Chapter 46: Tirone: Chapter 47

“My name is Jocasta Larvin. Your boss has been dying to meet me for a very long time.”

The bodyguards at the gates, fully alert, radioed the news. Voices transmitted back and forth through their devices until the gates buzzed open. Then, after searching me for weapons and wires, they each held me by the arm and escorted me in.

The mansion was tucked away in a forested corner of North Houston. The grand entrance accommodated at least a thousand guests with gorgeous gardens, an ample, circular driveway around a majestic Italian fountain and glorious, European antique fixtures.

When another bodyguard opened the front door, decadent marble floors greeted me and led to an incredible reception with stunning stairwells and chandeliers. “Wow. Is this a rental or did they buy the whole thing?”

With a stone face, the bodyguard just glared at me.

“It is a rental.” A man in his late thirties, wearing a light gray suit, came down the hallway. “For now.”

“I believe this is about to change…Don Lanza.”

“I believe so, too.” Smirking, he took my hand, and then he kissed the back in a greeting. “Piacere.”

My body ached as if bitten by a snake. “Is there a place we can talk?”

He nodded at the bodyguard holding me like a prisoner to let go, and then Enzio Lanza gestured for me to walk with him. I might as well be walking to my own self-dug grave, but I did it anyway.

We arrived at a cozy room that overlooked one of the gardens, and he offered me a seat. He sank in an armchair and crossed his legs. “Would you like something to drink?”

“No thanks.”

“Where’s Furore? I thought when I finally had the pleasure to meet you he’d be with you. He’s been keeping me waiting for a while. My wife was pretty upset when you declined our invitation to our son’s party.”

“I’m sure you and she understand we couldn’t make it.”

He stared at me with piercing eyes, leaning forward, the skulls and thorns on his wrist poking out. “I must admit it was very clever. Was it your idea? Like it is your idea to come here today?”

“Furore is my husband, Don Lanza. We’re a team. A family. His word is mine. Rest assured whatever I say here it’s binding for him as if it’s coming from his own mouth.”

“And what is it you’ve come to say, Jocasta Larvin?”

“We want to make a deal.”

“I’m listening.”

“It’s pretty simple. The Larvins in exchange for the South.”

His jaw flexed, and then he chuckled. “You want me to betray my new ally?”

“You’ll get another one.”

“Furore?”

“The Night Skulls. They’re all you need to open the new market you aspire for in the South and keep your ongoing business in Europe.”

He squinted at me. “Keep it?”

“If you start a war against the MC here, do you think the other global chapters will do business with you?”

“When I win, yes. They’ll have no choice.”

“Unless they find a replacement.”

He chuckled again, as if he thought I was way out of my league with this talk, but then his whole face darkened. He must have understood I wasn’t bluffing. By the fumes bursting in his gaze, I bet he knew exactly whom I was referring to as the replacement.

“The enemy of enemy is my friend.” That was all I was offering between the lines. My actual connection to the Bellomos had to remain a secret. “Unless the tables turn. All we want is Declan Larvin and his wife. You’ll use me as bait. Furore will get them, and you’ll get Furore as your key to the South.”

“Tempting. But what if this is all a distraction while your husband goes behind my back and makes another deal with the replacement? Once he gets your father and your stepmother, he betrays me?”

I was aware I was playing with fire, coming here, offering myself to the slaughter, but it was the only way out of this predicament I’d put us all in. I needed Enzio Lanza to trust me enough to believe me and make this deal; the deal Furore should have negotiated with the Bellomos instead of a blind rejection.

I’d never side with the Lanzas. I’d never put Michele in that position. The Bellomos’ plan was good but far stretched. After Furore’s demonstration of his love and protectiveness of me, Don Lanza would never believe he’d just give me up. The Lanzas would have known something was off, and we’d have probably ended up all dead.

My little tweak, though, was far more palpable. I just had to make it solid and fast before any doubt sneaked into his chest. “Will I be here if that’s his plan?”

“That’s your plan, Jocasta, not his. Your over protective husband would never agree to use you as bait.”

See? “Even if you’re right, he has no choice but to make it his plan, too.” That was why I was here. I couldn’t let him lose the MC. I couldn’t let him take the Bellomos’ enemy side either. Furore would have to go through with this deal now; the one that would fool the Lanzas to give us the Larvins and would be accepted by the Bellomos in order to step in. Coming here was the only way to make Furore take it. “You already have me. He has no leverage. If he doesn’t play along, you can give me to the Larvins and go on with your original plan. He’ll lose everything.”

“Which is exactly what I should do.”

“It’s your call. But if Furore loses his new bride and the Night Skulls lose one of their own, do you think they’ll just sit back and admit defeat? Do you think the South will simply bow to the foreign usurpers? And most importantly, do you think your expanding rival will sit back and watch?”

He took in a deep breath, his intimidating eyes reading through me.

“But if you enter the South as a friend, if you have the Night Skulls as your willing allies…” It was my turn to smirk.

He smirked back.

“Not to mention the East will be fair game, and Furore is well connected in New York, too,” I added.

He got off his seat, buttoning his suit jacket. Then he stuck out his hand. “Your husband is lucky to have you, Jo.”

“And we’ll be lucky to have you as our friend, Don Lanza.” I shook his hand, sealing the deal with the devil.

“Per favore, call me Enzio.” He offered me his arm. “Bianca will be pleased to see you. She’s grown rather bored in this town. She’d appreciate the company.”

“Lovely. How long will I be your guest, Enzio?”

“One or two days. Don’t worry. I won’t keep you from your honeymoon long.”