Izzy lifted her eyes to the ceiling and whispered, “Because Aurora doesn’t know.”

“What do you mean? Didn’t she hire those mercenaries when her first plan to get Colin failed?” Constantine grumbled.

Izzy glanced at her husband before turning back to us. “She didn’t hire them.”

I frowned. “Then who did?”

Izzy exhaled, shaking her head. “Aurora said no one was ever supposed to get hurt. She just wanted to set up her brother, then be the one to help find Colin, preventing Sebastian from even considering the trade.”

She took a second to catch her breath, so I took that time to catch mine.

Izzy continued, “Like we guessed, she wanted to ensure her place as League leader in Italy when her father retired. Since Emilia kept giving up power, only to take it back, Aurora figured it’d really be up to Emilia, not Carmello. So, when she saw the chance to show off and get rid of her half brother in the process, she took it.”

Hudson took her hand in silent reassurance.

After that, she pressed forward. “After the original plan failed at the rave, she instructed Daniel and Jamie to stay put at a hotel while she figured out another way to get Colin from you. But when the Sicilians refused to get involved, fearing retaliation from our family, Aurora realized she’d taken things too far. She tried to backpedal, to get out of it.”

Constantine ran a hand down his face, following along, adding, “But she promised something to those mafiosi in Naples to get them to call in that favor to Giuseppe in the first place. Even though the meeting fell through, they still wanted her to uphold whatever deal she made with them.”

“When Aurora tried to back out, they forced her to tell them about her original plan. By this time, she’d found out through Daniel that Colin was your son.” She met his eyes and swallowed hard.

I felt every muscle in Constantine’s body tense in preparation for what was coming next.

He pulled his hand from mine, his jaw clenching as he brought his palms to his hips, one elbow whacking the wall in the process. “Don’t say it.”

“I’m sorry.” A tear abandoned the pool of liquid gathering in Izzy’s eyes and slipped down her cheek. “I called Dad before we came here to tell you. He said, ‘Unfinished business always has a way of coming back.’ He blames himself for not finishing them off when he had the chance.”

My pulse stuttered. “What are you two talking about?”

Izzy and Constantine seemed to be reeling, so Hudson answered me. “There are multiple mafia families in Italy, just like in New York. And there are two rival syndicates operating out of Naples. Giuseppe lied to Constantine, making him think he owed that favor to one family when, in reality, it was the Rizzos he was indebted to.”