Page 131 of Savage King

There is a pause before Marcello presses out, “If Sophia is hurt or…”

“I’ll help you tear the whole fucking world apart to find her,” I promise, meaning it. Nobody touches our women, and the ones who dare… We'll make examples out of them. Sending a direct message to the rest of those cowards. Our women are off limits!

“That’s why I called you.”

“Stay sharp, Orsi.”

“You too, DeLuna.”

I take a minute to digest this conversation before I return to the bedroom, where Scarlet is still sleeping. A never-before-experienced peace overcomes me when I walk in. I would have never thought it possible that one person could bring me this much happiness. But she does, every day, every hour. And soon, she'll be fully my wife in the eyes of the world.

Part of Gigi's penance is to make reservations for accommodations at a private island resort in the Maldives for Scarlet and my wedding and honeymoon. We will enjoy it the day after Carlos takes his last breath on this Earth.

I suspect Gigi is enjoying her punishment a little bit too much, but I'm too fucking happy to extend it. She, too, has a right to be happy, and so does Vito, who has formally asked me for my sister's hand in marriage.

One of the two obstacles to ensuring ourJellybean’s safety is about to be handled. Carlos' trial is at an end. We are so fucking close.

The jurors are in deliberation. My men managed to get word to the four compromised jurors and, for good measure, the alternate juror—the woman who replaced the murdered one.

For days, the word “mistrial”floated through the press, but Lambert held firm. He knows what's at stake. He went in front of the cameras, spoke aboutheroes, justice,andAmerican determination,pushed the right buttons, and the trial continued, along with the investigation into the murder.

Meanwhile, Vito caught Frederico Manisol, the fucker who killed the juror. It took a few hours of convincing—bone-crunching, blood-soaked convincing—but eventually, he admitted what I already knew.

Yes, he was working for Carlos.

Yes, he killed the juror as a message to the others.

No, his body will never be found. There won't be any investigation into his death.

Carlos is back in his holding cell. The judge and the jury aren't the only ones sequestered, and I'm really hoping he's starting to feel the noose tightening around his fucking neck. Losing his second in command was a crippling blow, the last nail in his coffin, and he knows it.

A few hours later, Vito knocks on my office door. "The verdict is in."

I turn on the TV and call Scarlet; she deserves to watch his fall as much as we do.

Soon, Igio joins us, and we all stand around the large screen showing the courtroom, courtesy of Alain, the security guard, who is, in fact, an outstanding cameraman. His little spy camera gives us a perfect view. Perfect enough to make out Marcello sitting among the spectators, typing on his phone. Not manypeople can boast of surviving a gunshot to their head, but if anybody can pull it off, it's Marcello. From what I heard, there were two more attempts made on his life while he was in the hospital, both stopped by the same little nurse I watched in his room a few weeks ago. There’s something there, something interesting.But that’s a thought for another time.

The air in my office fills with tension as we watch the courtroom fill. Carlos looks smug, standing next to his lawyer. The absence of fear on his self-satisfied, smug-ass face makes me wonder… Does he really not understand what’s coming? Does he not realize the consequences of Nestor’s death? Or is he too full of himself to recognize that his empire is crumbling beneath his feet?

If he thinks his men will stay loyal with him locked up and Marcello taking over… he’s a bigger idiot than I thought.

Scarlet puts her arms around my hip and leans into me. Automatically, my hand drops to her back. I like having her close to me. We watch the jurors take their seats, and Lambert gives a quick speech, nearly costing me the last of my patience.

"Come on," Igio hisses.

Vito elbows him. "Shut up."

Lambert accepts the sealed envelope from his clerk. With a solemn face, he opens and reads it without giving anything away, then hands it back to the jury speaker.

"On the counts of extortion, how does the jury find the defendant?" Lambert asks.

Carlos leans over and whispers something to his lawyer, who chuckles. My hands ball into fists. This is it.

"Guilty." The juror says.

"Fuck yes!" Igio screams, pumping his fist in the air. "Sorry, boss."

My eyes are locked on Carlos. I'm memorizing every shift in his expression, starting with the first frown, the one that happens as he probably thinks he misheard.

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