THIRTY-FOUR |

I was more nervous than I anticipated, waiting in Arturo's office for everyone to arrive. Arturo had tried to insist that we wait a few days, spend some time together uninterrupted, but I wanted the issue of Cecelia to be resolved first. I couldn't focus on us if there was a problem hanging over our heads like a noose.

"Relax," Arturo whispered into my ear, wrapping his arm around my waist. "You already know Marco. I'm right here beside you."

I offered him a weak smile and stared at the door. We were waiting for Arturo's best men to arrive so that we could discuss the problem at hand and devise a solution. None of them were aware that I was going to be present, because Arturo insisted it was better that way. I trusted him, but now my nerves were even more persistent. My boyfriend might have been the don, but there was no way to predict how they would react.

A knock at the door made me jump.

"Accedere," Arturo called, tightening his hand on my hip before taking a step away. We had both agreed that it was better for us to appear neutral, asserting my strength and right to attend.

(come in)

Four men filed into the room, three of whom I recognised. The first was Marco, who offered me a warm smile, and the two that followed I struggled to place for a second, only to remember that they had been the ones searching for me in Marco's kitchen when I went out with Amber. They were both tall and slender, with dirty blonde hair and keen eyes. Arturo introduced them as Paolo and Nadir Russo, almost-identical twins useful for uncovering coveted information and CCTV footage. The final man was slightly shorter, his features dark and mysterious. He had a deep purple bruise around his crooked nose, and his name was Renzo.

Whilst the twins glanced at me and maintained passive expressions, Renzo didn't bother to conceal his blatant outrage.

Arturo cleared his throat. "Since Florence is directly tied to the Genovese's motives, she will be joining us today to discuss our course of action. This is non negotiable." He shot Renzo a warning glare that could have frozen oceans. "Does anyone have a problem?" he challenged.

Nobody spoke; nobody dared.

"Paolo has managed to locate the position where Cecelia is currently being held by examining the video footage we were sent," Arturo explained after a moment's heavy silence. He gestured to Paolo who pulled out a laptop.

"Wait, what footage?" I asked.

A few weighted glances were exchanged across the room, making my stomach twist. Eventually Arturo turned to me. "The Genovese sent us a video of Cecelia being held captive somewhere."

"I want to see it," I said.

"That's not a good idea, fiore," Marco said.

"Has everyone else present seen it?" My question was met by sheepish glances in all directions. I turned my gaze to Arturo who looked less than happy. "Then I have a right to see it too, do I not?"

"It isn't pretty..."

"I didn't ask if it was."

Arturo nodded to Paolo who pulled up a file on the screen. I watched the footage in startled silence, fighting back the bile that rose in my throat. No matter how much I might feel threatened by Cecelia, seeing first-hand the squalid conditions of her imprisonment only made me more determined to help save her.

I found that Arturo was watching me closely when the video came to an end, gauging whether it had been too much for me. He thought I was fragile, that I would break at the slightest touch, but I was determined to prove the opposite.

Paolo took over, bringing up a map on the laptop. He pointed to an area which had been circled red just out of the city. "The warehouse we tracked her to is located here," he explained, pointing to the marker.

"So we storm the fucking place," Renzo said enthusiastically. "We have enough power to kill them all twice over."

"We have to be smart about this," Arturo said pointedly, causing Marco and the Russos to nod their heads in agreement. "We don't want to lose any of our men or take risks over something that can be resolved without bloodshed."

"Where's the fun in that?"

I suspected that Renzo was akin to Arturo's mad-dog, he'd take on any orders no matter how dangerous or violent, but he rarely exhibited any evidence of self restraint. He needed to be kept on a leash; that much was clear from Arturo's guarded expression.

"Wherever they're keeping Cecelia, it's going to be heavily guarded. They're not going to take any chances with this, not when the end-result of their plan will make them more powerful than any other crime syndicate in the world," I said with a shudder, imagining how it would feel to be a possession of the Ivanovs. Arturo caught my eye and I could tell he had picked up on my anxiety.

"Florence is right," Marco agreed. "Storming the warehouse would result in nothing less than a bloodbath."

"We have to make it seem like they've won. They have to think that they're getting me back."

"I won't have you in any danger." All eyes flickered to Arturo whose posture had immediately tensed.

Nadir took the laptop from Paolo and zoomed in on the warehouse. "They have the whole perimeter covered by hundreds of guards. Judging by the numbers, we suspect they're using low-level soldiers who've been trained quickly but ineffectively."

"So we could take them out," Renzo suggested.

"Not without creating a bloodbath," Paolo said. "Even with skilled men fighting for us, there would be huge casualties on both sides. We need to head to neutral territory where they won't have an advantage. We were thinking Adirondack Park, somewhere deserted near the mountains."

"An even playing field means uncertainty about who will walk away successful. I don't deal in uncertainties," Arturo said.

