Page 162 of Broken Mafia Prince
I wait for the slow, reluctant nods from the men. “Garbage trucks will block off the roads. Timing is our best friend here. We need to lock my father’s men in one street and end this once and for all.”
“A street fight will attract every law enforcement agent in the vicinity,” one of the men points out, dragging a thoughtful hand through his bushy beard. “What are we going to do about the cops? Because there’s no way we can get every last one of them to turn a blind eye.”
“I have it on good authority that this entire street will be under construction for two days starting tomorrow,” I explain. “We need to herd Edoardo’s men into the blocked-off street, and we’re going to do that using a car chase.”
“It sounds easy in theory, but we can’t completely predict that they’ll fall for it,” Matteo says. “What do we do then?”
“Then we do it the old-fashioned way.” I smirk, moving my gaze around the table to meet each man’s eyes. “Bombs.”
Someone wolf whistles. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Raffaele. If not, you’re going to bring down the foundations of this world, and it’ll drop right on our heads.”
I shrug. “Either way, the foundations are going down. The only thing you should be worried about is which side you want to be on when it does. Inside the house or outside the fence, looking in. Your choice.”
The silence in the room is fraught with tension, each man considering their position and making their final decision.
With me or against me.
At my side, Matteo finally breaks the silence, reaching for an empty glass on the table and pouring a finger of whiskey into it. He takes a single sip, makes a pleased sound, and holds the glass up in the air.
“Let’s put an end to this.” His voice rings out, deep and clear, “To the end.”
“To the end.” I raise my glass.
One by one, the men raise their glasses until we’re all toasting to putting this messy family rivalry where it belongs: in the grave. Gratitude pulses in my chest when Matteo turns and nods at me. I’m doing this for all of our futures, but their choosing to stand by me and trust me is the best gift I could have ever gotten.
I swear to myself in that moment that I won’t fail them.
And no matter the consequences of this final battle, I’ll make sure that they all get out of this alive.
Later, it’s just Matteo and me sitting in the room, drinking quietly. He looks completely too relaxed for someone who’s just pledged to be on a new side of history. I’m the opposite of relaxed. My body pulses with anxious energy, fear, and excitement.
“Do me a favor,” I say quietly, eyes locking on his. “One more favor.”
“Anything.”
I tilt my head back and stare up at the ceiling, trying to breathe evenly. The only thing I’ve been able to think about isGiulia getting hurt in the middle of this. I can’t let that happen. I can’t let anything happen to her. She’s the reason for all of this in the first place, and if she doesn’t make it out alive, this would all be for nothing.
I’d have failed.
I can’t fail in this.
“If I don’t make it out alive, I want you to make sure Giulia gets away.”
“Don’t jinx this, you asshole,” he bites out.
I ignore him. “Promise me.”
“I’m not going to let you?—”
I sigh and face him. “Matteo, please. Promise me.”
An emotion I can’t place flits through his eyes. “I promise. But you’d better think twice about dying, Raff. Don’t think I’ll hesitate to put a ring on your sassy brunette and help her forget all about you.”
I laugh. “I’d love to see you try.”
54
GIULIA
