Chapter 40: Tirone: Chapter 41

Laius stared at me for what seemed to be an eternity, his expression unreadable. I was pretty sure murder crossed his mind, though.

“Michele Pagani,” he finally uttered.

My mouth parted to speak, but I bit my tongue and kept my lips shut. It was best if I let him do the talking.

“Tino Bellomo’s hound is what Madeline…” He swallowed the rest of the sentence. “He’s my wife’s godfather.”

“He’s the one who saved me that night and hid me in Bellomo Academy.” My heart squeezed at the memory. “The one I should have waited for.”

“He was fucking late,” he spat. “She chose him, and he couldn’t fucking protect her. Where the fuck was he when they did that shit to her? To you? He let an eight-year-old do his job, and in the end…” He started throwing things and punched the wall.

Was it odd that it wasn’t his anger the scared me but the striking resemblance between Laius and Tirone when they were in that state?

“He taught you how to fucking shoot and fight. Simple self-defense moves every woman should know my ass.” He mocked angrily. “That’s where you were going that day when I got you in Utah. You were going back to Chicago to your papà. Like he could do shit. Why the fuck haven’t you told me about that son of a bitch?”

“Please don’t insult him. He’s very important to me. He made me promise not to tell you about him.”

“Because he doesn’t fucking trust me. That dog doesn’t trust me, your fucking husband.”

“At first maybe, but now everything is different. He bought me the wedding dress, and he said he was going to talk to you when the time was right. He knows about the whole situation with the Lanzas and the Larvins. That’s why he didn’t come to the wedding and remained unknown to you. He also warned me there was a war coming, and he wanted to see for himself which side you’d be on. I’m sure now he knows he can trust you, and the Bellomos can be the replacement you’re looking for.” At least, that was what I hoped Michele suggested over the short, angry, Italian conversation he and Laius had over the phone.

“There is no fucking way in fucking hell I’m doing any business with that fucker!”

I walked toward him and carefully put my hands on his shoulders. “I know you’re angry, but once you calm down and start thinking clearly, you’ll know this may be the best solution to all our mob problems.”

“No,” he snarled.

“How does that make you any different from Bandidos? They won’t work with you because you hate each other over Delilah. You won’t work with the Bellomos because you hate each other over Madeline, which is even more infuriating since Michele isn’t a Bellomo; he’s a bodyguard that works for them, and I am your wife, not my mom.”

“You fucking shitting me right now? You can’t be fucking jealous of your dead mom, Jo, not now. He didn’t protect your mother. She’s dead because he didn’t take care of her like he should have.”

“For fuck’s sake it’s not Michele’s fault. I—”

“It’s not yours either. At least, you did something to save her.”

I took a trembling breath, closing my eyes before I cried again. “If that’s true, then you can’t blame Michele for her death either. It’s the Larvins’ fault, and you have a chance to make them pay for it, but only if you side with the right team.

“Think about it, Laius. The Lanzas, who have a long history of betrayal with their allies and in their own family, might give you the Larvins, but with them you’ll lose everything else. The Bellomos, who saved my life and took me in when I had nobody, who are powerful enough to stand up to the two mob families threatening everything you hold dear, will give you the Larvins while letting you keep your turf.”

“You don’t know that. Sebastiano Bellomo is the fucking devil himself.”

“And you want to side with his enemy? You’re a lot smarter than that, Furore. You didn’t rule Houston by clouding your judgment with jealousy and rage. Listen to what Michele has to offer, at least. Negotiate. Reach a deal that gives you the best solution out there. Please don’t make angry, hasty decisions that could ruin everything for all of us. The Lanzas and the Bellomos are going to war sooner or later. Michele Pagani is the only father I’ve known. You’re my husband. You can’t antagonize the only people that were kind to me when my own blood wanted me dead.”

“I am your fucking husband. You belong to me and the Night Skulls. You have no obligation to anyone but us. Your loyalty is for me and the MC, which I fucking rule. It’s my call.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Then know this when you call the shots, Prez. I will never side with Michele’s enemies. I’d rather give myself to the Larvins than see that day.”