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“She’ll never be fucking safe so long as any of the Severinos are alive.”
He shifts a little, his thirst for their blood seeming to be the only thing that will make him perk up. It’s a good thing that’s exactly what I’m looking for as well.
“She wants her freedom, and I’m going to give it to her.”
He takes a step closer. “Can you get to the fucking point? She isn’t fucking here to listen to all these goddamned declarations. You had me at kill the entire family.”
I’d grin at his reaction if I wasn’t sure he’d slice my throat for having the nerve to look pleased.
“First, we have to track them down. I’ve been out of the loop—”
“They’re back in fucking Chicago. I don’t want to hear how you’ve been spending the last couple of weeks,” he growls.
“Listen, I know she’s your sister, but she’s a fucking adult, and I think—”
“I said shut your fucking mouth. I don’t give a shit about Madelene Lombardi.”
My heart pounds in my chest. I hate the way he spits her name. Anyone who has ever spent a little time with the woman could easily be lured into her orbit. Her brother should, of all people, care about her. It makes me wonder if reaching out to him was the right thing to do.
He seemed protective of her at the office, if not seriously annoyed she was standing in front of him, but he also walked away from her, let her and their parents believe he was dead. Maybe he doesn’t have good intentions at all.
“If you don’t give a shit about her then why are you so fucking willing to go against the Severino family?” I ask, unable to keep the disdain from my tone.
“I’ve been planning on killing them for years. Never had anyone so eager and willing to jump in front of a bullet so I have time to get a shot off before.” The man looks me up and down. “Do you really think she cares that you’re willing to die for her?”
I take another step forward, less concerned now about our size difference than I was when he first walked up.
“They’ve put her through hell and back. They killed her best friend.”
He growls, coming nose to nose with me much like we were back at the office. “Don’t talk to me about Maya. You don’t have a fucking clue what all I lost that day.”
I want to scratch at the pain that flashes in his eyes because it’s the first true emotion I think I’ve gotten from the guy other than anger, but my suicide mission can’t end here tonight. I need to cage his rage at least until we can get to Chicago and finally set Madelene free.
I hold my hands up, easing back a couple of steps.
“We may have two different reasons for wanting them all dead, and I’m okay with that.”
I get the feeling that Elio and Maya had more going on than even Madelene may know, but revealing family secrets isn’t part of my plan.
He calms down enough for a plan to be formulated. The man knows a lot about the family and the ins and outs of their compound, but I can also tell he knows more than he discloses. He has no obligation to confide in me, to tell me everything he knows. I don’t think he was joking when he said he was fully expecting me to take a bullet so he could end Alessio Severino for good. I also don’t think I’ll back out even knowing that’s how things will go down.
Two hours later, we’ve made our decisions and talked through what needs to happen and who’s responsible for what.
We both got stuck on who gets to pull the trigger, him arguing that I got to kill the man he’s wanted dead for years, so it’s only fair that he gets to take out the other Severino brother. I finally agreed, but will pull the trigger on sight of the man if given the chance.
I know with the information that he’s disclosed that neither of us may be able to make it past the front gate, but we both seem very willing and very eager to die in Chicago.
My avoidance of the city will come to an end very soon.
The second we’ve agreed what will go down, Elio walks away.
I don’t hesitate to follow him, thinking maybe he’ll head back to the hotel where he’s staying and it will allow me some form of closure with Mads, but he hits the highway instead. Nash refused to tell me what hotel he was staying at, only agreeing to make contact with Elio and set up tonight’s meeting.
If I survive this, I may have to beat the shit out of him again. If I die, Madelene will no doubt be better off without any of us brutal assholes in her life.
