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“You’re a generous soul. Why not just kill her?”
“Because, difficult as this may be to understand, I don’t kill unless I have to. That’s why you’re still alive, and why Clarissa and Sophie get to live out their lives in peace. You should be thanking me, Jack. I saved you, despite your apparent weakness in letting Vincenzo live.”
“Weakness?” I screw up the paper, holding it over the candle in the middle of the table, staring at her as the flames lick my fingers. The pain doesn’t make me flinch. “Since when did you ever call me weak?”
“Not physically, but mentally. You let a man live who deserved to die. Ever think you’re losing your edge? Do you not remember what he did to Isobel’s parents?”
“I remember it well.”
“So explain it to me. Why’d you let the Feds scoop him up instead of whacking him?”
“Two reasons. You gave me the proof I needed to make sure he went away for killing Clarissa’s dad when you put the memory card in the box. He gets to spend the rest of his life in a Supermax thinking about what he did.”
“And the second reason?”
“Clarissa asked me not to kill him.”
“That simple? A random woman asks you not to do something so you don’t do it?”
“She’s not a random woman.”
She clasps her hands to her cheeks in mock shock. “Oh, my. Jack’s in love. I never would have thought it possible.”
“Fuck you.”
“Seriously, I’m happy for you. That’s great news. Lord knows you need some happiness in your life. Guess what, I knew you loved her from the first time you fucked her. I see everything. You should go tell her.”
“I told you, I’m staying out here. It’s what she wanted. I’m listening to her. I’ll raise Isobel out here, turn it into an extended vacation. I’ve got the money you paid me for the job. Clarissa doesn’t have a killer around her daughter. It all works out fine.”
“If you’re sure about this.”
“I am.”
“So what do you want me to do with her inheritance? She was adamant she wouldn’t touch it.”
“I gave you the list.”
“You want to give the entire fortune to charity? Are you insane?”
“She doesn’t want to touch it. I’m not taking it. Are you?”
“Not mine. It’s hers.”
“Exactly.”
“I’ll work something out, I guess. What about you? What will you do for money?”
“You paid me for taking down Vincenzo. I’ll be all right.”
She takes a sip of coffee. “Not having second thoughts? You could come work for me in the famiglia. Could do with an enforcer I can trust.”
“If you want my opinion, you’ll shut the famiglia down.”
“Are you insane?” She sounds surprised, her eyes widening as she examines me like I’m an imposter. “Where’s Jack, and what have you done with him?”
“You walk back into famiglia life and it’ll swallow you whole.”
“You sound like a pussy. What happened to the Jack who killed without a second thought?”
