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"Killing him was a better option than abducting his niece and putting us in danger," he argued.
"I had the same thought, but seeing him again made me wonder why he had betrayed the family. When it came to family matters, Fred was a cold and efficient man. Father trusted him, and you did as well. If he was working for a larger adversary, I'd like to know every detail before killing him," I went on.
"Even so, they might start looking for the girl," my uncle speculated.
"I promise I'll kill him and leave his niece free once I figure out why he betrayed you," I told my uncle firmly, tired and fed up with being questioned.
"I've made up my mind. Because of his niece, Fred will crack and talk. She is more valuable to him than his life," I continuedbefore getting up from my seat.
He was staring at me with no expression on his face. We rarely disagreed, so the tension between us was tangible now. He had been a mentor to me for many years, and I had learned a lot from him. There was nothing I didn't do for him, but now that I was the head of the family, I called the shots. I could tell it made him uncomfortable.
My unclehad a friend and a more willing listener in my late brother Paul, unlike me.
Mad, I walked up the stairs and into the corridor. Vanessa's room was on the left side of the house, and just thinking about her made my cock throb. I hadn't been able to shake her from my thoughts all day. Looking down the hallway to her room, I realized a part of me had already become addicted to her.
So I decided it was best to proceed directly to my room. I was determined to cut ties with anything or anyone who could make me weak. Even though Vanessa was my prisoner, my desire for herwas alarming.
You're still handling this. I tried to convince myself that I was still in control. I knew I had to believe it or else everything would go horribly wrong, and that was no longer a risk I was willing to take.
* * *
LUKE
I was old enoughnot to be surprised by many things. My paralysis gave me even more perspective because it slowed me down to a level that rendered me capable ofnoticingthings that others didn't. It served as a constant physical reminder to never underestimate anyone.
Nonetheless, about nine years after my arm was paralyzed, I made the same error with my nephew, Ethan. He'd always been a hothead, but he was easy to control when he was young.
Once upon a time, I would tell him to jump off a cliff, and the only question he would ask before complying would be fromwhich one. I could still hear his words echoing in my head; he sounded eerily similar to his father, which bothered me greatly.
He's out of control.
Being out of control as the head of the Levine Mafia Family meant only one thing: he didn't obey me. Paul was wise enough to listen to me and would have lived longer had he been tough enough for our world. Alas, he hadn't done so. My brother had mostly listened to me, but all it took was one day to be without me. He was gunned down like a helpless little girl in the street.
Though Ethan was more ruthless than either his late brother or father, I could see him going astray by believing he could make his own decisions and disregard me.
I taught him everything he knows, but he was foolish enough to think he was now an independent man.
What Ethan didn't realize was that the Levine Mafia could notexist without me. He was a loud don, killing openly and daring his opponents to react. As always, I knew it was up to me to keep things on track.
I noticed a shift in the guards' demeanor as they returned to the room. Though they pretended not to notice, I am certain they’d sensed the tension between us. They didn't look me in the eyes when I made eye contact, but their postures were guilty. That night, I was plagued by clarity rather than paranoia.
When I rosefrom my seat, they all stiffened up. At that moment, Iknew I was right. They still feared me, and I was grateful for that. They knew who they needed to fear and respect.
I walked out of the dining room and toward the door. The house was deafeningly quiet, but I deserved no less. Only Ethan seemed to have forgotten how dangerous I was. That was a problem I needed to solve before the disease spread to the rest of the family.
When I returned to my car, I dialed a number. The call was answered on the first ring, but I didn't say anything until I was on the road.
"Dylan," I said firmly.
"Yes, father," my son said sharply after waiting for me to speak and by doing so lettinghim know it was safe for us to speak.
"Get back to Chicago as soon as possible," I told him. I'm going to need to take action, and I'll need someone whom I can trust to do so.
"Yes, father," Dylan responded flatly.
