Page 82 of Demon's Angel

Lucio’s face tightens. “We have a proposal. We need to draw Angelino out. Both to deal with him and to rescue Demon’s woman. I do not want a war with the Devils on my hands. It’s time I introduce you to the men at the end of the table.”

“Let us introduce ourselves,” Drummer suggests, then rests his steely eyes on each man at the table. “I am Drummer. I am president of the mother chapter of the Satan’s Devils. Beside me is Red, who leads the Vegas chapter. We also have the president of Utah back at the Pueblo compound. We’ve other chapters, too. Our motto isn’t just words. Satan’s Devils ride together. You start a war with one, you’re declaring hostilities against us all.”

My heart warms at his promise.

Then Drummer continues. “We would also ask for support from our dominant, the Wretched Soulz.”

I avoid giving him the sharp look I want to. Our charter exists by agreement with the Wretched Soulz, one of the main outlaw MCs in the States, fuck, in the world come to that. Drummer insists on all Satan’s Devils chapters retaining a good relationship with their local branches for just such a reason as this.

An intake of breath, and that seems to clinch it. The dominant club is huge. The Silvestri family might be numbered over a hundred, but we’re talking about the possibility of being able to summon up a thousand men. Men who, perhaps, would be a little more eager than us to take on some of the trade the Silvestris are running.

“We’ll get your woman back.” Gallo’s looking in my direction. “Hopefully unharmed. Angelino cannot be allowed to come between the Devils andil famiglia.”

I am not surprised. Bikers are mobile; our members are made up of large numbers of veterans who learned guerrilla tactics and have other military knowledge. I’ve a number of vets in my own club; Ink and Lizard are ex-Marines and Mace was in the Army, for starters. The Mafia’s normal approach of bringing the fight into the open won’t work while we’re using speed and manoeuvrability to pick them off. Coupled with that, full-scale war would bring the Feds in pretty quickly. They’d just love an opportunity to bring down a RICO charge on our heads, and the group it would fit most would be the Mafia.

Catching Drummer’s eye, I raise my chin. He gives back a quick nod.

“So where is Angelino holding the woman?”

I just about stop myself rolling my eyes.If I knew that, I wouldn’t be sitting here.

“You have a list of properties?” Roberto, the more practical one, asks me.

“I do.”

“Text it to me.”

I take out my phone and send him the list. A few seconds later, everycapois taking out his phone.

“Check the list. I want to know of any other properties Angelino is linked to. Anywhere he might have rented or bought recently, or any person he may have intimidated to use their space.”

They’re allowed a moment to consider the list.

“You got this?” Gallo asks me, his jaw clenched. At my nod, he continues, “Not sure I like you getting all this intelligence.”

I shrug. Must be recorded somewhere for Cad to have found it. Let them wonder how easily we can get the information we need, and just how much we know of their business.

“I know of a couple of places. Long shots.” One by one a few more addresses get added to the list. I text them to Mace, confident he’ll check them out.

I don’t know his name, but one of thecaposspeaks up. “Checking known locations is all well and good, but doesn’t deal with the fact Angelino might have gone off the radar. Why not bring him to us?” My eyes sharpen. I like that idea. “If he knows Don Lucio is still alive,” the man continues, “he’ll go on the defensive. Knowing him, he probably has a plan up his sleeve were he to find out the set-up failed. But on the assumption it succeeded, he’ll be waiting on a summons.”

The don sits up straighter. He’s got them on board. “We let him believe it was a success, that I’m dead.”

“And that we need our underboss to lead us,” Roberto nods.

“He comes here, and what? We beat the truth out of him?”

Yeah, I like the sound of that.

Lucio sighs. “No. Not because I don’t want my son harmed—I think his death warrant has already been signed; I for one could never trust him—but I think we need to consider his rationale for doing what he has. Angelino wants revenge. Yes, I agree, he probably has a backup plan up his sleeve, and probably more than one. He wants revenge on Parma, and on the Satan’s Devils MC. In the event he doesn’t return, I suspect he’ll leave instructions for Violet to disappear. Which will mean she’ll be alive, but wishing she was dead.”

“Can’t take that risk.” My teeth grind together.

“Your idea?” another of thecaposasks.

“I’m an old man,” Lucio admits. “Roberto already has plans to enact when I am gone. A meeting, an election. The result of which Angelino thinks is a foregone conclusion…”

“You need Salvaggi here. He’s in Sicily at the moment. Allcapineed to vote.”

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