Page 97 of Worth of Waste

Yeah, over the years, he’d watched people like Damian Rossi.

He learned things about them. Things he could use if he ever needed to.

That time had finally come.

Damian didn’t like attention, and he liked being free to do his own thing, even if that freedom came at a cost where others lost for him to win. He didn’t like others making moves on his life that would put him in a position where he didn’t want to be, and he didn’t mind culling people who spoke out against him.

A few choice words, a bit of manipulation on Dino’s part, and he could already see that Damian wasn’t about to let the men around him make choices on his future within the Outfit without his say so.

“I don’t care what you do about it, really,” Dino said, “as long as your end of the bargain with me regarding Lily and the marriage is kept.”

Damian didn’t reply.

Dino didn’t really need him to.

What was done, was already done.

Just like that.

So easy.

“Except, of course, Ben,” Dino added after a moment. “You see, in order to keep Lily safe, Ben needs to go. He’ll be vocal about his dislike of you, and of this whole thing, really. And as it is, he already doesn’t like you very much because the boss is fond of you. Either I can worry about that, or you can, Damian.”

“And what about the people who will look to retaliate for Ben?” Damian asked.

Dino shrugged. “Deal with it, I suppose.”

“You make it sound easy.”

Wasn’t it?

Damian was a decent guy underneath his dangerous exterior, but he was just like everybody else in the Outfit. For the betterment of themselves, for their family.

The only difference was Dino had effectively just made Lily and Theo a part of Damian’s family, too.

He’d have to push the younger hitman along, force his hand, probably, to do what needed to be done, but Damian would do it.

He was good like that.

And as long as Lily and Theo had a place to land softly when all of it was said and done, then Dino figured the blood that would stain his hands—and even Damian’s—would be worth it in the end.

Dino wasn’t going back to prison.

He was still sticking to that, no matter what.

No way in hell would he leave his family out to dry at the end, either.

This was just the beginning.

“Dino.”

The call of his name drew Dino’s attention up from the glass of wine he was holding. Terrance stared at him expectantly from the other end of the table, waiting as the boss usually did for his man to speak up when he knew there was news to share.

After all, Dino couldn’t make all the important calls regarding his family without vetting some of them through the boss.

The marriage had been just one.

Terrance had thought it would be good to … announce it.