Chapter 173: Do We Tell Lorenzo?

But they had a plan.

A good plan.

"I’ll start implementation tonight," Mike said, standing. "Get surveillance in place, reach out to potential inside man, start tracking Romano movements in New York."

"Good. And Mike...." Dimitri stood carefully. "Thank you. For coming. For helping with this."

"You’re my brother. Of course I’m helping." Mike paused at the door. "But Dimitri? Tell Eve. Soon. Before she finds out some other way. Because if she discovers you’ve been lying again after she gave you another chance...."

"I know. I will. Two weeks."

"Two weeks," Mike agreed.

Then he left.

Dimitri sat back down, pulled out his phone, and composed a careful message to Enzo:

Your intel was useful. I’m interested in maintaining that information exchange. My people in New York for your people in Italy. Mutually beneficial. Let me know.

He hit send before he could second-guess it.

Building an alliance with Enzo was risky.

But fighting a war on two fronts...his father and the Romanos.....was riskier.

And if Enzo’s intelligence network could help him protect Eve and neutralize Dante before things escalated.....

It was worth the risk.

***

POV: MARCO

Marco was in the security office reviewing the new protocols for Eve’s protection when his phone rang.

Encrypted number. One of his Rome contacts.

He answered. "Talk."

"We have movement on the Romanos." The voice was familiar, Giovanni, one of Marco’s best intelligence sources in Italy. "You asked me to track their operations after the ambush. I’ve got something."

"What kind of something?"

"Surveillance. Heavy surveillance. Around Isabella Russo’s building in Rome."

Marco went very still. "Say that again."

"Romano soldiers. At least four that we’ve identified. Watching Isabella Russo’s penthouse. Tracking her movements. They’ve been there for at least two weeks based on the intel we’ve gathered."

"Two weeks. That’s right after Dimitri killed Sal Romano."

"Exactly. Which means this is deliberate. Dante Romano is watching Isabella Russo for a reason."

Marco’s mind raced through possibilities.

Isabella was Dimitri’s former fiancée. Lorenzo Russo’s daughter. Engaged to Dimitri for fourteen years before he broke it off.

Why would the Romanos be watching her?

"Have they made contact?" Marco asked.

"Unknown. We only picked up the surveillance yesterday. Still gathering details on whether it’s just observation or if there’s been interaction."

"Keep digging. I want to know everything. Who’s watching her, how often, what patterns they’re tracking. And Giovanni, find out if Dante Romano himself has been anywhere near her building."

"That’s going to be hard. No one knows what he looks like....."

"I don’t care. Canvas the area. Check security footage. Interview doormen, neighbors, anyone who might have seen unfamiliar faces. Dante’s a ghost, but ghosts still cast shadows."

"Understood. I’ll report back within forty-eight hours."

Marco hung up, stared at his phone for a long moment.

The Romanos were watching Isabella.

Why?

Was she a target? Leverage against Dimitri somehow?

Or was it something else?

He needed to brief Dimitri immediately.

Marco stood, headed for Dimitri’s office, his mind already working through the implications.

If Dante Romano was using Isabella Russo as part of his revenge plan against Dimitri....

Things were about to get a lot more complicated.

***

POV: DIMITRI

Dimitri was reviewing the surveillance protocols Mike had sent when Marco knocked on his office door.

"Come in."

Marco entered, his expression serious. "Boss, we have a situation."

"What kind of situation?"

"My Rome contact just called. The Romanos have surveillance on Isabella Russo’s building. At least four soldiers. They’ve been watching her for two weeks."

Dimitri felt ice slide down his spine.

"Isabella," he repeated. "They’re watching Isabella."

"Yes, sir. We don’t know why yet. Could be they’re planning to use her as leverage against you. Could be they think she has information. Could be something else entirely."

"Or," Dimitri said slowly, "Dante Romano knows that targeting my former fiancée sends a message. That no one close to me is safe. Not even someone I’m no longer involved with."

"Possible. But boss....two weeks of surveillance is a long time. That’s not just a message. That’s planning. Gathering intelligence. Setting up for something bigger."

Dimitri stood, paced to the window, his mind working through scenarios.

If Dante hurt Isabella, Lorenzo Russo would demand blood. Would potentially break his alliance with Antonio. Would create chaos that benefited no one except Dante.

If Dante kidnapped Isabella, used her for ransom or leverage, it would force Dimitri into an impossible position, save his former fiancée or let her die and deal with the political fallout.

Either way, Dante won.

"Do we tell Lorenzo?" Marco asked.

"Not yet. We don’t have enough information. If we tell Lorenzo his daughter is being watched by the Romanos, he’ll overreact. Send his own people. Turn this into an international incident." Dimitri turned back. "Keep gathering intel. I want to know what Dante’s planning before we make any moves."

"And Isabella? Do we warn her?"

Dimitri considered.

Isabella was smart. Trained. Capable of defending herself if she knew she was in danger.

But she was also impulsive. Angry. Might do something reckless if she knew the Romanos were watching her.

"No," Dimitri decided. "Not yet. Let’s see what they’re planning first. But Marco, put someone on her. Quietly. I want our own eyes on Isabella. If the Romanos make a move, I want to know immediately."

"Already on it. I’ve got two men heading to Rome tonight."

"Good." Dimitri moved back to his desk. "And Marco? This stays between us. Mike knows about the Romano threat generally, but he doesn’t need to know about Isabella specifically. And Eve definitely doesn’t need to know."

"Understood, boss."

Marco left.

Dimitri sat back down, pulled up a secure message to his Rome contact, and typed: Need full background on Dante Romano. Everything. No detail too small. Priority one.

Then he leaned back in his chair and tried to ignore the growing sense that Dante Romano was already ten steps ahead of him.

And that whatever this ghost was planning, it was going to be worse than Dimitri imagined.