Chapter Text
The first shipment to the triad arrived on schedule, to Gabriel’s relief. He spent the first few hours after breakfast confirming things with the triad and arranging a few more security measures for the shipment. Lavigne was cooperating well, and throughout their communications he realized the woman was far more reasonable than he expected. She extended an invitation for him to come to Anglet off the west coast of France to meet with some of her western suppliers. They would be invaluable contacts for the triad contracts.
He didn’t think Lavigne would do anything stupid, but he couldn’t say the same for whoever had sponsored Cassiel. Someone was still out to get him, specifically the operation in Lyon. Someone aside from his uncle.
He leaned on the desk, the weight returning to his chest at the thought. Emilio hadn’t reached back out to him since their last phone call. It was a ticking time bomb. Whatever he and Davina were planning to do, they’d better do it quickly.
He and Davina. Strange how naturally that fell into place in his thoughts. Twenty-four hours ago he would have been unnerved at the ease of it. Now, it felt like a saving grace. He hadn’t realized how doing all this on his own had taken a toll on him until he had someone working beside him. It was good that she stopped his advances the other night. They couldn’t risk ruining this alliance with an ill-thought, indulgent affair. She was already committed to Mikey, and now that he knew that with certainty, the flirtation with her held no more use to him than a distracting bit of fun - fun that no longer felt fair to her.
He clicked through his emails absently, trying to get his mind back on track when someone knocked on the door. His heart skipped a beat before he realized that Davina no longer waited for an invitation. “Come in.”
It was Val, and she didn’t look happy. “I need to show you something.” She opened her phone and slid it over to him. Gabriel put on his glasses, the look on her face putting a pit in his stomach.
I always knew you were the smart one. Prove me right. The don might listen to you if you play the cards right. If it ends well, you could be in the best position for underboss after me. I have friends that would make it worth your while no matter what.
Gabriel has been planning on leaving the family. Right before his wife died, I overheard a conversation between them while we were all attending a gala. Alessia was upset about something and Gabriel took her into a private room. I managed to hear part of the conversation where he promised her she wouldn’t have to deal with the mafia business much longer. There was something about a place on the coast for them where no one would find them.
I knew I couldn’t go to the don without proof, but if you help me, we can find out where the property is and how much he has stashed away. He should have much more in his accounts based on his salary, but he doesn’t spend shit or put anything in his stocks. It’s going somewhere and the Wiz is missing it. The Galicians promised me they could help me get everything I needed and back me when I took over as underboss. We had an alliance. If you help me, we can salvage it.
Also, I didn’t know those thugs would try and kill the kid. They were only supposed to secure him and I was planning on taking him back to Venice with me after I got the proof on Gabriel. That part got out of hand and I was desperate.
You know I’m right. Get me safe transport and I’ll give you my contacts with the Galicians. The don will thank us.
Gabriel looked up at Val, his pulse pounding in his ears. This was too fast. He couldn’t have this conversation. As much as they had been through over the years, he knew how he ranked in her hierarchy. The business trumped all. Just months ago she stood beside him as he received the orders to take out Raguel. She saw his hesitance, the dread in his eyes, and hadn’t hesitated to bring him back down to hell with a quick reminder.
“It’s not your fault, Gabe. He committed the cardinal sin. He knew better and left anyway. I have little sympathy for a fool.”
Is that how she saw him now? A fool? And if he gave her enough reason to doubt him, would she turn on him for the best interest of the mafia? He couldn’t let her get a chance to decide.
Val started in at him. “Care to expla-”
Gabriel rushed forward, clamping a hand over Val’s mouth. She tried to shrug him off, but he shook his head and urgently motioned to the room. Her eyes widened and she stopped struggling. “We’ll talk about this later,” he said, raising his voice. “I’ve got too much going on to worry about that right now. Where’s Nico?”
He lifted his hand, and Val shoved his arm away. “Upstairs, I think.”
“Triad delivery came through. Need to make sure pickup is coordinated.” He nodded towards the door. Thankfully, Val followed him out without protest. He waited till they were at least fifty meters from the conference room before stopping.
“What the fuck was that all about?” Val hissed, her eyes blazing.
“Bugs,” Gabriel said succinctly.
“Who-” She stopped. “The don. But why? Don’t tell me Cassiel is right. You’re planning on leaving. I knew things were tense, but I never thought you would go this extreme.”
Gabriel looked up the hall. This wasn’t the time or place, but Val would not be placated, and he had his own questions. There was a door behind Val. It wasn’t optimal, but with unknown listening devices planted throughout the hotel, he didn’t have many options.
