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Raw Bloody Power Chapter 29 53%
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Chapter 29

29

DON’T FUCK IT UP

Rio

The grating uproar of a jackhammer carries into the house and rattles the freshly painted light gray walls. Pool reno has begun at the Garden City flip and I’m regretting my decision to be present while it’s going down. Especially when Zeb, my father, and Alvaro are here, too, trying to discuss the whole Benedikt/Dino predicament. I can barely hear a word they’re saying over stone breaking and at least five men hollering outside.

“His confession means shit,” dad states, mindlessly rotating his gold wedding band. A thoughtful tick him and I share. “Not to mention, your methods of obtaining his confession isn’t something you can voice in a statement.”

Hazel eyes flicking my way, a hint of pride sits tucked beneath their stern exterior, cracking a small grin on my lips as I lean back against the newly-installed black and white marble counter. “Learned from the best.”

“And now the best is telling you to stand down,” he fires back, all amusement briskly fading away. “Not just for the case and your brother’s sake, but for your own. As the heir, I cannot afford for you to be caught up in a mess that jeopardizes your future and the livelihood of our empire when I’m gone. I will handle it. Stay. Away. From Koshka. Do you understand me?”

“No, I don’t.” The words leave my mouth before I can rethink them. “Why should it fall on you to deal with him when his bone to pick is with me?”

“Because Benedikt needs to learn what his father obviously failed to teach him. You and he aren’t equals pounding the same fielding field. He isn’t the heir anymore. He’s the Pakhan of Koshka Brotherhood—and I am the Don. If he wants to take another stab at my family, whether it be Dino, or you, or any of you…he’s going to have to go directly through me first. I’m serious, Rio. Leave it be.”

We stand there staring at one another for several long, wordless moments. I know he’s right. There’s a certain order to our world that demands respect. Benedikt might’ve been clueless where Palazzo Verona is concerned, but he had to have known I handle the shipments, giving him a way to side step my father and focus on someone his age. But from the moment he became a problem, I should have clued my dad in rather than retaliating and taking it into my own hands. I hate admitting it, almost as much as I hate admitting my newfound obsession with my ex, but we both fucked up in our own ways.

“There has to be something, though. Did Dino mention when he thinks the car was tampered with?” Alvaro throws out at our father, effectively pulling the heat off me and returning to the conversation to our brother. Arms crossed over his chest, his stance wide, the green in his eyes is infinitely brighter today against the espresso-colored sweater molded to his chest.

Dad volleys his mostly silvered head as he leans onto the counter of the island, the faded snake tattoo decorating one of his arms coming into view. Another thing he and I share. I have the same one emblazoned on my right forearm. My first piece of ink shortly after Ivory and I…broke up. “He doesn’t have a clue. I’ve checked security footage for the house a dozen times, and there’s nothing there.”

He’s right; not a thing. I’ve reviewed it myself until I was cross-eyed. So did Zeb. “Koshka might be impulsive, but I highly doubt he’d be that much of an idiot.”

Then again, he went after a kid, so…

You did, too, the little voice in my head reminds me, rousing a foreign, uncomfortable feeling deep in my chest as various visions of Ivory flicker in a reel. I shove it all down, inwardly clawing everything to shreds, and refocus my attention where it’s needed.

“Has he spent the night at a friend’s recently?” my brother hedges.

“That I know of? No. But your little brother isn’t exactly forthcoming or very cooperative these days. Who knows what he’s up to when he’s not running deliveries. I can’t keep up with him anymore.”

“Sofia.” Her name blasts off my tongue as I recall Franco’s snickering a few weeks back.

“What’d I miss?” Dino asks as he finally emerges from the bathroom, quickly tucking his Papa Gino’s t-shirt into his jeans before Ma notices.

Franco’s striking green eyes flick to our younger brother, a wicked grin spreading his lips. “Oh, nothing, just talking about that pussy pic Sofia sent you and whether we prefer titties or ass.”

My father arches a dark brow. “Who’s Sofia?”

“Some girl he’s fucking around with. Frankie said D’s pretty hung up on her.”

“If you get me her address, I can find out whether or not they’ve got security cams,” Zeb offers from his perch on the back counter, pulling on the strings of his hoodie as he takes a pull from his vape. “If they do, hacking into the footage shouldn’t be too hard. Or just get me a last name, and I can look into her, period.”

“I’ll get you the info. What we need is a full list of where he’s been since we infiltrated Koshka’s distillery.” I leave out the part about Ivory’s role in the whole thing. Wouldn’t be the first time. I failed to mention her presence the night I threw Benedikt in the pit, too.

Zeb’s in the loop, but Alvaro and my dad don’t need to know about that.

Last thing I need is another lecture.

“I tried that already,” my dad sighs, frustrated as ever. “He says he doesn’t remember. ”

Alvaro chuckles, tacking on a roll of his eyes. “I’ll get it out of him.”

“Tag team with Frankie,” I suggest. “He trusts him.”

“Tag team or solo, you better do it quick because we have a meeting with Stark next week and he’s going to need as much information as possible to get your little brother out of this mess.”

Silas Stark—the fucking creme de la creme of defense attorneys. The amount of money my father is throwing at this man is astronomical. He was livid when Dino finally came clean, rightfully so, but much like myself, he knew my brother wasn’t actually at fault and refused to let him go down for this.

