AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Scanning the yard to make sure the coast is clear, I field texts from my family asking why I’m late to my father’s latest check-up, as if my presence really holds any weight, and a few from Boyd with details on some security footage from The Bar. I make my way down the street the Montaltos live on, admiring the sun peeking out over Lake Koselomal and how, if you didn’t know any better, you’d never guess there’s a murderer in those woods across from this row of elite homes.
You’d never guess the ghosts hidden among those trees, caught on the limbs like spiderwebs.
My car sits at the very end of the street, tucked back against a wall of shrubbery on a strip of gravel typically reserved for police officers trying to hit their quota. As I approach, a dark figure I’m not at all surprised to see rounds the side; his arms cross over his chest, an expensive watch glittering in the sunlight, and I know what he’s going to say before I even fully register that he’s here.
“We need to talk.”
“Montalto. I was seriously hoping not to see you again so soon.”
Elia rolls his eyes. “Spend less time sneaking into my house and violating my sister-in-law, and you probably wouldn’t.”
My tongue clicks, arrogance as I lean against the car at his side making him stiffen. He steps away, eyeing me with a hard glare. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
“She’s not some prostitute you can just use and discard, you know.” He frowns. “The Harrison sisters are… in a fucking league of their own.”
“Jesus, I’m not proposing to her. Just getting my dick wet and trying to keep her from spying on me.” It’s not thefulltruth, but with the faraway look in his eyes, I don’t think he’s paying me much attention anyway. “Also, I don’t fuck prostitutes. That’s a Montalto staple.”
His jaw tics as he snaps back and shoves his hands in his coat pockets. “You need to leave her alone.”
“That sounds like a threat, Elia. I thought we’d called a truce?”
“Truces don’t cover when one party fucks another’s family member, dickbag. Besides, you working for me is not the same as a cease and desist order, which we never formalized anyway.”
“Right.” I rock back on my heels, nodding. “So, I’m good enough to get my hands bloody for you, to save your precious Juliet from assault, but not enough for you to be civil with. Makes perfect sense. I can see why you’re the unofficial king of this town. Totally diplomatic.”
Taking several steps forward, he stops just a breath away; we’re nearly the same height, but where I’m lean and stealthy, Elia’s bulky and toned, able to throw his body weight around in more meaningful ways. Plus, I know there’s a .22 strapped around his waist right now, can see the outline of it through his dress shirt, and I don’t bring weapons to sleepovers.
A stupid tactic, really, considering how easy it’d be for Juliet to kill me in my sleep. But, she’d be doing the world a favor, anyway.
“Your family might have that little tech empire, but make no mistake about who you live for inside these city limits. Who cuts you checks when you bring bodies to my doorstep. Who gives you an outlet for the sick little fantasies that manifest in your twisted mind.”
I smile, unable to stop it. “Are you jealous that I’m not testing those fantasies out on you? I mean, jeez, Elia, as a dad and husband now, I thought your days of experimenting would be over. But I remember the rumors about your right hand, Gia? Maybe—”
His hands come up, fisting my collar and yanking me close. “I will kill you,cazzo. Don’t mistake my domesticity for softness. If I didn’t need your help right now, I’d put a bullet through the back of your skull and gift Juliet your dick on a silver platter.”
Reaching up, I grab the wrist with the expensive watch and latch my fingers around it; taking my opposite hand, I press against the thumb curled at my chest and shove him back, feeling the slightest pop at the pressure. It catches him off guard and he drops the hold on my hoodie, staggering back a half-step and swearing under his breath.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” I growl, brushing my chest off and straightening against the car. “Worst thing about provoking the Devil is that he doesn’t have anything to lose,capo.”
He exhales harshly, his hand itching toward the gun beneath his dress shirt. I smirk, knowing the feeling.
“Do it. You know she won’t forgive you.”
A tic flares under his stormy eyes, the pulse of it making my skin crawl. His hand falls to his side. “You can’t tell me she actually sees something in you.”
I shrug. “Maybe it’s more about whatIsee.”
Several beats of silence pass between us, two of the most depraved men in our tiny little town. The only two with the power to make it bend to our will, bow down in our wake. King’s Trace debauched royalty.
After a heavy sigh, Elia scrubs a hand through his black hair, adjusting his suit jacket on his shoulders. “Look, I didn’t come out here to get into some sort of pissing match. I’m not interested in that shit. I want to offer my help, since you’re fucking around with someone important to me.”
“Are you trying to make a deal with me, Elia? You know how that usually goes.”
“You talk too goddamn much.” He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest. “Yeah, a deal of sorts. Although, you certainly stand to gain a lot more from it than I do.”
I stare, waiting, on guard and untrusting.
“But I need your word. Your obedience to secrecy.Omerta.”