He pulled out his master key and stepped around Val. She watched him, mouth agape. “After you.”
“A storage closet? Gabe, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Does it looking like I’m kidding you? Into the damn closet, Val.”
She clamped her mouth shut and followed him in. The room smelled of disinfectant and linens. Gabriel shut the door behind them and leaned against one of the laundry totes. “My turn. Why would Cassiel message you of all people?”
“I don’t know,” Val said. He kept staring at her, and she averted her eyes. “There was one time. It was right when you became underboss. At the dinner afterwards, we were talking about the upcoming changes, and Cassiel said he didn’t think you were ready. I agreed with him, but only because it was too soon after Alessia. You were taking the job for the wrong reasons. I didn’t see it going anywhere good. That’s the only thing I can think of.”
“So this was desperation then.” Gabriel looked down at the email again. As far as accusations Cassiel could levy at him, this wasn’t the worst, but that safe house was Mikey and Davina’s only hope if things went off prematurely.
“Speaking of desperation.” Val’s voice had calmed down. She stepped towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Gabe, is he right?”
“The safe house was a precaution,” Gabriel said, choosing his words carefully. He needed to pull something believable out of his ass and fast. Lies that were mostly truth were the best way to go. “Alessia and I were having… difficulties. If she decided to leave I wanted her to have a safe place to go to with Mikey. Emilio was not fond of her, as you know, and even if we weren’t married anymore, I had to look out for her.”
Val didn’t look convinced. “And the money?”
“You really have to ask? If you think I’ll trust Emilio with my financial future when he’s actively plotting to undermine me with his daughter, you’re crazy. I’m loyal to the mafia, Val, but I’m no fool.”
He handed back the phone. She took it, turning it in her hand. “But the bugs. We’re barely going to be at the hotel another two months. Why so extreme?”
“I’d rather explain it just once to you and Nico. Pretty sure it has something to do with a new business venture he’s expecting me to give him a hard time on. Think he’s hoping to catch me giving him bad feedback in my downtime. Between that and Conte watching my every move, you wouldn’t think we’re on the same side.”
“Conte?” She ran her hands up and down the side of the supply shelf beside her. “I see.” She only fidgeted like that when she was socially uncomfortable. Her voice lowered. “I knew things were bad, but why didn’t you tell me it was this bad?”
Gabriel huffed. “Mob war. Attempted kidnappings. You tell me. Besides, what good would it do?”
Val looked up, hurt flitted across her face before she turned indignant. “Hell’s that supposed to mean?”
Heat ran up Gabriel’s neck. To have Val play ignorance like this was painful, but he wasn’t about to have it out with her in this closet. He opened the door. “Not today, Valentine. Send me a copy of that email and message Cassiel back. Once we have confirmation on where he is we’ll update the don.”
“You’re going to risk that?” Val asked following him into the hall and past a very surprised housekeeper. She waited to continue until they got into the elevator. “Even if he has no proof, Cassiel will twist anything to make you look like the bad guy.”
Gabriel narrowed his eyes. “He’s never going to get the chance.”
-
Nico was up at the pool with Davina and Mikey. It looked they were having some kind of discussion when Gabriel and Val came out to the patio. Davina’s eyes widened for a split second, enough for him to spot the flecks of gold in her eyes in the sunlight. She backed away from Nico as if he was a hot stove.
Before he could marinate on the observation, an excited and dripping Mikey collided with his legs, wrapping around him like a tiny monkey. “You’re all here! Are we having a pool day?”
“All here?” Davina said, her posture more relaxed as she placed a towel on Mikey’s shoulders. “Adam would be hurt if he knew.”
“I’m afraid not,” Gabriel said, ruffling the boy’s wet hair and sticking the front straight up. “Though you’ve already got me halfway there it seems.”
Mikey looked at the wet splotches on his pants with sudden remorse. “Oops. I forgot to respect the suit.”
“It’ll dry.” He turned his attention to Davina. “I’m going to need you to work with Val on something a little later.” He saw Davina exchange a look with Nico.
“All right,” she said. “Today you mean?”
“It is time sensitive, yes.”
“I’ll go change. It’s nap time anyway.” She took Mikey’s hand and started to the door. “Oh, sir?”
“Hm?”
“You know that bug issue we had? I had an exterminator check the area. We’re good up here, but most of the penthouse is still in rough shape.”
“We have bugs?” Mikey said, eyes wide. “What kind? Are they cockroaches? I hate cockroaches.”
“Nightwings,” Davina said. “They’re attracted to noise but they only come out at night between eight and and seven. They’re big and black, and have giant pincers. As long as you go to bed on time, you should be safe.”
