn't change him."

"No. But you made it safe for him to be himself. That's important." He was quiet for a moment. "If something happens. If this situation with the Castellanos goes bad. Take care of him. He's going to need someone."

"Nothing's going to happen. Your plan worked. You'll handle this."

"I hope you're right."

We drove the rest of the way in silence.

When we reached the cottage, Marco helped me get my bag inside. Made sure all the doors and windows were locked. Checked that the security system was working.

"You have my number," he said. "If anything feels wrong, if you see anyone suspicious, call me immediately."

"I will."

"And Mia? Thank you. For making my brother happy. For standing by him even when it's hard. He deserves that."

"So do you."

He smiled slightly. "Maybe someday I'll find someone as stubborn as you."

He left. I watched his car disappear down the road.

Then I was alone. In the cottage where Dante had first told me he loved me. Where we'd been happy before everything got so complicated.

I looked out at the ocean. At the waves crashing against the rocks. At the endless horizon.

And I prayed that Dante would keep his promise. That he'd come back for me.

That whatever was coming, he'd survive it.

Because I couldn't lose him. Not now. Not after everything.

I loved him too much.

And that love was either going to save us or destroy us.

I just didn't know which yet.