I can feel Butcher looking at me from his spot by the fireplace, so I sit on one of the leather sofas and do my best to act natural. Telling Antonio is at the top of my list for the day, but maybe I need to ease him into the information.

“I can skip breakfast now and again. It’s not a big deal.”

Butcher snorts.

“Where’s the fire? You usually don’t call unless it’s something big.”

“It is.” Antonio finally stops scrutinizing me and turns to his computer monitor. “I just got an email from some contacts that we have a flesh trader in town, right under our noses.”

Fuck, if he’s talking about who I think he’s talking about, I’m headed straight for the confrontation about Carina and Falco.

“Give me names.” Butcher cracks his knuckles.

“It’s not that simple.” Antonio shakes his head.

Butcher grunts.

“Who is it?” I ask.

“The Falcos.” Antonio’s eyes narrow. “Well, I don’t think it’s all of them. But I suppose we’ll have to cut the head off the snake and take them all out to make sure. Human trafficking is a scourge, and it’s one I won’t fucking tolerate, not in my city. I thought I’d made that clear when I cut all those holdings from the Larone portfolio. But I guess one family didn’t get the message.”

This is it. I’m at the moment where I have to decide if I’ll stay quiet and hide my relationship with Carina, or if I’m going to come clean. Because when I reveal what I know about Carson Falco, it’s going to domino into what happened last night. And I know the weight of what I’ve done. I’ve taken Antonio’s sister for my own without asking for his permission. It’s a major transgression, one that would lead to a date with a bullet in plenty of other families. But with Antonio, it’s different. We’ve known each other a long time. I only hope that the trust I’ve broken in claiming Carina is one that can be mended. After all, I fully intend on him being my brother-in-law in short order.

“Why do you look like that?” I realize Antonio’s been staring at me while I’ve been debating over confessing.

“It’s just my face.”

“Your face looks so strained it’s like you’re trying to shit out the entire Packers offensive line.” He points at me. “Spill.”

I clearly need to work on my poker face. On the other hand, it’s never been a problem before. Only when it comes to Carina does my mask slip. She’s also been under my skin, my little brat turning me upside down and inside out.