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As I walk out of my front door and make my way through the maze of corridors, I nod at a few of our new men who are starting their patrols in our compound. Many of them will get lost over the course of the next week or so as they find their footing in what is a new world here in New York—worlds apart from their Sicilian upbringing.
I walk farther down the hall until I reach our surgery.
Sebastian and I have built up our compound bit by bit over the years. First, purchasing all the properties around the entire block, building secure housing, basement levels that go deep underground, along with meeting rooms, surveillance rooms, a doctor’s surgery, and many panic rooms and supply rooms.
Sebastian and Goldie have their residence next door to mine, Carter has a smaller apartment across the way, and the whole building runs the perimeter of the entire square of the block. Our large garden is enclosed in the middle, where our friends and family play and where we have our social gatherings. Leo plays with his soccer balls and our men do their daily fitness. It is our peace in the mayhem. Our secure compound is impenetrable; no one can come in or out without either massive fire power or stealth knowledge.
I sigh as I walk around the next corner and then into our infirmary. The doctor and nurse are there waiting for me, having been called in to assess the damage from today’s activities. They are some of the top surgeons from the nearby hospital. We have them on our payroll, and while they don’t always like to come to help us and get in the middle of our messes, we pay them handsomely and they are good associates of ours. I nod to them in greeting, and I can see they have everything ready to stitch me up and send me on my way. Plonking down in the chair, I remain silent as I let them get to work, before my head snaps up at a voice coming from the doorway.
“I leave you for a few weeks and you already need stitches?” Sebastian laughs as he waltzes through the door with Carter. The two of them with smirks on their faces as I jump up from the chair and greet him. I love Sebastian like a brother; our bond could never be broken. We hug one another with solid back slaps and laugh.
“Good to see you back in town. When did you get in?” I ask, knowing that he mustn’t have been in town long, since he was only in Sicily yesterday.
“An hour ago. Goldie is resting, and then I walked into Carter on my way to your place, and he filled me in on what happened,” Sebastian says, his eyebrows raised in question as he takes in my nasty gash.
Goldie has tamed him a little. He is still lethal, of that there is no doubt, but he is happier, almost joyful, and I know she has had a positive impact on him.
“Yeah, we got Federico tonight, but Dominic is still proving to be elusive,” I grit out, still not thrilled that we only got one brother. To be honest, I expected him to be more forthcoming, but he remained tight-lipped. Even when pushed, he still doesn't know how to kill a man, which is apparent from the slice in my shoulder just now. I took pleasure in using his own knife to slice it across his throat merely an hour ago. Unfortunately, most of his blood went directly onto my torso, kindly washed off by Little Red, and as I sit back down in the chair for our doctor to continue stitching me up, the thought of Little Red's hands on my body is enough for me to adjust myself.
Fuck, I need to get a grip.
Sebastian’s eyes narrow at my sudden change in demeanor, and Carter stifles a laugh, at which I scowl.
“What am I missing?” Sebastian asks, looking back and forth between Carter and me.
“Nothing,” I say at the same time as Carter.
“Fucking spill it,” Sebastian says, and I sigh, looking at him in the eye.
Sebastian’s eyes drill into mine, and a small smile appears on his lips.
“Ahh, the little redhead is still here, isn’t she?” Of course he hits the nail on the head. A sly grin turns to pure joy across his face at the fact that I am now the one with a woman on my mind. Something he battled with not long ago after meeting Goldie.
I look down at the doctor's hands as he takes the small needle and threads my skin together. Carter passes me a glass of whiskey, which I make quick work of to help dull the throbbing.
“So where is Dominic?” Sebastian asks as he types something into his cell phone, changing the topic and getting us all back on track.
“No idea. He is hiding like the rat he is,” I spit out, and Sebastian looks back up at me.
“He is filth, Dante. What he did to Angelina is unforgivable, but we need to remain focused. I need our money back and then we kill him.”
“I have some men monitoring his local haunts. We are watching his cell activity as well. We will find him soon,” Carter adds, and I watch Sebastian as his attention goes back to his phone.
“He will make a mistake, and when he does, we will pounce,” I add. He won't let the death of his brother go too long before seeking revenge. I watch as Sebastian continues to look at his cell, typing out messages, his behavior unusual. He is always focused on work, so I wonder what he is doing.
“Who are you texting?” I ask, and his eyes flick to me. Carter and I are the only ones who can question him and even then, he barely tolerates it. But he smirks at me again.
“Goldie. I told her about your little redhead, so she is going to come to your place to meet her tomorrow. You know, girl shit.” He winks, and I groan. This is Sebastian’s way of finding out more about her, ensuring she is someone who should stick around. He is as protective of me as I am of him and after the debacle of my arranged marriage, even more so. The fact that I haven’t ever had a woman in my life for more than one night since my ex-wife, and now Little Red has been in my bed for weeks obviously gives him reason to investigate.
Sebastian will also want to see if she is someone who can remain in the fold. Goldie is a pretty good judge of character. I am not concerned, although I prefer to keep Little Red to myself while I sort out what to do with her, not yet wanting to ever let her go, but knowing I need to at some point. I can’t keep her locked in my place forever, no matter how much I want to.
“She got Leo to laugh out loud,” I say to him, and both he and Carter stop dead still, looking at me in astonishment.
“What the fuck?” Sebastian asks, pure shock on his face. As Leo’s godfather, he has a special connection with my son, and would protect him with his life, Carter too. So I know they understand the breakthrough that has happened.
“How did she do that?” Carter asks in awe.
“I have no fucking idea, but it was the best sound I have heard in a long time,” I say, pausing to get my thoughts together before they leave. “We need to find Dominic. We need to get our money, and then I need to kill him, because he will be out for blood, and he knows the way to get me is through Leo. Now Little Red is also on his radar.” I look between the two of them, anger starting to well inside my body. “And I will die before either one of them gets hurt.”
