“She kept a journal.”

“She told me about the family, but she wanted to keep me safe from it.”

“She died thinking she succeeded.”

Leo laughed again, a desperate, wild sound.

“So what?” Leo shouted.

“She’s a bastard child of a runaway sister.”

“She’s a waitress who pours coffee for cops and dockworkers.”

“You would risk the empire for her?”

“She brought the babies to me,” Dominic said.

“She saved my children when your men were hunting them.”

“She protected the future of the Romano family.”

Silvio looked from me to the babies, then back to Leo.

“The commission will never support you now, Leo,” Silvio said.

“You tried to kill your brother’s children.”

“You tried to erase the bloodline.”

“We are done taking orders from you.”

The captain named Frank took a step back, standing beside Silvio.

The third captain followed, drawing his own weapon and pointing it at Leo’s chest.

The division in the room was sudden and absolute.

Leo’s remaining guards looked at each other, their confidence visibly evaporating.

They lowered their weapons slightly, unsure of who to protect.