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“I’m going to kill the motherfucker. That’s what I’m going to do,” Luciano bellowed.
There was more rage in my brother’s voice than I’d heard in a long time. “You can’t kill Joseph Moretti.” While the Moretti family had been considered our enemy for years, our father had attempted to make a truce, offering one of our sisters as a potential bride for the brutal man’s oldest son and the one expected to take the throne when Joseph was killed or died of natural causes. At the point, I knew it would be the former. Yes, the entire Moretti family deserved to be wiped off the face of the earth. I had my personal reasons why, revenge almost all I’d been able to think about for years. However, for my brother to go off the deep end now could be traumatic for the entire family.
There were enemies all around us prepared to swoop in like freaking vultures. I might have been away from the family business for a few years, only recently lured back into the fold, but I knew exactly what we were facing.
The powerful hold the Cosa Nostra had once had on the city was waning, cartels and Russians breathing down our necks. The old methods taught in Sicily didn’t work in a technologically advanced city like New York. The various businesses were suffering, my brother concerned a traitor was in the mix providing information to God knew who. It was my job to find that out. I might hate my father and all he stood for, but no one fucked with my brother or sisters.
No one.
Luciano and I had been engaged in a phone conversation minutes earlier, his lack of patience making him refuse to wait until I arrived at his house. Then he’d ended the call, required to take another. Only minutes later he’d called me again, this time from his car, his rage uncontrollable.
“Like fucking hell I can’t. Goddamn this weather. I’m sick to death of winter.”
I glanced out the windshield, hoping to notice his car. He couldn’t be more than a couple of miles in front of me. At least I hoped that was the case, but with Luciano, when he made a decision, nothing would stop him from carrying it through.
No matter the consequences.
He was nuts for taking on the man without backup. I refused to allow that to happen. I only hoped I wouldn’t be too late.
“What the fuck happened?” The call had initiated what would end up becoming a war between two powerful entities. My brother had never become this unhinged.
“It doesn’t matter. The man will die,” he snarled.
Goddamn it. What the hell was wrong with him?
“Don’t do anything stupid. Just wait for me, for fuck’s sake. You know the kind of security he has in place.” I was a goddamn stockbroker, loathing the shit my family continued to undertake. Yes, we were powerful, my father having blackmailed or ‘convinced’ influential citizens that they would look the other way when business was handled, but I wanted no part of it. Luciano had insisted I take on a role. Up until now, I wasn’t interested in getting additional blood on my hands. However, the fact our father continued to insist Theodora marry the fucking pig pissed me off. Nico Moretti was nothing more than a primate who enjoyed breaking a man with his bare hands.
I knew my father well enough to know there was a hidden reason behind the marriage. I planned on finding out what it was. Luciano had been too busy putting out fires, attempting to keep our stronghold on our empire to figure out the great mystery.
“Hell, no, brother. One of my soldiers informed me that Joseph has plans on leaving town today. He’s already hiding in an alternate location like the coward he is. But I found him.” Luciano laughed maniacally, the sound as damning as what he was about to do. “My guess is he got word how unhappy I was in finding out he invaded our territory. Then the ultimate betrayal. Motherfucker.”
I’d already heard Moretti had ordered two of our men killed, which had set the stage for having him eliminated, but whatever Joseph had ordered in addition had set things in motion. I only hoped Luciano was ready for the fallout.
“I’ll be there in eight minutes.”
“The deed will be done by then,” Luciano said, half laughing. He enjoyed the hell out of this.
“Fine.” Hissing, I tossed the phone onto the seat. As my chest tightened, I glanced into the rearview mirror. I couldn’t recognize myself any longer. I’d spent years distancing myself from the family, pretending I had no responsibilities.
And I’d suffered, wallowing in self-pity like some wounded animal.
“You’re worthless,” my father had told me several times.
I was furious with myself for all the years that had been lost. Truthfully, I didn’t give a crap about the money or clout. I made a damn good living and enjoyed not having to look over my shoulder every two seconds. I slapped my hand on the steering wheel, the crunch of ice under the tires of the Charger another indication the timing couldn’t be worse.
That Luciano had managed to convince me to take a leadership position in running Club Rio was a reminder of his influential ability. Granted, he had too much on his plate already and no one outside of the family was allowed to run a single one of our businesses. I’d been given two choices. Take the second in command position over everything or manage the club. I’d chosen the latter, maybe because the corporation was completely legal. Hell, what did I know about running a freaking private men’s club? I’d never be king, a position I’d never wanted in the first place.
As I rounded the corner, forced to stop at a light, ugly memories of the past resurfaced. No. I refused to do that to myself. The Morettis had reared their ugly heads again after several years of playing fair in the sandbox, but the truce had obviously been temporary.
Why would they suddenly threaten our family when another deal had been made?
Something didn’t add up, but my brother was too embroiled in bloodlust to notice.
A few seconds later, I was far too impatient to wait, speeding through the red light, daring a fucking police officer to stop me. Maybe I was just like my father and brother after all.
With horns blaring, I pressed down on the accelerator until I noticed brake lights in the windshield. Forced to slow down then stop, I craned my neck to find out what the hell was going on. Five seconds passed. Ten. Then a full minute.
A sick feeling jetted into my system. I grabbed my phone, dialing my brother’s number. Four rings then his voicemail. Fuck. I leaned back in the seat, taking deep breaths. Nothing was moving.