“I’ll get with Frankie tonight and figure out a game plan before we talk to Dino,” my brother assures him.

They’re definitely going to need some sort of plan because Dino has been on the defense about everything since it all went down. One questionable look in his direction and he loses his entire shit. Not that I blame him; this is stressful. He needs to get a grip, though.

That fiery temper won’t do him any favors in court.

“Zeb and I will look into Sofia’s address in the meantime,” I concur.

“Mr. Guerra?”

My head snaps toward the patio doors to find one of the contractors—Will, I think his name is—poking his head in. I hadn’t even realized the jackhammering had stopped. He winces a tad, likely from the not-so-friendly expression coloring my face right now.

“Sorry to interrupt. ”

“You’re good.” I wave him off. “What’s up? Everything looking okay out there?”

Will’s slow-spreading, uneasy smile tells me everything I need to know. “Gutting-wise, yeah. Plumbing’s a different story.”

Of course it is.

Sighing, I push off the counter and make my way for the back doors.

“That’s why we put in the budget!” Alvaro calls behind me as I stalk outside after Will, mentally kicking myself in the ass for grabbing this place.

I should’ve let the other bidder have it. The return better be worth it.

That’s all I’m saying.

Several hours after my father and Zeb take their leave, Frankie rolls up in their place as per Alvaro’s request. I haven’t seen much of him since Dino got arrested, keeping my distance for good reason. I’m fully aware it’s not really his fault any of this happened, but I’m still furious he was irresponsible enough to entrust our little brother with drugs when he knows damn well that the kid has been on a downward spiral for months.

“Hey, fuckers,” he greets, waltzing into the kitchen with that cocky ass smile on his pretty boy face.

When he sees the less than enthused look on mine, however, he blanches. His green-eyed gaze flicks to Alvaro, who says absolutely nothing from his place on the counter.

If their age difference wasn’t obvious, they could pass for twins. Even the black sweater clinging to his chest looks like it could’ve come out of Alvaro’s closet.

“Why does he look like he wants to kill me?” Frankie asks him, the sound of Will and his men packing up resounding in the background.

“‘Cause I do,” I deadpan, turning his attention to where I stand behind the island.

Our little brother jerks his head back, a genuine look of confusion scripted all over his expression as he leans his hands on the opposite end of the island. “What the hell did I do?”

“It’s what you didn’t do,” I retort. “How long have you been giving Dino shit to drive around with?”

“I haven’t,” he snaps. “We always smoke together, but he never takes anything with him.”

“So then why the fuck would you give him a whole ass blunt and not keep an eye on him?”

It’s not rocket science. I rarely smoke these days, opting for the welcome burn of liquor when I need to unwind, but even when I did indulge more often and my brothers wanted to partake, I was there for every toke. And I sure as fuck didn’t let them walk off with product—rolled up or not. If anyone was gonna go down for having shit on their person, it was me.

I’d take the fall for them every time.

“I thought he was just gonna hit it a few times before going out on another delivery. I didn’t know he was gonna take it with him,” Frankie leers, glancing back and forth between me and Alvaro. “That’s not even why he got pulled over. Why the fuck are you pissed at me?”

I’d be more irritated about how quickly he’s jumped on the defense, but it’s a Guerra trait. I can’t fault him when I’m quick to anger myself. The only ones I can ever count on to be level-headed are Alvaro and Leo.

Sighing, I count to ten in an effort to rein in my temper and choose my words carefully. “Because you never should’ve just given it to him. You should’ve been out there with him, Franco. He was high as fuck when he got pulled over—yes, for his own recklessness—but because he’d been smoking in the car, they smelled that shit, and that’s why he got searched. Do you realize how fucked he is if Stark can’t wave his magic wand and get him out of this?”

He shakes his head.

“Like locked up fucked,” Alvaro chimes in.

Frankie’s eyes round out, ire visibly fading away as a lump scrapes down his throat. “I’m sorry. I…I genuinely didn’t know he was gonna take off with it. He was gone by the time I was able to sneak out back for a five minute break. I know the answer is likely no, but is there anything I can do?”

“Actually, yes, there is.” I turn to Alvaro as I say this, giving him the floor to take over.

My brother jumps off the counter and joins us at the island, crossing his arms over his chest. “We need to sit down with him and have a long talk about where he’s been lately, who’s he been with. The hope is to find the where and when Koshka’s sabotage went down since there’s nothing on the security tapes at home. But he’s extremely closed off and uncooperative, so it’s not going to be ea?—”

“I’ve got this,” Franco affirms, squaring his shoulders with confidence. “Let me do it. I’ll get it out of him, trust me.”

Not that I don’t want to believe him, but Franco isn’t exactly the most reliable. My brow curves dubiously. “Are you sure?”

“I’d bet my life on it. Dino tells me everything. I will say, he’s been with Sofia pretty hardcore these last few weeks. Start there.”

Alvaro and I exchange a pleased look. “Zeb’s already on it. Do you know where she lives?” I ask, fishing my phone out of my pocket.

“She’s literally four blocks over from us on Hyacinth. I don’t know the house number but I can get it for you stat.”

“Go,” Alvaro instructs as I pull up my text thread with Zeb and pass along the information. “Oh, and Frankie,” I add, dragging my stare up to him.

He holds it without faltering, waiting expectantly.

“Don’t fuck it up.”

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