Page 9 of The Lies We Tell

“Can I get anyone anything to drink?” Maeve asked once they were all seated.

When no one spoke, she turned and shot Matteo an encouraging look and slipped out, leaving them to their business. Matteo didn’t have many secrets from Maeve. Truthfully, she knew more about what he’d been up to the last seven years than the people now staring up at him.

She might be like a sister to him, but the relationship there was wholly different. Easier, less encumbered by the sins and failings of his past decisions.

“Well, I don’t have all day,” Dom said when Matteo paused too long.

Setting his coffee on the table, Matteo picked up the printed pages. He fixed them to the whiteboard behind him with magnets, fitting them together so they made a single large image. Smoothing the corner of the last page, he turned back to the group.

“Any luck on getting into the security systems?”

Sienna shook her head. “Not yet, but I think I’m close. The security looks very similar to my uncle’s systems, with a few tweaks and upgrades. If all goes well, I can get in by dinner.”

Nodding, Matteo turned to Dom. “I have some ideas on the best way into the compound, but I’m interested in your thoughts.”

Dom raised a single brow but chose not to hurl a retort. Progress, since Dom rarely held his tongue about anything. Matteo needed—no, wanted—Dom on his side the most. And not just because Dom was his second in command and the best general they’d had in decades.

Dom had run this family in Matteo’s absence. He put up with all the shit from their father Matteo had skipped out on and kept them from going under while their father mismanaged funds and did his best to run the casinos into the ground. And for that, Matteo was eternally grateful. Even if he could never find the words to say it.

“Any idea where he might be hiding Drago?” Dom asked.

“It’s hard to say without being able to see inside. The place is fucking huge. And very ugly. Antonetti seems to enjoy mixing Italian styles with more central European ones.”

Luca shuddered dramatically. “Truly hideous.”

“If I had to guess, I’d say he’s in the main house where someone can keep an eye on him.” Matteo tapped the map with his knuckle. “Easier to keep him out of sight that way too.”

“I’d feel better if we had eyes in there,” Dom said, sweeping a look at Sienna, who nodded. “The place is probably crawling with people. Vendors from that damn party and guards alike. Antonetti might not have a lot of muscle left with his dwindling family stock, but he’s rich enough to hire security.”

“There was a lot of it when we were there. I’m sure he’ll have more on the day of the party,” Luca added, tapping the tip of his pen on the closed notebook in front of him.

“Right.” Dom narrowed his calculating gaze on the blueprints and tilted his head. “Without being able to see inside and localize the raid, it would have to be a pretty big hit. A risk with extra people there setting up for a big New Year’s Eve bash.”

“It could wait until—”

“It couldn’t,” Matteo insisted, ignoring Carina’s scowl at the interruption. “Drago is an asset to Antonetti, and I want him eliminated. Sooner rather than later.”

“Never mind the fact that he has something on you,” Luca said.

“That’s inconsequential.” The lie rolled smoothly off his tongue. “This is about weakening Antonetti.”

Matteo could tell Luca didn’t believe him by the way he snorted and shifted in his seat, but that’s all the information Matteo was prepared to share with his family today. They didn’t need the details of how Drago poking through his international business dealings put too much at risk. They only needed to focus on getting this done.

“Well, I can build a full-scale assault, but it would be better to do it earlier in the morning when the house is mostly empty and people are still sleeping. We have more wiggle room on timing with eyes inside, but earlier will always be better than later.”

“I’ll get those eyes for you,” Sienna assured them. “I’m very close.”

Matteo nodded. “Draw them both up,” he said to Dom. “We’ll execute whichever one we have to.”

“Will do. Franco is still visiting for the holidays. I’ll ask him to come by the house and patch in Otto over the phone,” Dom said of their top two capos.

They all pushed back from the table, pausing in their retreat to the door when Matteo cleared his throat. “Dom, are Emilia and the twins still here?” Matteo asked of Dom’s fiancé and the brother and sister she was raising after their mother had been killed.

Dom raised a single brow, crossing his arms over his chest. “They are. I figured we’d stay until after the raid was done. Why? Are you kicking us out?”

“No, no.” Matteo waved a hand in the air, rethinking his offer of a family dinner. They’d likely take it the wrong way anyway, and he had work to do. “Of course not. Sienna, I’ll expect an update before the end of the day.”

Grabbing his coffee and the bakery bag from the table, he breezed out and disappeared into his office. Closing the door behind him, he dropped the bag on the corner of his desk and crossed to the window overlooking Palermo’s business district. It was cloudy today, but on a clear day, the view stretched all the way to the sea.

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