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“Georgia,” I repeated. “A good name.”
Her laugh was unexpected. “I’m glad you approve. Let’s finish altering your identity. You have a long trip ahead of you. I’ll make certain you’re not followed out of the city. The rest will be up to you. Now it’s time for you to forget about him.”
As she stood, I took a deep breath, placing my hand on my stomach. If only I could forget about him completely. Sadly, that would never be possible.
He would live in my fractured mind forever.
CHAPTER 2
Almost four years later…
Sabatino
Cold and heartless.
A killer.
A bloodthirsty man.
I’d been told that was my personality more times than I could count. While it was true, there were times I found the hatred spewed far more amusing than others. I enjoyed being a powerful, brutal man. That’s how I’d gained my fortune and kept out those intent on destroying what belonged to me. I flexed my hand, staring down at the scratches I’d received from beating the first son of a bitch soldier who’d dared cross me in a long time.
Brutality was the only thing that made me feel alive.
While the shithead would need time to learn how to walk again given the number of crushed bones I’d left him with, Chase should grateful I’d left him alive. It had surprised me that tonight’s level of brutality did little more than leave a bad taste in my mouth.
And a moment of repulsion.
Still, stealing was unacceptable, no matter the product or the terms. He’d confiscated a single bag of blow, the high-quality cocaine from a shipment I’d been waiting on for weeks. Whether his intention was to sell on the streets for extra cash or to snort up his nose personally didn’t matter.
“Send a message to the troops that disloyalty won’t be allowed,” I told my lieutenant as we exited the vehicle, heading toward one of the dozens of buildings I owned.
“How would you like me to do that, boss?” Andres asked. There was a hint of frivolity in his voice, more so than normal. He knew I appreciated using creative techniques while providing either a warning or in my methods of doling out punishment. I was well known for my horrific use of brutality as well as my vivid imagination.
I stopped short as we neared the building, taking a deep whiff and almost gagging. The stench of garbage was stronger than normal given the level of humidity in the air. “Send an email with a few of the photographs you took of Chase in his… new state of being.”
“Any caption?”
Exhaling, I rubbed my jaw. “Something to the effect of Chase has left the building in search of new legs.”
“You are a cruel man.”
“Yes, I am. And I’m good at it.”
Damn good at it. Violence was the only way I’d managed to cope with the demons over the last few years.
He chuckled as I opened the door, the sound providing a smile. I would never be considered a good man on anyone’s terms. That was certain.
As we headed toward the main doors leading to the factory, I glanced over my shoulder, studying the almost vacant street fronting the aging warehouse. The location had once housed a textile mill, some of the original pieces of equipment still inside. My family had purchased several buildings in the area, the location nestled in a part of Baltimore earmarked for the next great refurbishment of the grand city a future billion-dollar maker.
But for now, it was being used to increase the DiMaggio wealth with the family’s other profitable enterprise.
Cocaine.
I wasn’t necessarily proud of the operation, but my grandfather had built his empire from nothing after arriving in the United States with his mother and father from Spain decades before. My grandfather used to tell my brother and me tall tales about his dangerous escapades, becoming one of the most powerful and ruthless men in Baltimore by the time he was twenty-five. Even after all these years, his reputation and strangled hold on several major East Coast cities remained legendary.
Something lying near the building caught my eye, suddenly dragging me back to moments in my past. What appeared to be a brand-new stuffed animal was only a few feet away. A fucking lamb. Jesus. I raked my hand through my hair, realizing it was shaking.
“You okay, boss?” Andres asked as he flanked my side, still holding the door open as he concentrated his gaze in the direction of what I was looking at.
