Rocco stared off past me for a couple of moments, his mouth tight. “What about Gianna? I can’t imagine Aria coming up with this idiocy on her own. It must have been Gianna’s idea. She’s always caused trouble.”

I didn’t say anything. Marrying Aria off to Luca was meant to bring peace, but in the long run, the bond had led to so many unfortunate events that had plunged us into a more brutal war than before. “I don’t have detailed intel yet.”

“Did Enzo capture her?”

“I don’t think so. He hasn’t reported back to my order yet. I need to know what she’s up to and if she’s contacting people. You know how long we’ve been looking for the traitor among our own. Maybe she’ll lead us straight to him.”

Rocco nodded. “Capturing the mule is our utmost priority.”

“Will you be able to advise me in this without your emotions getting in the way? I need to be very strategic about this. Revenge takes time and shouldn’t be forced.”

Rocco smiled thinly. “Don’t worry. My only interest is the Outfit. Aria’s a pawn, not more.”

I tilted my head. He sounded certain but I wondered if he wasn’t hiding his true feelings. He certainly desired revenge for the embarrassment his daughters had caused him in his eyes.

“Very well.”

“Once we have her in our hand, Luca will completely lose his mind. He’s obsessed with her. My daughters have a talent to drive men crazy. He’ll do anything we ask, he’ll risk anything, give us anything if we hurt her.”

I leaned back, trying to predict how Luca might react. What would I do if Valentina was in his hands? The mere thought drove me up the wall. I’d do anything to protect Val, to get her back. Would I give in to Luca’s demands? Would I trust him to keep up his part of the bargain? I wasn’t sure. I didn’t trust Luca in the slightest. The only other option would be an attack and try to free Val with sheer brutality. It would be dangerous and considering that it would happen in Luca’s territory unlikely to succeed.

But Luca was even less restrained than me. The second I told him I had Aria he’d be driven by emotions, fury and love equally, and would raise an army to attack Chicago. He would leave a bloody trail. I couldn’t see how he’d go out of this weaker unless I managed to kill him, but until then he’d kill hundreds of my men. And even if I killed Aria, that wouldn’t destroy the Famiglia, it would only make Luca completely unpredictable, unhinged and far more dangerous than he was now. If I was being honest, those strategic thoughts weren’t the only reason why I was hesitant to keep Aria as a captive. Harming an innocent woman went against my convictions, and not just that, part of me actually felt a sliver of obligation to protect Aria from harm. I’d thrust her into the arms of a monster to silence the Golden Couple enthusiasts and avoid marrying close after Carla’s death. Even if Luca treated her well, I didn’t know that back then. I sacrificed an innocent girl for my own selfish reasons. The idea of doing that again, of keeping Aria a captive, disgusted me. Those weren’t considerations I should entertain as Capo. Only the Outfit should be my concern.

“You intend to capture her and blackmail Luca with her wellbeing and life, I assume?” Rocco said when I’d been silent for too long.

“I’ll definitely capture her. What I’ll do with her once I have her, that’s still uncertain. I don’t want word about this to get out.”

“We need to figure out what to do with Aria. Luca is a dangerous opponent, especially when provoked.”

“He is, which is why I don’t think keeping Aria as a captive is the most promising plan.”

Rocco opened his mouth as if to protest but I raised my hand. He probably would have voiced valid objections, but it didn’t matter. I considered alternative options. I couldn’t just let her go. The Outfit needed to profit from her mistake, or my men would mutiny.

“We need to drive a wedge between them, to destroy them from within. If Luca’s marriage breaks apart, the people in the Famiglia who were against a bond with an Outfit woman will rise.”

Rocco narrowed his eyes in thought, then nodded. “Emotional warfare is an option. Luca is raving jealous when it comes to Aria. Maybe he thinks it’s love, but it’s pure ownership. He’d defend his territory at any cost, the East and Aria both. If he thought Aria wasn’t as angelic as he considers her to be, if he feels betrayed by her, he could become an easy target.”

“You want to stage an affair? With whom?”

“Have you ever seen Luca’s expression when someone brought the Golden Couple rumor up?”

“No.”

“Dante, Luca hates you. You are his enemy, another predator who wants his prey. It would unravel any semblance of humanity he’s put up. The mere idea that you could touch what he considers his will destroy him. This could be our first step toward victory.”

It could be, or it could spiral this war completely out of control. Only time could tell.

After my encounter with Aria in the restroom, I headed back to Bibiana and Luisa, holding Anna’s hand tightly. Enzo gave me a curious look, obviously worried because I had spent so long in the restroom. I hoped Anna would play along and keep Aria’s appearance a secret. If she let something slip around Enzo, I wouldn’t be able to stop him from capturing my cousin and delivering her to Dante.

God, Dante. How was I supposed to keep this from him?

I couldn’t tell him though. The war with the Famiglia wouldn’t give him any choice but to use Aria against Luca, especially when Rocco found out. Maybe he was a clever strategic genius, but I didn’t like him. Since he married that young girl, less than ever. His desire for the girl had ultimately caused the debacle with Liliana.

I sank down across from Bibi who looked up from the drawing Luisa was doing and frowned. She knew me well. I glanced toward Enzo and gave him a tight smile because he still hovered close to me instead of taking his seat beside Taft. He finally retreated and sat down. My eyes darted to the restroom door, wondering when Aria would emerge, but I didn’t dare focusing my attention there.

Bibi raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

Her voice was a bare whisper.

“Nothing.” Then I mouthed, “Later.”

“Nothing,” Anna echoed with wide theatrical eyes before she smiled proudly at me. I kissed her hair. Louisa grinned at Anna who hopped off the bench and headed over to her friend so they could draw together. Those two were too cute together.

“How are things with your parents?” I asked softly, needing to change the topic before Anna’s excitement got the better of her, or my worry drove me crazy.

Bibi sighed. “They are very unhappy that I’m still unmarried. It’s scandalous in their eyes. They’ve been talking to Rocco. They think Dante needs to stop putting a hand over me. It’s family, not Capo business.” She gave an apologetic smile. “I hope he doesn’t get in trouble because of me.”

“He won’t,” I said firmly. It had taken a long time for Bibi to recover from Tommaso’s abuse. She hadn’t been interested in being with another man, much less someone her parents chose for her again. They’d given her to a monster the first time. I doubted their taste had improved. They were despicable human beings. “Have you considered going on a date? Getting to know someone?”