Page 14 of Angelo's Vengeance

Bacco rolled his eyes but didn’t take the bait. It was one of the things I appreciated about him and why he worked well with me. I tended to be quick-tempered, while Bacco wasn’t bothered by much. He never felt the need to justify himself. We balanced each other out, which was good for business. Good for the Santellifamiglia. Sometimes, I’d send Bacco to meetings I knew would annoy me. He was more even-tempered than I was.

“They knew her schedule and realized shewouldn’t have much security. That suggests either a mole or someone who’s been watching closely. Did you talk to the people at her business?” Remo asked.

Kostas, silent until now, let out a low, dangerous laugh. “You think we haven’t already considered that? The woman she was supposed to meet doesn’t exist. The assistant confirmed Theo received the invitation through a verified channel, but it was bullshit. The people behind this went to great lengths to ensure she walked into that trap.”

Remo frowned. He looked rough around the edges, and I wondered whose bed I’d pulled him out of. The one thing about Remo, though, was that he was reliable. He was an excellent capo and an even better brother. I’d love to say he’d make a great underboss, but I wasn’t sure he wanted that. Not to mention, I had a great underboss. Carlo was more than competent in running everything. He knew the ins and outs of the operation and could run it blindfolded for me. He was a family man from Queens and more of an accountant than a fighter, but that worked since mine was a laundering operation. He was a good underboss when paired with a heavy enforcer, andhe’d watch out for the business while I was off in Italy.

Vaso, his fist clenched, growled, “And when we find them, we will make them regret it.”

I understood that fury all too well. The thought of Theo being in the hands of an unknown enemy made my blood boil, and my fingers itch to wrap around someone’s throat and squeeze until they provided me with answers. It was an effort to remember that anger wouldn’t benefit us at all.

“I’m assuming you tracked her phone?” I asked, my voice tight, trying to sift through the information we had, which was jack shit, as the plane took off. “No good?”

“Nothing,” Kostas confirmed. “Dropped with her shit behind the lounge. We had a tracker on it.”

I nodded. I had already confirmed it with Veronica on the way here, but there was no guarantee they had a backup. I would never admit to having prayed that it was the case. It didn’t sound like it, though.

“Any word on the vehicle?” Bacco tapped his pen on his notebook as he wrote his list of thoughts. I’d grown accustomed to his habits;he was a prolific doodler and list maker, even when there was no information to speak of. I’d told him before that if the Feds got ahold of his little notebooks we were fucked.

Kostas nodded and straightened in his seat. “They used a black Mercedes van, no plates. My contact pulled some traffic camera footage. Florence operates something like CCTV cameras. They have traffic-restricted zones that track the plates of vehicles coming in and out, but they switched vehicles a few blocks away. After that, nothing. Whoever they are, they’re smart.”

“Smart,” I muttered, rolling the word around in my mouth like venom. “She met with a woman, but that was probably just the bait. If they took her on purpose, knowing who she was, they’ll know what’s coming for them.”

Silence stretched for a moment before Kostas spoke again, his voice low and controlled. “We need to narrow down who would dare do this. Someone targeting Theo isn’t just making a play against her—they’re making a play against our families. It could be against both of us, or it could be against one of us. Either the Anthakos or the Santellis.” Hegave me a pointed look. It was no secret that I’d been dragging my feet, but I was happy he didn’t belabor the point.

Bacco nodded. “Agreed, that’s a good place to start. Let’s list out potential suspects.” With his pen poised, he looked at us.

I exhaled, rubbing my jaw. “Dino Scarpato is interfering with my construction projects. He’s been a thorn in my side, but this would be a drastic escalation, and I’m not sure he could pull it off. If it’s him, he’s looking for something big. Or leverage,” I added darkly.

“Scarpato isn’t clever enough for an international play.” Ilias ground his teeth. “There’s also the possibility of an old enemy looking to settle a score. We’ve left bodies in the ground, and some wounds don’t heal.”

“We have other players in New York. There’s Cardoni, but I think this would be out of character. I have that meeting set up, and theirfamigliawould be making huge moves. Valentino isn’t an idiot like Scarpato. He runs a tight ship. I’m fairly certain he is busy with his kid after his wife passed away. It would be a big play.”

“What about Vallone? He’s been calm, yeah?” Remo accepted a drink from thestewardess, who was practically bending over his lap, showing her tits. He gave her a wink.

“I texted Conall about it, but he’s sure he wouldn’t gain anything from it, and he’s been very pro-Frankie lately. He seems to be trying to develop that relationship.” Ilias didn’t sound convinced, though, even to my ears, and Bacco picked up on it too.

“So, he’s on the list,” Bacco scribbled furiously. “Vallone, Scarpato, Cardoni. None of them sound likely, but all have something to gain, right?”

“Truth,” Kostas nodded.

“Renzetti should be on the list. He’s at the top, but I’m not sure if he has the money or the connections to pull something like this off. As far as I know, he’s nobody. He claims to have connections to Olivetto territory, but I haven’t found anything more than him being a second cousin, which wouldn’t give him any claim over Nico.” Renzetti was an anomaly to all of us, but that was where my chips would be bet.

Vaso drummed his fingers against the arm of his chair. His eyes locked on his brother. “And let’s not ignore the possibility that thisisn’t about the families at all. Maybe it’s about Theo personally.”

That thought settled like lead in my stomach. Theodosia had a wild streak and a penchant for chaos, but had she angered the wrong person? Or had she been dating? My mind rejected the idea even as I considered it. No, this couldn’t be just about her. Granted, Theo was reckless and tended to be a little wild. She was also willing to do things like burn a body — so, was it possible? Sure. But at the heart of Theo, she radiated sunshine and goodness. No one could meet her and not absolutely adore her.

“It’s a theory.” Kostas seemed to be weighing Vaso’s hypothesis. “The men on her detail haven’t given any indication that she’s had anyone who would do something like this. She has attended some functions, but all related to her work. Her business had been going well until recently, but there has been a lull in her commissions. I think this is more about one of our families than anything else.”

I agreed. Part of me had hoped that there would be a ransom demand or a clear direction that we could follow.

“We need to work fast,” Ilias said. “Everyhour that passes makes it harder to track them. Kostas and I will push our network in Greece and see if anyone’s been asking the wrong questions. Vaso, you dig into our U.S. connections.”

“I’ll have my men hit the streets in the Bronx and Queens.” Trying to keep any sense of worry from my voice. “Conall and Maxim are working their territories, and I have Veronica monitoring the dark web for me.” That part made me sick, and I could tell that thought had crossed everyone’s mind. Trafficking wasn’t outside the realm of possibilities either.

Ilias leaned back, his expression sharp, calculating. “I’m calling in a couple of favors.”

Kostas narrowed his eyes. “From whom?”

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