As we exit the building, I turn to Dominic. “I can’t believe you pulled out your gun and threatened Rachel like that.”
His mouth curls slightly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Cipriani Capuano.” He changes the subject. “Well, it looks like we know who the killer is.”
I slip on my sunglasses. “I don’t know. Valerio is a capo. But he’s not the kind of person who's going to carry out a shooting himself. He hires people to do it for him.”
“Maybe it was personal. After all, you said he hates women in power. You’re not just a threat to his ego. You’re a wall he can’t get past. I’m sure he would love to take over your territories and expand his own empire.” Dominic opens the car door for me.
“But why hide behind the Marconi name?”
“So no one will suspect him, obviously.” Dominic enters the driver’s side.
“I need to talk to him.”
Dominic brushes my hand as he starts the car. “We’ll face him together and bring him down piece by piece.”
I don’t reply and look out the window as he drives off.
It would take a lot for Valerio to carry out his own hit.
He likes to linger in the shadows and give orders.
But if he is the person behind all of this, then I’m going to make sure he regrets ever underestimating this queen.
Chapter twenty-seven
Secrets are always fun until the walls give out and there’s nowhere to run.
Secrets can be some of the most frustrating things to decipher, especially when one wrong move can lead to death.
A few days have passed since the encounter at my house. I’ve been busy running the empire, and Dominic has had to work some of his other cases.
Now it’s Thursday and I’m happy to be back in his company. We are driving to Valerio’s to pay him a visit. I’m unsure what I’m going to do if Valerio is the one behind all of this.
Dominic seems to feel the same way I do, his finger tapping on the wheel is a dead giveaway.
The low purr of the Maserati is the only sound between us. Each of us lost in our own thoughts.
“Are you ready for this?” he asks, keeping his eyes on the road.
My fingers play with the diamond pendant around my neck. “Readiness is a survival trait in our world. If you’re not constantly alert, you’re dead.”
He shakes his head, eyes still locked on the road. “That’s what I hate about your world.”
My fingers tighten on the pendant. “What?”
“The constant state of war. The paranoia. The innocent blood that’s shed. Killing for no reason. Breaking the law. Racketeering. Instilling fear in the hearts of others just to gain power and money.”
I’m a little taken aback by his comment. I wasn’t expecting bitterness and insults this morning. “Well…it’s not always about that…it’s about tradition…family…”
“You mean the poison disguised as tradition?” Dominic snaps. “Many times the mafia will eat its own to gain profit. They sucker you in and promise you the world, only to make you bleed.”
Damn, what crawled up his ass and died this morning.
Dominic has been known to run hot and cold.
A part of me wants to defend the family legacy out of loyalty to my father, but in some areas, Dominic’s not wrong.
But I have a feeling this isn’t about me or my family.