Mikey scrunched his nose. “Or you could get a better exterminator.”
“Working on it,” Gabriel said. “Thanks, Davina.”
“Never heard of Nightwings,” Nico said when they were gone. “Why isn’t the hotel hiring an exterminator themselves?”
“Not insects, idiot,” Val said. “Bugs. Half the hotel is wired up by the don.”
Nico’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “The fuck? Gabe, what did you do?”
“Why is that everyone’s first question?” Gabriel asked, scowling. “Did it ever occur to you two that maybe my uncle is just a giant asshole?”
“He absolutely is,” Nico said.
“But he’s not wasteful,” Val said. “He’s only this drastic when he’s trying to make a point.”
Gabriel sat down. This was a good a time as any to clue them in on the Odesa situation. He just had to keep his personal feelings on the matter wrapped.
Val and Nico didn’t look as disturbed as he would like them to be when he finished. Nico gave a low whistle. “Shit, well, this’ll upset the boat. How much time did you say you had?”
“He didn’t give me a time. Just said operatives would be arriving in Lyon once they worked out the details of the agreement.”
“Think he’s involving the consigliere?”
“I doubt it,” Gabriel said. “There’s still enough varied opinions on the matter that he could get himself in trouble. I think he’s trying to establish the operation before he makes it public to the rest of the family. Hard to argue when your pockets are stuffed with cash.”
Val looked concerningly thoughtful, as if she was diagnosing their previous conversation with this new information. “So what does he expect you to do? Set up relations with the triad, preserve peace with the French mob, and solidify our connections here in Lyon all at the same time? How much manpower does he think you have?”
“You know it’s not about that.”
“He’s pushing your buttons again,” Val said.
“You’re not gonna do it.” Nico straightened as if he’d just had an epiphany. “Fuck, Gabriel. You’re putting your foot down.”
“You want to waste the vault on this? ” Val said, shock clear. “Merde, what is the big deal? We only get to use what’s in that safe one time. If you get on the wrong side of the family, if you mess up in any large way, that safe is the only thing stopping him from springing the Doc into your spot.”
“Clearly we disagree,” Gabriel said. So much for keeping his emotion out of this. “The Odesa business is the devil’s work.”
“Right,” Val snorted. “And everything else we do is peachy keen.”
“It’s more than that and you know it,” Gabriel shot back. “The moment we enter that business we can’t get out of it. We’ll be dipping our toes into a different type of international scrutiny. Before long, we could have run ins with M16, the CSI, Americans. It will never be worth it.”
“I’m with you,” Nico said. “But if you bring this before the consigliere now and they side with Emilio, you’re screwed. Unless…” He snapped his fingers. “It’s all making sense now! Everything you’ve been doing here in Lyon! You’re making power moves. If everything pays off, we’ll have so much money flowing in that working with groups like Odesa won’t make sense anymore. You’ll literally be making it not worth the risk. Genius!” He clapped Gabriel on the back. “I have to admit, I was getting pretty worried about you for a minute. You were taking risks like a drunk man at a poker table.”
Gabriel grimaced. “Um, thanks?”
“All this to avoid working with skin?” Val said. “I agree with you, Gabe. It’s a disgusting business. But is it worth all this?”
“Would you have asked my father that?”
Val stilled quickly. “No. I wouldn’t.”
“Good.” He stood, energy effectively sapped by the conversation. “Now that you two are up to speed, I want us to refocus on Cassiel. Val, fill Nico in and see if we can have him before the week is over. Bring him in cold.”
“Cold?” Nico whipped out one of his knives. “Fantastic. I never liked the bastard anyway. You sure, boss?”
Gabriel headed for the exit. “I’m sure.”
Once back in the privacy of the elevator, he leaned against the wall and tipped his head back. He hated this. Deception had become second nature to him through the years, but as things heated up, lying to those two became more uncomfortable. Even if at the end of the day they were nothing more than coworkers, they’d had each other’s backs for more than a decade. He would need to send them back to Venice right before he made his move. There was a chance they would be held culpable, but at least they could swear ignorance.
He opened his phone and went to his email. Guilt rumination would have to wait for later. Davina was right, there was only so much he could do on his own, and Nico and Val were very clear on the risks when they first joined up. Right now, he had to focus on Cassiel. Him knowing about the safe house was an unexpected complication, one where he couldn’t afford to be merciful.
At least this would be easier than Raguel. He wouldn’t have any cousins left at this rate.
