Drops of rain fell onto my face as I walked toward the warehouse door, entered the code, then stepped inside. I could already hear pained moans. They’d started without me, but I’d be the one to finish it. I’d be the one to send a final message to everyone who thought they could cross me.
“Lorenzo,” Dante greeted from the edge of the space they’d created between the crates of guns and ammunition. At the sound of my name, everyone stilled. My dress shoes clacked against the concrete floor, each step taking me closer to the man tied to a chair in the middle.
Blood ran down the side of his face and from his arm—the arm that had no hand on it. I’d already taught him one lesson, but apparently, that hadn’t been enough for him. I moved past Uncle Antonio, his shirt splattered with blood. He was the person who’d taught me the best way to torture someone to inflict the maximum amount of pain.
Another chair sat to the side—a chair saved especially for me. I may have wanted to get my hands dirty, but not until Uncle Antonio has had his fun. I nodded at the man strapped to the chair—the man who I’d seen the night of my wedding. He hadn’t begged to keep his hand, and he hadn’t wanted forgiveness. No, he’d wanted another excuse to try and fuck me over.
I undid the button on my suit jacket, lowered into my seat, and waved my hand in the air, signaling for Uncle Antonio to continue.
He stepped forward, a pair of pliers gripped in his hand. “Hold his head, Dante,” Uncle Antonio gritted out. Dante grabbed the man’s head, and Antonio went to work, pulling out his teeth one at a time. He was methodical as he went, first the bottom teeth and then the top.
I leaned back in my seat, trying to have some patience as I let Antonio sate his desires. He needed to inflict torture. He needed it so he could be the man my auntie Vivianna needed. And with stark clarity, I understood that I wasn’t so different from him. It was all about balance. A balance you only found when the time was right.
And that time for me was now.
Uncle Antonio turned and grabbed his favorite knife, plunging it into the man’s chest and stomach. He flicked his wrist, cutting up and into his kidneys. He knew the human form better than most doctors. He knew what to hit when and what to miss. It was all about keeping them alive as long as possible and in as much pain as you could cause.
I blinked as Uncle Antonio held a Taser in his hand. When he’d first taught me all of those years ago, we hadn’t used that. Instead, we’d used a live wire. But a Taser was easier…and harsher. I grinned. This was always my favorite part.
He lunged forward, slamming the Taser inside the cut he’d made on his stomach, frying his insides just enough to have the man howling in pain.
His head lulled to the side, his eyes trying to focus on one single thing, and when he caught sight of me, he laughed, blood spurting from his mouth. “You have no idea what’s coming for you.” I narrowed my eyes on him. “You’re done.” Red poured like a river down his chest, the open wounds not slowing down as the blood drained from him.
“I’m done?” I stood, my chest heaving.
“Yeah.” He gurgled, his eyes closing. I stepped forward, and he snapped them back open. “You and your new wife.”
I saw red, the demon inside roaring to life and taking over as I reached for my gun. He hadn’t said a word, but now he wouldn’t shut up, just as his heart was giving out I extended my arm, pressing the gun to his head as Uncle Antonio stood with the bloody Taser, ready to give him another round of shocks.
“Speak,” I barked out at him.
“They’re…” He coughed, more blood than before splattering from him. “Coming for you.”
“Who?” I pressed the gun to his temple, needing an answer. I’d made enemies because of my name alone. There was always someone coming for me, but as he raised his head, his gaze meeting mine, he managed to croak out, “I’m FBI.”
My attention snapped to the men in the room, seeing all of their shocked faces. Even Uncle Antonio was confused. “Who fuckin’ vetted him?” I shouted.
“I told Dante to do it,” Christian said, his voice small. He knew he’d fucked up, but so had my brother. I tried to stay calm, but it was really goddamn hard when I had an FBI agent sitting in front of me, at least seventy percent dead.
“That true?” I asked Dante, cracking my neck side to side. His eyes widened. He knew he’d fucked up. The man who was meant to become my second-in-command hadn’t even done a background check on someone who had tried to break in.
“I…”
“End him,” I said, so calmly I shocked myself. Slowly, I stowed my gun away. “You fucked up. Now you fix it.” I waved to the man in front of me. “End him, then chop him up and get rid of him in the four corners of the state.” I stepped toward Dante. “I don’t want to see your goddamn face in my house until you learn how to be a real fuckin’ soldier.”
I’d just drawn the lines between Mafia family and blood. Blood was always meant to come first, but he’d fucked up, and it was my job to teach him a lesson. To show him how you acted when you were a soldier. You did the shitty jobs. You earned your stripes. I had to, and now he would too.
I spun around, not turning back to the shit show as the sound of a gun going off vibrated through the warehouse. He was right. They would come for me. The feds never left a man behind. They wouldn’t let this go, not now, not ever.
Dante had fucked up, but so had I. I’d let my guard down. I’d taken my eyes off the prize. But I wouldn’t again. I wouldn’t allow anyone to put my family at risk—to put Aida at risk.
CHAPTER 15
AIDA
“What do you mean I can’t come inside?” The shrill shout had me wincing as I walked through the foyer and to the living room. We’d finished redecorating a week ago. All of the furniture had been put together, and the walls had been painted a crisp off-white. Indoor plants and little trinkets I’d found around the house were scattered around, but my favorite thing was the hanging chair I’d found on the internet. I spent hours sitting in that chair every night, staring out of the window at the lit-up water feature. Memories, both good and bad, hung around it, but that was what I loved. Nothing in this world was perfect. The room was becoming my own little sanctuary, and the more I added to it, the more everyone in the mansion seemed to drift toward it.
“I’m sorry, Miss Veev. I’ve been instructed that no visitors are allowed past the gates,” I heard Mrs. Larson say through a speaker box near the front door.
I halted, frowning at it. I’d never seen that before. “Everything okay, Mrs. Larson?” I asked.
She jumped out of her skin, her hand flying to her chest. She panted, her face turning pale as she turned to face me. “You scared me!”
I made an “oops” face and headed toward her. “Sorry.” I chuckled. “I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
She pulled in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “It’s okay, Aida.” She swiped her hand over her forehead. “I’ve been on edge since Mr. Beretta put us on lockdown.”
My lips spread into a grim line. “Me too.” My stomach rolled as I remembered him coming home and calling a family meeting. There was no negotiation. He was putting us on lockdown until whatever was happening was over. I didn’t want to admit that I kind of liked the fact none of us could leave. We were forced to be together. Ma was losing her mind being cooped up, but she’d found solace in cooking and baking. I was sure I’d put on ten pounds from her cannoli alone.