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I suppressed a grin when he ground his jaw tight enough to make a sound. “I’m not an idiot, Marianna. I’ve got everything I need to make the transition smooth.”
“What about the Feds? You got them in your pocket too? Because a little birdie told me they’re coming for you.”
Cash’s head whipped up, and I knew I had him. He wasn’t nervous about me, but he was nervous about government attention. It told me that not only had he pissed off people in high places, but if he made it to prison, he wouldn’t last long.
He had the look of unresolved fear about him, and I vowed to read through the FBI files we got on Cash when I got home. Because I would get home. There was no other acceptable ending.
“What’s wrong, Cash?” I teased. “Worried you’re not pretty enough for the pen?”
“I’m not worried about jail because I won’t spend a single day behind bars.” He tried to sound confident, but there was a waver in his voice that told me I was right.
Wanting him to sit in the discomfort for a while, I shut my mouth and stared. The more I watched him, the less comfortable he looked. He fidgeted, tugging at his suit sleeves, his shirt, even his belt occasionally. He looked like a kid dressed in daddy’s clothes, not a wannabe crime boss, which was ironic, considering he was old enough to be a daddy.
I was about to tell him as much when he spoke first. “You know, I never expected you.”
Please, not a monologue. I blinked slowly, trying to convey the utter disinterest I had in hearing what he had to say. “Am I supposed to know what you’re talking about?”
“After your father died, your brother took over. He did a decent enough job, but he wasn’t right either. It wasn’t even hard to take him out. With him gone, I expected the family to pick one of your cousins to take his place, someone easily manipulated. Instead, they rallied behind you instead, and you’ve beaten their expectations every time. It’s incredible, really.” He ran a finger across my cheek. “My little queenie. I always knew you were destined for greatness.”
“You killed Antoni.” The words tasted like sand in my mouth, and grief threatened to swallow me again.
To his credit, Cash actually looked sympathetic, though not guilty. “I did, though it pained me. You’d always been such good kids. I didn’t want this for either of you.”
Bullshit. He’d made it clear he didn’t give a shit about anyone. People are disposable. They’re meat sacks that are only useful for a while. “Don’t lie to me. You don’t care about us. You never have, and why would you?”
“You’re sure about that? You’re positive that I’ve never cared about you at all?” He dug in his pocket and lifted a single round peppermint candy. Flashes of a man sneaking us sweets during long meetings wiggled in my memory, and my breath caught.
What the fuck?
Not a single cell in my body wanted to believe Cash because the implications were astounding. Not only that he’d taken the other half of me away, but that he’d been working against us for that long. What I’d thought was an upstart trying to take over an established regime was starting to look like a deep-seated revenge that nothing but utter annihilation would cure.
Swallowing, I asked, “How long have you been planning this?”
“Planning what?” Cash asked coyly, like he didn’t know exactly what I was talking about. Asshole.
“Taking over the city. Usurping my family. All of it.”
“Oh, that.” He grinned. “Decades, darling.”
“Because of my father.” It was a guess, but it added up. Cash hated my family, and knowing he’d been that close to me when I was younger, knowing how my father was with his people when he ruled, I could almost understand why. Everyone had hated Mario Marcosa, and he deserved every ounce of ire.
“Mario was power-hungry. Greedy.”
“He was, but it’s not like you’re any different.” I shouldn’t have said it, but I was still smarting over the casual mention of murdering my twin.
“I haven’t built my empire on a mound of bones.” I could practically see the frustration flushing his skin.
“You wouldn’t care if you had.”
Cash frowned. “That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it? You murdered my brother and my cousin.”
“To be fair, I was aiming for you,” he corrected. Like that was any better.
“You’ve put countless people in the crossfire. You kill without thinking about the consequences. It’s because of you that the Feds are sniffing around the city. You don’t have what it takes to put others first, and you’ve shown time and time again that you’d be a terrible leader. What makes you think you’re fit to take my seat?”
His growl made the hair on my arms rise, and I had to swallow a moan when he slammed his fist into my side. The already-cracked ribs screamed in agony, but I didn’t. I wouldn’t.
