My Tragic Mafia Life | ✔️

34

    "The deal was we find out who killed Hugo and our family keeps their eyes off of you," Beatriz said sharply as his friends began to ground their stances. For a bloodbath.

    Camillo huffed a laugh. "I can't guarantee to find the killer, Beatriz. That's a given. The most I'll be able to do is help." His eyes rose in challenge. "There was no promise in solving your brother's murder."

    Josephine unconsciously started shaking her head. She was reliving that moment, nights ago. What began an alliance ended in a gunfight. They all slowly shifted to each end of the room, pitting against each other like burrowing insects. With these proximities, she was sure if they were to begin fighting, Josephine would bathe in blood.

    Dante thrusted an accusatory growl. "Then why bother help at all if you don't care?"

    Camillo said shamelessly, "For my alliance."

    Isla blurred into the conversation. "Dante, we should stop. Take a deep breath and think about Hugo. All this fighting isn't worth it."

Isla was always passive, always the saint never the sinner. But Dante didn't look like he wanted to stop. He looked as if he wanted to beat them all bloody and ruthless and find their way to his brother.

    "There's something you're not telling me." He raised his head, crossed his arms. And before Beatriz could interject with some snide remark, Camillo flashed a cooling smile. "I know there's a lot more to Hugo's death that you're not telling me. A lot of the stuff you're saying is obvious, things I already know. But Dante, what are you hiding?"

    "Spit it out, Russo," Dante said, no longer on a first-name basis. Mother above.

    "It's been a year," Camillo said blankly. There was something sinister molding beneath that impassive charm he had so delicately crafted, and Josephine found herself clamping her lips, afraid to say a word. "Why are you so hell-bent on solving this now?"

    Josephine was too shaken with nerves to be stunned. Of course, there was more to the game. Hugo's death was planned. This was a mafia. They were a mafia. She was their golden bird, foreign and caged inside of their steel bars and tore down with clipped wings.

    "Well?" Camillo said impatiently. Valentina stuck out her lips in an ugly sneer. The twins looked at each other in a flicker of confusion, then back to their targets at hand. Neither Houston nor Isla knew what deeper secrets floated at bay, as they watched Dante bristle with rigid wraith. Beatriz only followed Dante's stance, eyes trained on her lord. The future heir to the Valencios.

He swallowed. There was a short breath of composure, at least a tiny effort in Isla's advice before he answered. "My mother is going to wage war with the Russos if this isn't solved by the end of the year."

Josephine shut her eyes. She didn't want to listen, she didn't want to hear—

Camillo lost his smile. "On what grounds? Because Hugo was found with the Russo enigma that any idiot could have done in five seconds?"

"It's enough for her."

"Cordelia is insane." Camillo let out a soft laugh, running his fingers through his hair in frustration or in disbelief. Either or, he was shaken. "She's really going to risk war over a stupid whim?"

Dante's eyes darkened. "It's not some stupid whim. You of all people have the most to gain from his death."

"I see where Houston got it from," Lucia muttered from the side.

Josephine's heart leaped to her throat as Beatriz whipped her head in a flash. "Got what from?"

Lucia's scowl was full of predatory instincts and riddled with anger. Luca took a step forward to intervene, as Houston did the same. Even with her short stance, Lucia still somehow managed to look down on Beatriz without saying a word. She outright glared.