Chapter 226

Chapter 226
Leonardo

I studied his face, looking for signs of deception. Conrad met my gaze steadily.
"If you're setting me up..."
"I'm not," he cut in. "This is real, Salvatore. I don't have a death wish."
I leaned back in my chair, considering my options. Conrad could be laying groundwork for a trap, feeding me information to manipulate my movements. But if he was telling the truth and I ignored it...
"You're sure about this attack?"
Conrad nodded. "Absolutely. My friend saw the plans himself before declining. Three sniper positions, explosive devices, the works. Professional operation, military precision."
My mind raced. Dante's birthday was barely three weeks away. A sprawling affair at the family estate, with hundreds of guests including most of the family, business associates, and politicians we had in our pocket. The perfect opportunity to decapitate the Salvatore organization in one swift strike.
"Your client moves fast," I observed.
Conrad shrugged. "When you've got money and connections, you can make things happen quickly."
Something about his easy cooperation nagged at me. This man had orchestrated multiple attempts on my life, yet here he sat, casually offering information that could save it. Either he was truly motivated by self-preservation or playing a more complex game.
"Why are you giving up this information so easily, Conrad?"
"I told you, self-preservation."
"No," I shook my head. "There's something else. You're too comfortable. What's your angle?"
Conrad sighed. "Fine. You want the unvarnished truth? I'm scared. Not of you, well, not just of you, but of whoever is behind this. They've got resources I've never seen before. Military-grade intel, inside information on your security protocols, unlimited budget. They're playing a different game."
"And you want protection."
"Damn right I do. When this person realizes I'm working with you, I'm a dead man without your protection."
I studied him for a long moment. "Or this is all bullshit designed to make me trust you while you feed me false information."
Conrad laughed. "Think about it, Mr. Salvatore. If I wanted to set you up, why mention Dante's party at all? I could have just kept my mouth shut, let you walk into an ambush. No, I'm telling you this because it's real, and because right now, my survival depends on yours."
His logic made sense, which only made me more suspicious. Men like Conrad didn't get to his age in this business by being straightforward.
"James," I said without taking my eyes off Conrad. "Have Alex verify everything he's told us. I want satellite imagery of the estate, security sweeps of all the positions he mentioned, and background checks on every staff member scheduled to work that day."
"Already on it," James replied.
I stood, buttoning my suit jacket. "Conrad, you're going to work with my tech team to identify your client. Every detail you can remember about your communications, payment methods, everything. If I find out you've held anything back..."
"I get it," he said quickly. "Full cooperation."
I studied Conrad's face as he eagerly promised full cooperation. Too eager. Years in my business have taught me one thing: when someone gives information this freely, there's usually an angle.
"Good," I said, deliberately keeping my voice neutral. "James will set you up with what you need."
"Thank you, Mr. Salvatore. You won't regret this."
I turned to leave, then paused at the door, looking back at him. "One more thing, Conrad. If I find out you're playing me, if there's even a hint that you're feeding me bullshit, what happened to you so far will feel like a spa day compared to what comes next."
His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. "Understood."
Outside in the hallway, I motioned for James to follow me away from the room. When we were safely out of earshot, I lowered my voice.
"He's giving up information too easily."
James nodded. "Noticed that too. Either he's genuinely scared, or he's setting us up."
"Or both. We can't ignore what he's telling us about Dante's party, but we can't trust him either."
"What's your call?"
I glanced back toward the room where Conrad waited. "I want someone watching him 24/7."
"Already planning on it."

I pulled the Maserati up to the valet stand, the engine's purr dying as I killed the ignition. Dante's birthday celebration was being held at my uncle Marco's sprawling estate in the hills overlooking Los Angeles.
"Any updates?" I asked James as the valet opened my door.
James adjusted his earpiece subtly. "All clear so far. Team's in position, four men at the perimeter, two by the pool house, three monitoring the east hill. Nothing suspicious."
I buttoned my suit jacket and handed the valet my keys. "Keep me posted."
The gravel crunched beneath our shoes as we made our way toward the grand entrance. Security was visible but unobtrusive; my uncle's men stationed at strategic points, their eyes constantly scanning. They nodded respectfully as we passed.
The massive oak doors swung open before we reached them, revealing Marco Salvatore himself waiting in the marble-floored foyer.
"Leonardo!" Marco's face broke into a genuine smile as he stepped forward, embracing me firmly. "Right on time, as always."
I returned the embrace. "Uncle. The place looks good."
Marco waved dismissively. "Same as always. You know Marianna, she won't let me change a thing." He clasped my shoulder, lowering his voice. "Walk with me a moment before we join the others."
I nodded to James, who took up a position by the door as I followed Marco through a side corridor and into his study. The room was classic Marco with leather-bound books lining mahogany shelves, a massive desk commanding the center, and behind it, a wall of screens currently displaying various camera feeds from around the property.
Marco locked the door behind us, his expression turning serious. "I've heard things, Leonardo. Disturbing things."
I maintained a neutral expression. "About?"