My phone flashed with a message from Enzo. I scanned it quickly and stilled, then read it once more.
I think Aria’s in town. She’s in the restaurant.
A few seconds later a photo followed. It was taken from a bad angle and obviously half hidden but I recognized Aria’s face at once. Even her dark wig couldn’t distract from her extraordinary facial features.
“What’s the matter?” Rocco asked carefully.
I considered what to tell him. Aria was his daughter and her appearance here in Chicago in a time of war was a major shock. She was Luca’s weakness, his absolutely greatest weakness.
Should I grab her? She and Val were in the restroom together. Val’s back out but I think they might meet again.
Why had Aria contacted Val? And more importantly, would Val tell me? I really hoped she would. She was my wife. Her loyalty should be for me, not for her cousin, no matter how close they’d been.
YES
I lifted my gaze to Rocco. He was frowning at me, worried. He never talked about his daughters anymore. They were dead to him. It was difficult for me to understand. I couldn’t imagine ever hating Anna like he seemed to despise his daughters. Of course, Anna would be bound by certain rules like all of us were and I hoped she wouldn’t break them, wouldn’t put me in a position that I’d have to force her to bow to them.
Rocco was my Consigliere and he was still Aria’s father. Keeping her appearance from him could cause an uproar if word got out after all. I wasn’t sure what Aria was planning, so it wasn’t unlikely that she’d draw unwanted attention to herself very quickly. Her face was too well known in Chicago. “Enzo just told me about a possible sighting of Aria in Chicago.”
Rocco stiffened in his chair, his eyes widening. “Luca would never allow her to leave his territory.”
“True,” I said. Luca was very controlling when it came to his wife, and every other aspect of his life as well. “I think she might have acted on her own.”
Rocco stared off past me for a couple of moments, his mouth tight. “What about Gianna? I can’t imagine Aria coming up with this idiocy on her own. It must have been Gianna’s idea. She’s always caused trouble.”
I didn’t say anything. Marrying Aria off to Luca was meant to bring peace, but in the long run, the bond had led to so many unfortunate events that had plunged us into a more brutal war than before. “I don’t have detailed intel yet.”
“Did Enzo capture her?”
“I don’t think so. He hasn’t reported back to my order yet. I need to know what she’s up to and if she’s contacting people. You know how long we’ve been looking for the traitor among our own. Maybe she’ll lead us straight to him.”
Rocco nodded. “Capturing the mule is our utmost priority.”
“Will you be able to advise me in this without your emotions getting in the way? I need to be very strategic about this. Revenge takes time and shouldn’t be forced.”
Rocco smiled thinly. “Don’t worry. My only interest is the Outfit. Aria’s a pawn, not more.”
I tilted my head. He sounded certain but I wondered if he wasn’t hiding his true feelings. He certainly desired revenge for the embarrassment his daughters had caused him in his eyes.
“Very well.”
“Once we have her in our hand, Luca will completely lose his mind. He’s obsessed with her. My daughters have a talent to drive men crazy. He’ll do anything we ask, he’ll risk anything, give us anything if we hurt her.”
I leaned back, trying to predict how Luca might react. What would I do if Valentina was in his hands? The mere thought drove me up the wall. I’d do anything to protect Val, to get her back. Would I give in to Luca’s demands? Would I trust him to keep up his part of the bargain? I wasn’t sure. I didn’t trust Luca in the slightest. The only other option would be an attack and try to free Val with sheer brutality. It would be dangerous and considering that it would happen in Luca’s territory unlikely to succeed.
But Luca was even less restrained than me. The second I told him I had Aria he’d be driven by emotions, fury and love equally, and would raise an army to attack Chicago. He would leave a bloody trail. I couldn’t see how he’d go out of this weaker unless I managed to kill him, but until then he’d kill hundreds of my men. And even if I killed Aria, that wouldn’t destroy the Famiglia, it would only make Luca completely unpredictable, unhinged and far more dangerous than he was now. If I was being honest, those strategic thoughts weren’t the only reason why I was hesitant to keep Aria as a captive. Harming an innocent woman went against my convictions, and not just that, part of me actually felt a sliver of obligation to protect Aria from harm. I’d thrust her into the arms of a monster to silence the Golden Couple enthusiasts and avoid marrying close after Carla’s death. Even if Luca treated her well, I didn’t know that back then. I sacrificed an innocent girl for my own selfish reasons. The idea of doing that again, of keeping Aria a captive, disgusted me. Those weren’t considerations I should entertain as Capo. Only the Outfit should be my concern.
“You intend to capture her and blackmail Luca with her wellbeing and life, I assume?” Rocco said when I’d been silent for too long.
“I’ll definitely capture her. What I’ll do with her once I have her, that’s still uncertain. I don’t want word about this to get out.”
“We need to figure out what to do with Aria. Luca is a dangerous opponent, especially when provoked.”
“He is, which is why I don’t think keeping Aria as a captive is the most promising plan.”
Rocco opened his mouth as if to protest but I raised my hand. He probably would have voiced valid objections, but it didn’t matter. I considered alternative options. I couldn’t just let her go. The Outfit needed to profit from her mistake, or my men would mutiny.
“We need to drive a wedge between them, to destroy them from within. If Luca’s marriage breaks apart, the people in the Famiglia who were against a bond with an Outfit woman will rise.”
Rocco narrowed his eyes in thought, then nodded. “Emotional warfare is an option. Luca is raving jealous when it comes to Aria. Maybe he thinks it’s love, but it’s pure ownership. He’d defend his territory at any cost, the East and Aria both. If he thought Aria wasn’t as angelic as he considers her to be, if he feels betrayed by her, he could become an easy target.”
“You want to stage an affair? With whom?”
“Have you ever seen Luca’s expression when someone brought the Golden Couple rumor up?”
“No.”
“Dante, Luca hates you. You are his enemy, another predator who wants his prey. It would unravel any semblance of humanity he’s put up. The mere idea that you could touch what he considers his will destroy him. This could be our first step toward victory.”
It could be, or it could spiral this war completely out of control. Only time could tell.
Valentina
After my encounter with Aria in the restroom, I headed back to Bibiana and Luisa, holding Anna’s hand tightly. Enzo gave me a curious look, obviously worried because I had spent so long in the restroom. I hoped Anna would play along and keep Aria’s appearance a secret. If she let something slip around Enzo, I wouldn’t be able to stop him from capturing my cousin and delivering her to Dante.