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I casually glanced at Mattia, realizing this was a conversation that should have been held in private.
“We are facing a crisis, the Bratva determined to destroy our way of life. There is someone who requires extermination immediately. This is something you must do without hesitation. It will further prove your loyalty to me.” Franco’s statement was strong, but I sensed something rare. The man was anxious.
Loyalty. Perhaps he should use the word deity to the end. He believed himself God amongst men, lording it over everyone, especially me. I narrowed my eyes, curious where this was going. “Go on.”
“You will hunt your prey, discovering vital information, learning every secret kept locked away. Then you will strike, eliminating a family enemy, which is something you should have no trouble doing. After all, you are nothing but an animal. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I will,” I answered, the power of my voice booming in his expansive office. Violence was the only thing that soothed the ugliness deep within. He’d used my hatred and rage for years, my hands just as deadly as any weapon. The family had several enemies, Italy fractured by the various criminal organizations. Since I could remember, the Lazarros and the Romanos had been fighting amongst themselves as well as with the DeLuca family, but there were others just as hungry to claim the leadership position. I was curious which particular enemy had topped the radar.
I fisted my bruised hand around the thick crystal glass and even the simple act stretched my scarred skin, a reminder that I was nothing but a tool to be used for vengeance. I’d endured years of conditioning, experiencing excruciating torture at the hands of the savage man. He’d molded me to becoming a machine, a price paid for being scooped off the streets. He’d finally stripped away the hopeful boy inside, replacing the terrified kid with a killing machine capable of heinous acts.
Yet even he had no idea the kind of monster he’d created.
Snarling, I tensed my muscles, expecting an electric shock from the cattle prod he often used. But none came.
Instead, my adopted father moved in front, eyeing me carefully. I was several inches taller, fifty pounds heavier, yet even though his body was racked from fighting the sickness slowly killing him, he was still a formidable man capable of significant violence. “There is no room for error, or for catering to your desires for longer than necessary. Do not fail me or you will lose your right to rule my kingdom.”
“Who is this man?” I asked, the gravel in my voice making the sound guttural. My chest rose and fell from the eagerness to claim a victim.
Mattia laughed, lifting his glass as if this was a celebration.
“Not a man but a woman.”
I turned my head, searching his eyes. There was far too much glee in them. Up to this point, killing a woman was rare, usually determined by betrayal, the reason he’d sliced the throat of his own wife. Her infidelity had been caught on camera. She’d been punished in front of the entire household, dozens of his soldiers, until her body lay bleeding and broken. Only then had he shown her any sign of mercy by slashing her throat. I’d been left to pick up the pieces.
“Who is it?” I snarled.
“The very woman who destroyed your entire family.”
What the fuck was he talking about? A cold shiver sliced through me. The man had taunted me for years, dangling a carrot that he used in his methods of control.
He let the words hang, allowing me time to process them. I lifted my head, my heart immediately beating faster. What he was suggesting wasn’t possible. The woman who’d scorned our friendship, betraying me was protected, a perfect princess living in her palace of dreams.
“Will you play for me, Dar?”
“I have work to do.”
“Pu-lease? You can’t say no to me. Play my favorite song. Just once.”
“You shouldn’t be here, but fine.”
Fuck. The vivid memory took me by surprise, my heart instantly racing. I clenched my jaw, refusing to show any emotion.
Franco laughed, giving me a nod of approval. “I can tell you do remember. Sweet little Lucia Lazarro, the one who locked the people you cared about the most inside the barn, forcing you to watch them die fifteen years ago. I remember your burns from carrying your dead sister from the ashes. At least they’ve healed nicely.”
Closing my eyes, I did what I could to drive the memory away.
Just like now, at first Franco had laughed at my sorrow, brutalizing me until I’d toughened up. And I had. So much so all that was left was utter hatred and rage. I swallowed bile rising in my throat, glaring into his eyes. This was nothing more than a test of my loyalty.
“Such a pity. Such a tremendous loss. Your mother. Your father. Your little sister and brother. All taken from you.”
His taunting brought back the wretched memories, the bloodcurdling screams that had never left my mind. Even now I could hear their woeful voices as they’d taken their last breaths.
The fury erupted from deep inside, becoming suffocating, my mind trying to process what he was telling me. “No.”No!
“Yyeesss…” A smirk crossed Franco’s face, his eyes lit with the same fire I’d felt for years. As he pulled a picture into the dim light, he waited for my reaction. “She is beautiful, yes? Very different from the young girl you saw last. She’s successful now, a true Lazarro. I’ve heard she’s quite formidable, using her intelligence and beauty to claim her next victim.”
I could tell Mattia was weighing my reaction carefully, a viper prepared to strike given any weakness shown. Fuck him.
