Chapter 7

The Five Families called an emergency meeting inside the church.

Giovanni Mancini, chief mediator for the East Coast Commission, closed the file in front of him.

Giovanni settled disputes between the Five Families. He was also the only man in the room with the authority to suspend a Don.

Damian remained at the center of the altar.

"I am the only heir to the Russo family."

"My father left this family to me."

I ordered the records from ten years earlier displayed on the screen.

"Your father left you a mortgaged compound, seventeen gunmen who were preparing to defect, and thirty million dollars in debt."

The Vitale family guaranteed the first loan.

I took the first casino back from the Cavanaugh family.

My father gave me the first port route as a wedding gift.

The first capos who returned to the Russo family signed their loyalty papers only after I rescued their families.

The records moved across the screen.

Every victory Damian had used to build his reputation carried my name somewhere in the file.

"Turn it off."

No one moved.

"Alexander, shut down the screen."

Alexander stayed where he was.

Damian looked at the man who had followed him for ten years.

"Have you forgotten who promoted you?"

Alexander answered him.

"Mrs. Vitale pulled me out of a Cavanaugh prison."

"You accepted my loyalty after she saved me."

The color left Damian's face.

He had never been as powerful as he believed.

He had stood on a platform I built for so long that he had begun to believe the height belonged to him.

Giovanni held out one hand.

"Give me the Don's ring."

Damian closed his fist.

"No one can take it from me."

"I am Don Damian Russo."

Giovanni did not react.

"Until the vote is complete, you are Damian."

It was the first time anyone had removed his title in public.

Two Commission guards approached him.

Damian drew his gun.

Dozens of weapons came up and pointed at his head.

In the past, those guns had risen for him.

Now they were aimed at him.

Damian finally walked toward me.

"Serena, we can make a deal."

"You keep control of the casinos and ports."

"I keep the title of Don."

"If you want my love, I will give it all to you."

"I will make you the most cherished woman in New York again."

He grabbed my wrist and pressed directly against the open wound beneath the bandage.

"You still love me."

"Why do you have to destroy everything?"

I closed my hand around his ring.

Damian held on with all his strength.

"Serena, do not do this."

He kept his voice low.

For the first time, he was begging me to leave him a small piece of dignity.

I opened his fingers one by one.

"When you tied me inside that car, did you ask me not to do this?"

"When you called me a traitor beside my coffin, did you think about leaving me any dignity?"

I pulled the ring from his hand.

Damian stood before the Five Families without his ring, without his men, without his place, and without anyone calling him Don.

I returned to the head seat.

"Alexander, remove him."

Damian looked up sharply.

"You would not dare."

Alexander walked over.

He did not call him Don.

"Damian, you need to leave."

"This is my family."

His voice filled the church.

No one lowered their eyes.

I pointed toward the doors.

"Ten years ago, you had nothing. I brought you into this room."

"Ten years later, you tried to murder me and take everything while standing on my grave."

"The person leaving the Russo family today is not me."

"It is you."

Two gunmen who had once sworn loyalty to Damian took his arms.

He fought them.

"Let go of me."

They did not release him.

They looked at me and waited.

I raised my hand.

"Take him out."

As they dragged him past Camilla, Damian waited for her to reach for him.

Camilla covered her stomach and looked away.