Page 122 of Valentino

The phone rings again.

Bruno.

I answer and hold it away from my ear because he is already shouting.

"Do not move. Do you hear me? You stay in that apartment. We have people on it. Marcello has the ring road. Dmitri is putting men in the air tonight. You are staying put."

I look at the blood on my hand.

"Staying put," I say. "While Enzo Basile has her."

"He won't touch her yet. She is leverage. She is worth more whole, and you know that better than anyone."

"I know exactly what she is." My voice comes out calm. Too calm. "Bait."

"Valentino."

"He doesn't want ransom. He wants me. He wants the man who beat his son to death, and he knew I would come if he took her. It was a smart move."

"That is why you aren't going. That is the entire fucking reason you will stay fucking put. You walk in there, he kills you slow, then he kills her anyway. Give me twelve hours. We do this with force behind it."

Twelve hours in a room with Basile men.

I carried her out of one already.

"You remember the water tower?" I ask.

Bruno goes quiet.

"At the compound," I say. "You bet me I couldn't climb it, so I climbed it. Zio Giuseppe beat both of us, and you said it was worth it because you had never seen a man do something stupid with that much commitment."

"Valentino, don't."

"Twelve hours is a good plan," I say. "Build it. Bring everyone. Burn his whole house down. But you are building it for her."

"No."

"I'm not waiting."

"Don't you dare. I am your Don, and I am ordering you to stay where you are."

"You are my Don," I say. "You are also my blood. And you swore, so I know she is protected no matter how this goes."

I pick up the rosary from the nightstand and put it in my pocket.

"Goodbye, cousin."

He is still shouting when I end the call.

The quiet comes back hard.

I let it have one breath.

Then I take out my phone again. Bruno's name fills the screen. Lorenzo has called twice. Fabio is already calling back.

I scroll past all of them and find the name I need.

I press it.