Odion's POV
I knew something was off the moment Vicado called the meeting. Not because meetings were unusual but because of when he called it. Too fast and too soon after everything that had just happened.
We were in one of our usual spots, a half-lit room that smelled faintly of smoke and old leather. Capo leaned against the wall, arms folded, his face unreadable as always. BJ sat on the edge of the table, restless, tapping his fingers like he had too much energy and nowhere to put it. Oboski stayed quiet in the corner, watching everyone like he was counting breaths.
And Vicado…He stood in the middle of the room like he owned not just the space but the outcome of everything that had just gone down.
"We did what needed to be done," I said.
Too simple. I shifted where I stood, my eyes narrowing slightly. "Did we?" I asked. His gaze moved to me slowly, like he had been expecting that question. "Carlo won't recover from this quickly," he replied. "And Mitchell? He'll feel it."
There was something in his voice I didn't like. Not confidence or certainty. Capo spoke next, calm as ever. "Police showed up faster than expected." BJ scoffed. "Yeah, like they were invited."
Silence fell.
That kind of silence that doesn't just sit in the room it presses down on your chest. I glanced at Oboski. He didn't say anything, but his eyes met mine for a brief second. He was thinking the same thing I was. This didn't feel clean. It felt… arranged. Vicado walked closer to the table, resting his hands on it. "Timing doesn't matter. What matters is the message." I shook my head slightly. "No. Timing always matter too."
His eyes snapped back to me, there it was.
That flicker, not anger, annoyance. It's like I was asking questions I wasn't supposed to ask. I stepped forward, lowering my voice. "Carlo is Mitchell's right hand. You don't just hit someone like that and walk away without noise. But this?" I gestured slightly. "This was loud. Too loud."
BJ stopped tapping. Capo straightened just a little. Even Oboski shifted. They felt it too.
Vicado exhaled slowly, then smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "Fear spreads faster when it's loud." I held his gaze. "No," I said quietly. "Exposure spreads faster when it's loud."
Another silence.
He didn't like that. I could tell. But he didn't push back this time. Instead, he changed direction. "Mitchell will be distracted now," he said. "He'll focus on Carlo. On damage control. That gives us room to move."
Capo nodded once.
I felt a tightness in my chest I couldn't explain. Carlo wasn't someone you remove easily. He wasn't careless. He wasn't weak. So how did this happen? Unless My thoughts stopped mid-track. Unless it wasn't just us. Unless someone else wanted this to happen too. I looked at Vicado again. Really looked this time. And suddenly, I wasn't sure I knew him as well as I thought I did.
BJ broke the silence with a low laugh. "Either way, Mitchell's gonna come looking." "That's the point," Vicado replied. Oboski finally spoke, his voice quiet but sharp. "And when he does?" Vicado's smile returned. This time, colder. "We'll be ready." But I didn't feel ready. Not even close. Because something about tonight didn't sit right in my spirit. It wasn't just an attack. It was a setup. And the worst part? I couldn't tell if we were the hunters… Or if we had just stepped into someone else's trap.