He read through the email several times. “A place on the coast.” No specific coast. This was Europe. That could be anywhere, though anyone looking would check Italy and Sicily first. With Cassiel gone, the only outsiders who would know about it were his Galician contacts. It meant the safe house wasn’t entirely off-limits.
The best way to see how well he covered his tracks would be to see if Davina could find the house herself. He was confident that if she couldn’t find it, they would be safe. She would be happy for the update on Cassiel too.
The penthouse was quiet when he walked in. There was a low hum of voices coming from Mikey’s room. A moment later, Davina emerged and softly closed the door behind her. Her hair was damp, but she was back in her uniform. She met Gabriel’s eyes, and he nodded towards his room. A quick flush of pink rose to her cheeks, and she ducked her head and went to her room without a word. He unlocked his door and went to let her in from the balcony, smirking to himself at the look on her face. Their agreement was to not get involved, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the moments when he unintentionally flustered her. It was cute.
“I’m hoping this is a good update?” Davina asked once they were safely in his room again. Her computer was tucked under her arm, her weapon armed and ready for business.
“I’m hoping that too,” Gabriel said, pulling out his phone. “Cassiel reached out to Val hoping to make a deal with her. Thankfully, she brought it to me first.”
Davina’s shoulders sagged, and she let out a slow breath. “You scared me up there. You looked so intense - I wasn’t sure what was happening. What kind of deal?”
“In exchange for some flimsy dirt on me and his Galician contacts, he promised to secure her future in the mafia once he got the don to turn on me.”
“Flimsy dirt? Could it actually hurt you?”
She sounded fully anxious, and he turned towards her, instinctively reaching out to calm her nerves. He redirected his hand at the last second, dropping from her cheek to her shoulder for a brief squeeze. “Technically, yes, but since we’ve got the drop on him first, it’ll be fine. Val and Nico are on his tail. It won’t be long before he’s no longer an issue.”
“You mean…” She pinched her brows, sighing into her hand. “Believe it or not, I hardly feel sympathy for the man after what he tried to do to Mikey and me. What do you want me to do?”
“He learned about the safe house a while back. He doesn’t know where it is, only that it exists. The only ones he told were the Galicians. I want you to try to and find it yourself to put my mind at ease. Let me show you the email.”
“Of course.”
They sat down in the chairs across from each other. The moment was so reminiscent of the previous night that Gabriel briefly forgot what he was about to do and simply stared at her while she set up her computer. She reached her hand for the phone, and he snapped himself out of it.
She read through the email quickly then looked up. “That last bit is a load of bullshit. He wanted Mikey dead. He was just trying to justify himself to Val.”
“I’m sure.”
“How did she react to this?” she asked, nodding at the phone. “Think she believed him?”
“Mmm,” Gabriel hummed. He leaned back into the chair. He didn’t want to think about the possibilities. “I’m not sure. Unless she is presented with hard proof, she wouldn’t risk causing waves. She wants to believe in me.”
“If she had concerns, would she confide in anyone?”
“Nico, for sure, but he wouldn’t do anything with it unless Val decided they should.”
“And if she did?”
He lifted his head, the line of questioning now odd. “What are you getting at?”
Davina bit her lip. “I- We need allies, Gabriel. If we are going to pull this off without you dying, we need more help. Maybe this is a sign that they both can handle more.”
Gabriel tilted his head and wiped his forehead. How to make her understand this? “Did you forget when you first got here and I told you not to trust anyone? Especially within the mafia. We can’t take the risk.”
“You didn’t fully trust me not that long ago, and you’ve barely known me six months!” Davina said, closing her computer with a snap. “You’ve worked with them for years. They’ve had your back. They would jump in front of a bullet for you. What’s the difference?”
“You’re not part of the mafia, Davina!” He gestured to the balcony doors. “You’re an outsider. When you risked your life, it was for Mikey. It was for me. When they do it, it’s for the family.”
“What if you’re wrong. What if that’s not how they feel at all?” She looked away and lowered her voice. “I think you’re wrong. About Nico, at least.”
Something was off. Gabriel’s pulse spiked as he recalled coming into the pool. “You were with him earlier. What were you two talking about? You jumped like a rabbit.”
“He…” Davina wouldn’t meet his eyes. “He wanted to talk about the email.”
His jaw clenched, and he rolled his fist to stop himself from getting out of his chair, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him. He needed her eyes to be sure. “Why?”
She didn’t answer, and his mind raced. Why would Nico bring the issue to Davina first? What expertise could she offer that he couldn’t get anywhere else? He looked back at the email, and it all snapped into place.
