Healed By Love

CHAPTER 45

AUDELIA'S POV

The moment I set foot in the office of my father, the air crackled. With tension or anticipation?- I could not tell. Dad and Stefano both stood behind the large desk, both sharing a strange look. For concealed reasons, a lethal- silent but deadly- air to the room. The silence is punctuated by the clink of crystal glasses and rustling of the leather couches on the side where Lucas, Ezra and Valeria are already seated.

"What's up this time?" Giovanni's voice filters in the room as he steps up from behind me. "This is like the third meeting this week and it has only been three days since the week started, per l'amor di Dio." His irritated voice is accompanied by some hand gestures.

For this week, only three meetings but ever since we started this alliance, I have count of the number of times we have had meetings- futile ones at that.

"If we are going to have to sit through hours of listening on the wreckage the Russians have caused yet again, I am going to pass." Lucas supports Giovanni.

"I agree. Instead of having these inefficacious meetings, we could have converged our resources to find their tracks and maybe come up with a plan once and for all." Valeria speaks up.

"An effective one and one that has not already leaked to the Russians before we even know about it." I mumble under my breath, earning a sharp glare from my father.

"Sit down, both of you."

"It's not like I lied." I roll my eyes, taking a seat on the couch with the others.

"Faresti meglio a finire il più velocemente possible." Another irritated voice filters though the room a few seconds later.

"Translate please." Valeria says, not removing her eyes from the laptop as she types frantically doing god knows what.

"He wants this to be over quickly." Lucas translates, "At least we are all on the same page with these meetings.

Lorenzo comes to sit on one of the couches. Our gaze lock for a second and he shoots me one of his rare smiles that has my insides melting almost instantly. Our small moment is interrupted by my dad's voice and I suppress a laugh at the irritated look that crosses his eyes.

"This time, we have come up with a plan." He says, a sharp gaze as he looks at the five of us. "An effective one." He pins his gaze on mine. "And surely, the Russians do not know about this."

"So we though the previous times." I comment. "And we know how that ended."

Ignoring my comments, Stefano continues. "This time, we have derived a plan but it is a dangerous one."

"We are in the mafia. When is it ever not dangerous?" Lucas remarks.

"Can you all stop interrupting us?" Stefano's irritated voice and narrowed eyes roam over us.

"Can you get to the point?" I say through gritted teeth as our eyes collide.

"We have come up with a plan."

"So you have said." Valeria reminds him. "What is your ingenious plan this time?"

"Liam, you need to-"

I cut him off as he turns to speak to my dad. "Before you go on with your endless, repetitive and clearly unimaginative rant on how you hate us and the disrespect you face, please get to the plan."

"Adie." Ezra warns me and I just shrug.

"Listen then." I bite back a comment as he starts speaking again. "After our thorough research and all the information we have gathered on them, we have found out their locations, routine and vulnerabilities."