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PROLOGUE
Salvatore
Three minutes. That’s the amount of time that decided I would be the head of the family and not my twin brother. Three minutes separated us from the very beginning. He came second, and it was my burden to be the first-born son. My father, Massimo Pitelli, was the proud father of two boys, and the devastated widower who lost his wife birthing those boys. A blessing and a curse, and he got one of each.
We were his greatest treasure and his constant reminder of how cruel this world can be, how love is only ever fleeting for those who choose this life. We went to the best schools, had the highest paid nannies in the city. Nothing in this world was denied to us — except our father’s love. Neither of us ever felt it, but my brother and I have a bond only twins can understand. A thread that tethers our souls to one another no matter how far apart we are. I can always feel him, and him me.
When we were finished our studies, we were taken into the family business which is olive oil, money laundering, racketeering, narcotics and recently, cybercrime and corporate espionage. Before that, we liked to steal pretty painting for rich Russians.
We have the best hackers in the world. There are governments who are jealous of what I can do, and they will always be trying to catch us.
Felix had other talents. While I hid behind technology, he had the gift of charm and could schmooze with the high and mighty. My brother likes people, I hate them. He is fun, I am serious. We are two halves of one person, some things he got, and some things I did not.
“We need to be at the gallery opening.”
I roll my eyes. I do not want to be in a room full of fake rich people pretending to understand art. “Sal, I can only do part of this job.”
He sighs, and I know I have to be there. I am the doppelgänger, the alibi and there’s no way we can steal the painting for my Russian friends without working together.
“I know,” I give up the fight, I can’t not go. “I will be there, and I will have the security system offline in five minutes so your team can get in and out before the champagne is served.” We work like a dream team, my brother smiles at me.
“Sal,” he stops and turns back to me, “something about this job feels off.” I am so glad he said it, I have been on edge and couldn’t put a finger on why.
“It does,” I agree, and he shrugs. “Do you want to call it off?”
He shakes his head. “No, they go to Germany next and it will be almost impossible to get it there. This is our chance, we have to do it tonight.”
Now that he said it, my gut won’t settle, and I have this itch that something is going to go wrong. I do what I do best, I follow the cyber breadcrumbs, and do some snooping. There’re hours before we need to be there — and I use almost all of them.
Intuition. It is rarely going to let you down. I pick up the phone and call the Russians first.
“It’s off,” I say to Aleksei, “the painting it hot, and we are walking into a trap.” There is silence on the line for a while before he says.
“I understand, thank you Sal.” The click of him ending the call is louder than his words.
I call my brother next, and when he finally answers I say, “The painting is hot, and Interpol have made you.” They have a whole file on my brother the sticky-fingered art thief. “You have to lay low, distract them. I don’t know, do anything else. Maybe it’s time you find yourself a wife.”
He laughs at me, and I wish he would listen, but I know he will not. Felix likes a challenge too much. The fact they think they will catch him only makes him want the painting more. He likes the cat and mouse game, the way I like to hack into other people’s lives. “Felix, don’t,” I say, but I already know he will.
“I will get it in Germany, hot or not,” he speaks.
***
Felix never made it to Germany. In the three weeks before the exhibition moved, my brother fell in love. I was happy for him, jealous of him, and mostly I felt as if I had lost my best friend and partner. We drifted apart, never too far, but he had a family and I had a burden.
Our father left me a place with The Kings, and I could no longer play games with stolen artworks. I had to be a man. The respect I needed had to be earned and it would take a lot for a young boss like me to get that. It was my time now to show why I was born three minutes before him. To prove I was the better man, and I was worthy of my place in a room with all the bosses.
My business had to evolve into one that would serve the whole group and not just me. It forced me to grow the fuck up. I might be reckless occasionally, but now it was my time to be the boss.
Three minutes sealed my fate.
My twin brother was free to live, and I was shackled to the responsibilities my father left to me. I was jealous of his carefree ability to do whatever he wanted. If I want something, I have to take it.
CHAPTER 1
Lucia
“I can’t believe they didn’t invite us,” I rage, tossing clothes out of my closet, unsure what I should wear to lunch today, “I mean what a way to snub the entire family. I am sure people will notice we are not in attendance.” My cousin Laura sits at the end of my bed listening to me let off steam, I think she is also bummed we are not going. Her boyfriend is going but was told she may not attend with him. “Everyone knows I was her best friend,” I moan, and think back to when we were children, when I would play at Vanessa’s aunt’s house.