“It was you. You prompted Cassiel to message Val.” He stood and paced the room. Fuck, this was bad. He stopped in front of her chair. “What did you say to Nico? I need you to tell me exactly. ”
“He said he’d follow you blindly,” Davina said, her tone mounting to match his. “That he would always choose you, no matter what. It was risky, but worth it. We need allies.”
“Fat lot of good that would do if it blows up in our face on day one. If it was so easy to confide in them, Davina, don’t you think I would have fucking done it already?”
“Oh, please.” Davina slid her computer off her lap to the table, standing to meet him and tilting her head back to look him in the eye. Good. This was better. He didn't need that bashful, evadeful shit. “Because mobsters are so good at expressing emotion. You lot have to have it ripped from you with a gun to the head.”
“That wasn’t your choice to make! What happened to including each other in these decisions? That was your idea, remember?” He relished his height. For someone so much shorter than him, she needed to be taken down a peg. “You're so keen on the rules, but you certainly don’t have a problem with breaking your own.”
“My point with you was trust,” Davina said, green eyes flashing, and for a moment, he was distracted. “Everything right now is time sensitive, and we are inevitably going to have to make judgment calls without consulting the other.” She inched closer to him, tilting her head back and forth with every syllable. “That’s what partners do.”
“Then you should have realized you were out of your depth.” Was she seriously standing on her toes? She was so close he could smell the lingering scent of the lavender shampoo she used. Was he angry or aroused? He couldn’t tell anymore. “Do you even understand Val and Nico’s relationship? Know how they got into the mafia in the first place? You can’t read loyalty strictly off of vibes and good conversations.”
“Maybe I do need a history lesson,” Davina said, unperturbed by the insult. “But here are the facts. Our agreement is to get both you and Mikey out alive. If that’s the goal, your nuclear option of exterminating the Angelinis is a shit plan.”
“Speaking of shit plans.” He took his finger and pressed it into her shoulder, forcing her back to her heels. “If you want this relationship to remain professional, you might not want to get in my face.”
“Maybe if you weren’t so thickheaded, I wouldn’t have to,” Davina snapped.
Gabriel stopped short, and for a split second, it took all of his willpower not to pick this infuriating woman up, throw her on the bed, and pick up where he left off last time. She saw the look on his face, and her own eyes widened. She clamped a hand over her mouth with a gasp. “I- Sir, I’m so sorry. I got carried away. I didn’t mean…”
Her stuttering broke the spell, and Gabriel took a step back. “I’m glad I found out what Cassiel knows. But you didn’t take a fully-informed gamble. It could have blown up in your face.”
Davina let out a breath and sank back into her chair. “That’s what Nico said. But you’re taking chances everywhere else. Why not here?”
He knelt down in front of her. Irritating her wouldn’t make her understand, but maybe she wasn’t being the only unreasonable one. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
The storm in her eyes had calmed some, and she leaned forward on her elbows with all the energy of a woman who was excited to share. “We need a replacement power once Emilio and Ottavia are out of the picture, one preferably indebted to you with no score to settle. If we transfer allegiances, resources, and contacts over to the new power, one of our choosing, we will have a higher chance of ensuring your long-term survival. This person could be one internally or someone we could trust not to turn on you externally. Revolution over genocide.”
“You want to set up a new don?” The idea was overly ambitious to the point of being unattainable. He immediately started poking holes in the idea. “Even if that was true, the rest of the family would never let me leave or accept another leader unless there was no other option. Without the current line of succession there would be other power struggles within the mafia itself. A power vacuum would happen regardless.”
“Not unless that person already had enough support and resources along with the added assurance that they are who you wanted as your successor.”
“They still wouldn’t let me leave.”
“And that’s why we fake your death.”
“Fake my-” Gabriel chuckled. “Davina, this isn’t James Bond or Mission Impossible. Organizing those exact circumstances along with the perfect successor would be nigh impossible.”
“Without help,” Davina corrected, grabbing his shoulder in what he was sure was her own innocent show of support. “We need Nico and Val. And Adam, unless there’s something you doubt in him too.”
Gabriel gently removed her hand. The idea was insane and unrealistic. Deep down, he knew that. But her eyes were full of hope. The passion in her voice drove him past reason, to want to believe it was possible. His mouth was forming words before he completely realized his response. “I’d ask that you’d avoid speaking with any of them further until I can think on it a little bit. Lavigne has invited me to Anglet to meet with some of her suppliers. It’ll be a good chance to get some space after the Cassiel mess is dealt with.”
“Are we staying here?” Davina said, returning her hand to her lap.
“After everything that has happened this month? Not a chance in hell.”