Found in Darkness

Chapter 26

FEDERICO

"Five days."

I slam my fist on the table. "Five fucking days and we still have nothing?"

"I want fucking heads for this!"

I scan over the faces of my men, Zia Rosetta and Angela. "Someone has to have information on what the hell happened with the alliance we had with the Gallos, why would they flip the script like this?"

"Are you accusing your own family of betraying you, Federico?" Zia Rosetta eyes her drink in her hand before she takes a sip. "That's a very serious allegation, nipote." (nephew)

"You seem to forget you taught me to trust no one, Zia."

She looks back at me, raising an eyebrow as she folds her arms. "And do you?"

Domani lifts his gaze to meet mine and Angela also looks at me, waiting for my response.

"Everyone in this room knows it wouldn't be the first time betrayal reared its ugly face in this family, but...I am confident that everyone in here would each give their life to ensure the mission we set out to do is complete."

"Confidence and trust are not the same," Zia Rosetta states, observing me.

"Well, then I guess you have your answer." I narrow my eyes, wondering what the hell she's doing, but she merely shrugs in response.

"The real question, Federico, is are you willing to do the same? We all know your focus has...shifted since this began."

"Tiziano is still and has always been the target for all of this."

"What about the girl?" One of the men questions. I run my tongue over my teeth to keep from lashing out at his reference to her as the girl. They know her fucking name.

"There's been a development that I'm looking into." Questioning expressions stare back at me.

"What development? You haven't informed us of any changes." Zia Rosetta leans forward in her seat and her accusing eyes bore into mine.

"Last I checked, I'm running the family and the businesses how I see fit. I don't need to run every little detail through you." We continue to glare at each other, both unwilling to yield to the other.

Domani clears his throat. "Regarding the Gallos, I have a theory, since we are discussing Nora."

"We are not discussing Elenora."

Domani shifts in his chair. "Hear me out, the Gallos took a gamble going against you, Rico, but before the attack happened, we knew there was talk about them aligning with Diegos' family to take on the Russians after that fucking gunfight that was splashed all over the news."

"I can only assume Diego approached the Gallos, not the other way around. You know he has his eyes set on Elenora." Domani theory only infuriates me more as the night I watched Diego grope and fucking shove his tongue down her throat flash in my mind.

"If Elenora is a factor in that, then we need to tighten our focus on Gabriel, too," I mutter before I finish my drink.

"Gabriel is not a threat."

Everyone looks at Angela. She takes a deep breath, and struggles not to fidget under my heated glare, but she looks back at me, determined. "We...we've been...we're seeing each other again."

Zia Rosetta scoffs next to her and Angela scowls. "You have something to say, then say it Rosetta."

My Zia's head snaps back to Angela. "You forget your place."