Page 137 of Savage Saint
"Then we don't give him chaos," Dante says. "We show unity. Strength. The Santoro family stands together."
"Do we?" Luca asks quietly. "Stand together?"
It's a loaded question. For years, we've operated as a unit out of necessity, not choice. Dante the leader, me the enforcer, Luca the strategist. But things have changed. I've changed.
"We stand together," I say firmly. "But we stand differently than before."
Dante raises an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
I look at Kasia, then back at my brothers. "Meaning I'm not just your attack dog anymore. I have someone to protect, someone who matters more than blind family loyalty."
"Angelo—" Dante starts.
"I'm not walking away," I clarify. "But I'm not sacrificing everything for the family name either. Kasia and I are a unit now. We make decisions together. We face threats together."
"She's not made," Luca points out.
"Neither is Alessa," Kasia says quietly. "But she's family."
"That's different—" Luca begins.
"How?" Kasia's voice is steady but sharp. "Because I wasn't born into this? Because I had to earn my place through blood instead of birthright?"
Luca shifts uncomfortably. "Alessa didn't choose this life—"
"And you think I did?" Kasia's laugh is bitter. "I was five when they took me, Luca. Just like Alessa was a child when she was put in foster care, searching for family she never knew she had."
"That's not—" Luca starts.
"The difference," Kasia continues, "is that everyone knows what the Red Widow is capable of. And now she's choosing to stand with the Santoros." Her blue eyes glitter dangerously. "Tell me that doesn't change the playing field."
Dante straightens slightly at that. "She's right. Every family knows that name. Knows what it means."
"Exactly," I say, my voice hard. "She took a bullet for me tonight. A bullet meant for my heart. But more than that, she's choosing us over everything else she could be. That's not just loyalty. That's power."
"It proves love," Alessa says softly. "And love is the strongest loyalty there is."
Dante looks between Kasia and me, his expression shifting to something like respect. Finally, he nods.
"You're right. Both of you." He raises his glass. "To family. Blood and chosen."
This time, we all drink.
Arrow clears their throat. "The Kozlov brothers have already sent their condolences. So have the Chicago families. Everyone's being very polite."
"Too polite," I mutter.
"Exactly. They're all waiting to see how we handle the transition. Any sign of weakness..."
"There won't be," Dante says firmly. "Massimo may be dead, but the Santoro name still means something."
"What about the legitimate businesses?" Kasia asks. "The casino, the hospital, the development projects?"
Dante looks surprised by the question, then impressed. "They'll continue as normal. That's the beauty of going legitimate. Death doesn't disrupt cash flow the way it used to."
"And the not-so-legitimate businesses?"
"Those too. We've been running everything for years anyway. Nothing changes operationally."
