Let Me Love You (88)
“Hudson will get him out. The Feds have to follow protocol, though, and Enzo killed someone right in front of them,” Alessandro cut me off, his gaze going to his mother, and she let go of me. “I need you to try and keep calm. I know with everything that’s happened, that’s a big ask, but please. Enzo’s feeling pretty fucked up right now, knowing you had to watch all of that, trust me, I know him. And then he killed a woman for the first time in his life. And—”
“For a notorious charmer, you’re failing to calm anyone down,” his mom interrupted him.
Alessandro frowned, then in a softer tone shared, “Hudson called in a favor to the governor minutes before everything went down. He offered the Brambillas on a silver platter if the governor could ask the Feds to assist us this morning and ensure all 911 calls were intercepted,” he went on, searching my gaze. “This way, the governor and ADIC get credit for taking down the most powerful Italian mafioso family on the East Coast. Shit like this helps win elections, I guess.”
“The ADIC?” My voice was so freaking small right now. And the governor governor? Like of New York?
“The assistant director in charge at the field office in New York,” Alessandro clarified. “He’s been building a case against the Brambillas for years, so Hudson had a feeling it’d only take a nudge from the governor to finally close in on them today.”
I had so many questions, I didn’t know where to start. “But was the crime boss even here?”
“No, but the Feds can use the cleaner’s files Hudson shared with them as a means to arrest him and search his properties,” Alessandro went on, and Angela reached for my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “And since Giovanni and Nico are alive, I’m sure they can offer additional intel to take down the Brambillas in exchange for immunity.”
“Hudson couldn’t help my brothers thirteen years ago,” Isabella spoke up, “but you can trust us when we say he’ll be able to help Enzo this time.”
“Because of the Brambilla deal?” I needed this all spelled out for me, and I was still shaken up and in disbelief at what had happened this morning. I’d yet to process the danger. Or the lives I’d witnessed Enzo take before my eyes.
Isabella exchanged a quick look with her brother. “Well, yes, but also because Hudson’s dad is the governor.”
What? “Didn’t Hudson leave the navy to take care of his mom? Why didn’t his father help, too?” Not relevant, and yet, the questions popped free from my mouth anyway.
“His parents divorced when he was young. His mom raised him. His dad wasn’t home much. Military,” Alessandro quickly answered as a buzzing sound greeted us. “Hudson’s outside the safe room. Looks like we can go out.”
Alessandro punched in a code, and the door slid open. Hudson stepped into the room, and Isabella rushed his way. Hudson flinched when she wrapped her arms around him for a hug.
From over her head, Hudson looked at us, a nervous expression on his face; then he gave in and hugged Isabella back. “It’s okay,” he told her.
“Alice died in Bianca’s room,” Isabella whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear.
“I know,” he murmured, “but I promise everything will be okay.”
Alessandro faced me and added, “The Brambillas are small fish compared to the marks we’ve gone after in the past. We can handle them. You can trust us.”
Isabella didn’t seem to have any plans to free herself from Hudson’s muscular arms as he softly reassured her, “It’s over.” He stroked her back. “We’ll make sure no one is ever a threat to any of you ever again. You have my word.”
THIRTY-TWO
Enzo
I’d promised Maria I’d get her home to her daughter by today, and I was still in FBI custody. No charges had been drawn up, but I’d been in holding since Thursday with frequent interviews from the top down to the rookie sitting across from me now.
But we were nearing the seventy-two-hour mark, and I was confident I’d be released any minute.
I trusted my family to keep Maria safe while I was here, but I was losing my mind every hour away from her. I needed to apologize in person for what she witnessed three days ago.
“I didn’t think people like you existed outside of film.”
I looked up from my hands cuffed to the table at the agent, not sure where he was about to go with that statement.
“Yeah, we have a file on you. I did a little light reading this weekend.” He fingered his butter-blond hair, swiping it away from his forehead. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to bait me into a conversation to get me to talk about my past, but that wouldn’t be happening.
“Where’s Special Agent Lee?” I asked, my way of letting him know I had no plans to discuss my past.
The fresh-out-of-Quantico agent—and yeah, I could read him that well—checked his watch. “He’ll be here any minute.”
Agent Lee was a friend of Hudson’s, and he’d been keeping me abreast of all details since I’d been in custody per the ADIC’s orders.
I’d asked him for a report about our security team and had requested to see photos of every person who’d come up against us on Thursday, and he’d secretly followed through with my request.