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Santino nods to me, and I close the door behind myself. “What did I miss?”
“Not much,” Lucia says as she settles herself in Rubio’s lap. “Rubio swears he has no idea what Giulio Pavone is up to, but I find that very, very hard to believe.” She pats his cheek condescendingly. “I’m the nice one, Rubio. If you just tell me what I want to know, you won’t have to play with Angelo.”
“You arenotthe nice one,” Angelo says with amusement. “I still remember what you did to the last guy we got down here.” He holds up the knife to inspect it. “I don’t think my knife is as sharp as your nails were that day.”
She rakes said nails across Rubio’s cheek, just enough to leave a hint of a red mark behind. She pauses to admire it, and I take a moment to drink in the sight of her. She’s learned beautifully, the vicious streak she has cultivated by Angelo and me as she seeks out information on where her sister is being held. Giulio Pavone is a threat to us, even if he doesn’t seem like he wants to continue where his father left off, and he holds leverage over us as long as he has Vanessa.
“So tell me, what exactly brings you to Benton City?” she inquires, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.
“N-nothing! Just visiting friends! New job with… with Pierino…” Rubio looks at me pleadingly. “Mr. Corvi, please. I’m only here because of Pierino. Call off your dogs.”
I give a disappointed sigh and hold up my hands. “They aren’t my dogs to call off. Angelo and Lucia are their own people. I’ve been told I need to learn to respect their boundaries, so I’m doing my best here.”
Lucia, Angelo, and Santino all stifle laughter. Rubio is far less amused, especially when Lucia starts to pop open the buttons on Rubio’s shirt.
“Last time the guy died a bit fast,” Lucia says casually. “So don’t start with his heart, Angelo. He needs to be alive to give us information.”
“I always forget that part,” Angelo says woefully. “I get so caught up in the moment…”
Rubio is pale, sweat trickling more quickly down his face. “I don’t know anything important!”
Lucia bares his chest, examining him as she pulls the fabric apart. She threw up after the last time Angelo tortured someone in front of her, but I’m not going to tell Rubio that. It won’t stop her from pretending she’s as bloodthirsty as the rest of us.
Maybe it isn’t as much of a pretense as it was before. She’s changed, in all the best ways, ever growing stronger.
She draws a circle around Rubio’s nipple with her nail. “I think you should start with this nipple. Men don’t need nipples anyway.”
“Sure thing,” Angelo answers as he steps closer. “Saint, you gonna record all this?”
Santino nods and holds up his camera. “Yep. Don’t worry, there’s going to be a lot of fun footage. I already know a few people who would love to see this.”
To Rubio’s credit, he holds out decently long. He does lose a nipple, and a finger, but soon he’s sobbing everything he knows to Lucia while she pets his hair in fake comfort. Santino verifies it all, and all that’s left after that is cleanup.
Lucia stalks over to me while Angelo handles that part, and she wraps her arms around my neck. “See? I told you there were still a few rats left to sniff out.”
I smile at her. “Oh, I didn’t doubt you. But I wanted to watch you hunt them down on your own.”
There’s a flash of vulnerability in her gaze, and I reach up to cup her cheek with my hand. “What if I miss something? I’m not… I’m still learning, Victor.”
“We’re always still learning, love,” I tell her. “I’ll step in if I feel I need to, but don’t underestimate yourself.”
“Hey, you didn’t even throw up this time,” Angelo says cheerfully.
She shoots him a dirty look, but he grins, unrepentant.
“You don’t have to keep bringing that up,” Santino chimes in, though he’s paying more attention to his camera than any of us.
“Thank you, Saint,” Lucia says pointedly.
I take another look around the basement. Rubio is… not quite dead yet, but will be soon. There might be fallout with Pierino over that, but after Bellini’s demise, I’m more powerful than ever. Angelo’s reputation is growing, and Santino’s work in the shadows continues to expand.
And I have Lucia in my arms, beautiful and deadly in her own way.
I lean down to kiss her. She gives a surprised squeak, but quickly kisses me back, pressing her body closer to mine.
“Hey, no fair,” Santino complains. “Victor didn’t even do anything. Angel and I did all the work.”
Lucia turns and arches a brow at him.