"And neither will they." When I stepped forward everyone looked surprised, including Arturo, but an idea was forming in my mind. "There's no way my father will agree to any terms which don't seem favourable. We have to make him think he has the upper hand, which means making him think that Cecelia is more valuable to you than I am."

"And how exactly do we do that?" Arturo's voice was tight.

"You're not going to like my suggestion," I hedged, taking a step forward, "but it's the only way that makes sense to me."

"Go ahead," Marco gestured when Arturo didn't speak. By the look of it, he'd stopped breathing he was so tense.

"We suggest that the exchange should take place in a busy, crowded location. Somewhere that would make it impossible for either side to pull their guns."

"The Yankees are playing the Houston Astros this weekend," Paolo inputted. "I was going to take my wife to the game."

If possible, it seemed Arturo's expression had dropped by a few degrees.

"That would be perfect," I nodded. "We should arrange two meeting points, one where Cecelia is handed over and one where I'm handed over."

"We're not handing you over."

"Hear me out." I shot Arturo a levelling glance. "You need to be there to collect Cecelia, it needs to appear like she's your priority."

"They know that you're my priority."

"They think that I'm your priority. There's an important difference."

Marco nodded. "I agree. The one thing they'd never expect you to do is leave Florence in the hands of someone else. If they saw you prioritising Cecelia, that would change everything."

"Raimondo might be a strong leader, but he's also arrogant," Nadir continued, pulling up an image of the grounds where the baseball game would be held on the laptop. "Once he believes he has the upper hand, he will grow lazy, drop the ball."

"Then we could use that to our advantage." Paolo gestured to the laptop screen. "All we'd have to do is allow Raimondo to choose the exchange points, two distinct markers in this area so that neither organisation draws too much attention."

Arturo raised a sceptical brow, folding his arms sternly. "And how do you propose we get Cecelia and Florence out safely?"

I knew the next words I was about to speak would be met with resistance, but as far as I could see it was the only way.

"You have to let them take me."

"Absolutely not."

"Arturo–"

"No. I will not risk losing you." He turned to everyone else before I could argue and barked, "this meeting is over. Get out."

"No!" All eyes in the room turned to me, and I tried to ignore the frostiness that exuded from Arturo's direction. "Everyone hold on. We need to make a plan now, we don't have time to sit around and put this off. Arturo, please listen to me."

I could tell that a sense of disbelief hung in the air at the fact that anyone dared deny the Don's direct order, yet nobody turned to leave the office. I took the chance to continue before anyone stopped me.

"We have to let the Genovese take me. Chances are, they'll throw me in the back of some van or SUV that will be waiting on the outskirts of the grounds. I take it you have the necessary technology to work out which vehicle it is and track it while the exchange is taking place?" I directed this question to Nadir who nodded solemnly.

"It should be fairly easy to follow the vehicle. Of course, it would have to clear security and the busy traffic before we could take it out."

"But we could do it? You could take it out and get me back?"

"Yes, theoretically it shouldn't be a problem."

"Then that's what we do."

Looking suddenly exhausted, Arturo slumped into the chair behind his desk, expression pained. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, letting out a long, slow breath. I wanted to go over to him and take him in my arms, but I couldn't do that until we were alone.

"I cannot agree to another person being responsible for Florence's life," Arturo said quietly. "If she were to come to any harm..."

"I will go with her," Marco volunteered. "I'll be the one to hand her over."

Paolo nodded. "I will go too."

Arturo cracked open an eye. "If this plan goes wrong, I will hold each and every one of you responsible. We will finalise the details of the plan tomorrow morning. For now, Renzo I need you to get in contact with Raimondo and get the ball rolling. Tell him I will not negotiate. This is my only and final offer. Marco, you and I have business to discuss. Partire."

(Leave)

Paolo, Nadir and Renzo filed out of the office after Arturo's chilly dismissal, while Marco leaned against the edge of the desk.

"Florence, I told you to leave," Arturo dismissed, not raising his eyes to look at me as he pulled out a cigar.

"But–"

"Out!!"

Marco shot me a sympathetic glance as I stared at him in bewilderment. I knew Arturo wouldn't be happy about my plan, but it didn't warrant him being so callous.

I turned to leave the room and Marco grabbed my elbow on the way out. "Let him have some time to cool off," he advised softly. "He will get over it, I promise."

I nodded silently, afraid to open my mouth in case my voice displayed the hurt I felt. I closed the door behind me and leaned back against it, closing my eyes and letting out a deep breath. He just needed time to adjust to the idea, I told myself. I could give him that.

Being included in the darker shades of Arturo's life was never going to be easy for either of us, but I had asked for it and he had accepted. Now we had to face up to the consequences of what life together would really be like. Not everything would be sunshine and rainbows – and I wouldn't always be one hundred percent safe.

I could deal with that; so could he. Or so I hoped.