Chapter 150
Bonetti actually does go still at this news, perhaps not expecting Christian to put it so bluntly. All around his men tense, and I hear about twenty safety catches flip on guns. But Bonetti puts his hand up, clearly letting them know to keep calm.
“So why haven’t you, boy?” Bonetti murmurs. “It would be quite the move in this world – would give you one hell of a reputation. Clearly you think you can do it or you wouldn’t have invited me here.”
“I haven’t enacted the hit it because I think the more lucrative move lays elsewhere. No, I’d like to parlay this – to see if we can work together for…larger spoils.”
Bonetti’s mouth curves again as he stares at my husband. For a moment, the two men just stare at each other before Bonetti nods a single time. “I admit,” he says with a shrug, “I’m intrigued. I get to live and there are spoils to boot? What did I ever do for such a boon. Tell me, Cristian Romano - what do you propose?”
“Into the office,” Christian says, raising his chin towards the little room to the side. “In private. I’m not sure that your entire entourage needs to hear.”
“Fine,” Bonetti purrs, giving a devilish little smile. “Two bodyguards, to match each of yours. And one…personal guest,” he says, his eyes again moving to me. “Because if you get one, then so do I.”
“Fine,” Christian snaps, and then without another word he stalks off towards the office, taking me with him. I look back over my shoulder to see Nico and Frankie coming along, both of their faces tense, as Bonetti takes a moment to speak with his men and select his smaller crew.
The four of us wait in the office as Bonetti and his men approach. He sends the bodyguards in first to check the scene, to pat us all down an ensure that we don’t have weapons on us. They also check the room, looking in the corners and under the table. But it’s so bare bones that there’s really no place to hide anything – unless Frankie’s got something literally up his sleeve.
I do note with interest that they completely skip over my purse, where there actually is a gun. But, well. It’s not like I have any plans to use it.
When the guards give Bonetti the nod to let him know that the room is clear, Bonetti steps in with a man about ten or fifteen years older than me. I look between him and Bonetti, seeing a clear family resemblance, but…brother? Cousin? I can’t quite figure it out. The man looks around at us, quite stern but clearly interested.
Once the door closes behind Bonetti and the bodyguards flank him, Christian lays out the plan, telling Bonetti about the hit that Romano laid on Bonetti, charging Christian to carry out in order to grant Christian’s wish to start a new family on his own.
“He says I need to clear a space in the underworld,” Christian says, leaning forward towards Bonetti across the desk. “In order step into it.”
“He’s not wrong,” Bonetti says quietly, his arms folded. I see something there, in the new tension within him, that lets me know that this was unexpected – that he was not aware that Romano would be so bold as to put a hit out on him. “Do you have any proof of this?”
“What, do you honestly think my father is going to write out a contract for a hit?” Christian says, smirking a little.
Bonetti smirks back. “So, what’s your offer, kid?”
“You’re right – my father wasn’t wrong. I do need to clear a space in the underworld in order to step into it. But it doesn’t need to be you. In fact, there already was a place that was opening up for me about a year back. And I got very comfortable there.”
Bonetti’s face breaks into a slow smile as he figures out what Christian is saying. “Bold as brass,” he murmurs. “I admit, boy, I’m impressed. More than I thought I would be. What are you proposing my role be in your little game of patricide?”
“Support,” Christian says, crossing his arms over his chest and standing straight again. “My little court, so far, is…quite small. I need your manpower if I’m going to make this happen – really make it happen.”
“Small but mighty,” Bonetti murmurs, his eyes flicking between Nico and Frankie and not once landing on me. “And if I were to say that I was in?”
The two spend about ten minutes flinging words back and forth at each other, each sharp enough to cut as they hone the deal down to one that they both want and can understand. It’s only when I sense that they’re really getting to the end that my ears perk up in surprise.
“If you’re on board,” Christian says, cold and even, “then I’d like…a tribute of good faith.”
“Which looks like what?” Bonetti says, cocking his head, clearly not liking this.
“Hostage,” Christian snaps out, his eyes moving immediately to the other man in the room, who does his best – and fails – to hide his surprise and dismay.
Bonetti laughs, loud. “Fine, I’ll give you one hostage. If you give me yours.” He looks directly at me and my blood goes cold.
“No way,” Christian says, shaking his head. “You have all of the power in this situation, Bonetti – I’m the one who has to deliver. I’m already going on faith – faith that the spoils of this deal will keep you honest. You don’t get my wife as well as a fortune in trade handed to you when this is done.”
Bonetti smirks and looks at me, his eyes moving again slowly over my body in a way that makes my skin crawl, clearly sorry for Christian’s the decision and wishing he could take me with him to finish the job he started before. “Fine,” Bonetti says, raising a hand and flicking it towards the man he came in with.
“Riccardo…” the man says, hesitating, putting his hands up in front of him. “Please, think this –“
“Now, Calvin. I’ve made my decision.”
Calvin groans, just a little beneath his breath, and hangs his head before slumping against the wall, giving in to his don’s orders.
“I’ve given you my favorite cousin now,” Bonetti says, raising an eyebrow at Christian. “I expect him returned without a scratch on him.”
“He will be,” Christian replies. “If you hold up your end of the deal.”
“When does this move forward?” Bonetti’s words are rushed, like he’s eager to get away now that things have been decided.
“Tomorrow we’ll be in touch,” Christian snaps. “We move the next day.”
“Fast fast,” Bonetti murmurs, already heading towards the door, a smirk on his lips. “Don’t be too hasty, little prince. Make sure it’s done right.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Christian replies, hard, watching him go. “Just keep your phone on.”
Bonetti gives a far-too-casual wave over his shoulder as he exits the room, giving his cousin a long look as he goes that I can’t quite parse. As soon as they leave the office, the rest of the men in the warehouse begin to move towards the door with him, clearly accepting the terms of the deal and moving on peacefully. They take our four original hostages with them and my eyes linger on the man with the bloody leg, who must be carried out.
As they go, I let out a long exhausted breath, letting my shoulders slump. Christian wraps his arm around my shoulders, giving me a squeeze. “See? I told you it would be fine.”
“It was stressful,” I murmur, raising my hands to rub my temples. “I don’t know how you do this everyday.”
“Well,” he says with his own sigh. “It’s not quite like this every day.”
Nico moves over to the man still leaning against the wall, his head hanging. “May I?” Nico asks, producing a pair of handcuffs apparently from thin air and holding them out where the man can see.
I frown when I see that – honestly, did Nico and Frankie go to magic camp? Where do they hide all this stuff?
Calvin nods and turns, holding his arms behind his back like he’s well practiced in this – though as the captive or the captor, I don’t know.
“Let’s get going,” Christian snaps as soon as the cuffs click on. “I want to get back to the Penthouse. Start planning our next move.”
And so, as a newly formed group of five, we head out into the penthouse and then beyond into the night.
“Hi,” I say, moving close to the captive as we walk towards our two cars, the only ones left out front. “I’m Iris, it’s nice to meet you.”
Calvin looks up at me in surprise as Nico groans and rolls his eyes. “Iris, stop making friends with the captive.”
“What!?” I protest, turning a little to frown at him. I see Frankie laughing already. “Why not!?”
“Because,” Nico growls, putting a hand on my shoulder and urging me back to Christian’s side. “He’s not your pet. Now go. We have work to do.”
I sigh and press myself close to Christian, who beams down at me. Then the two of us move towards the nice car as Frankie and Nico head towards the sedan and our little convoy starts towards home.
