Page 28 of Vow

“What patience?”

“Exactly.”

Pink laughed. “What did you need, boss?”

Finally.

Back to the business Andino wanted to do. Or rather, business that needed done as soon as possible.

“I need someone dead, actually,” Andino said. “And I figured you’re as good of a man as any to do the job.”

Pink arched a brow. “Which man?”

“A Calabrese Capo, actually. The one Kev Calabrese always keeps close.”

The enforcer whistled low under his breath. “Damn. I mean, next to Kev’s own brother, you’re striking out pretty close to the top there, boss.”

“I’m not playing around anymore.”

Dante might not want to respond for what the Calabrese did to Andino, but he was sure as hell going to respond. Then, and only then, would Andino try to make some kind of peace with the bastards like his uncle wanted.

Or, it was going to seem that way.

Andino was a damn good liar.

“Didn’t the boss put out word that we weren’t to antagonize the Calabrese, and we were to stay out of their way as much as possible until the rest of this was settled?” Pink asked. “Because something like this sounds like exactly the opposite of what he wants.”

There was a method to Andino’s madness even if it didn’t seem clear, or he wasn’t willing to give all the answers right away. This was how he worked, and he wasn’t going to apologize for it, or explain himself.

“You’ll do the hit, won’t you?” Andino asked instead of responding to the man’s statement.

“If you tell me to,” the enforcer replied.

“I’m telling you to.”

Pink relaxed in the chair a bit. “And when do you want me to follow this hit through, boss?”

“Tonight. Make a show of it. I don’t want it to look like an accident. I want it to be very clear that it was intentional, and that it came from us.”

“Us, as in … the whole family, and not just you.”

Andino smiled. “You can’t let the snakes get away with even one bite or with the next one, they’ll swallow you whole.”

He couldn’t help if his uncle disagreed.

That wasn’t his problem.

• • •

Andino knew the very next minute after the hit had gone through on the Calabrese Capo because Pink was quick to call him. The enforcer knew how to follow directions, thankfully.

But even if Andino hadn’t known … had Pink decided to wait even ten more minutes before calling his boss, Andino still would have known the hit went through successfully because in their business, word like that was quick to make the rounds.

So fast, in fact, that before Andino even hung up the phone with Pink, Dante was already calling. His uncle barely said a word other than to spit out an order for Andino to get to the mansion right fucking now.

Somebody isn’t happy.

That was putting it mildly.