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Katia was.
And I sawred.
“Lucca?”
I bent down, and in between my knuckles, I caught the tarp and lowered it down the innocent body.
It was a woman. Her hair, skin, and height matched Katia’s, but her build was slightly different, and her bloodless features were off. She’d worn a yellow summer dress that now filled her torso and abdomen with bullet holes. A whole clip had been unloaded onto her frame. With each entry wound, the yellow was replaced with shades of deep red and burnt orange, creating an ombre of death. One of her strapped sandals was missing, and her toes showed raw gashes and chipped nails from her weight being dragged across the ground.
She’d been killed and left to bleed, only to later be disposed of near one of my abandoned docks. Only a few knew it was mine. It was the only explanation for the missing blood puddles and the discoloration of her body. She may have been found today, but the old rope marks on her wrists spoke of days of misery.
“Glove?”
I couldn’t leave a trail behind. Fingerprints could be left on any solid surface, including the human body.
When I felt the latex over my outstretched hand, I slid my fingers through it as I looked at her face. So young, soincorrupt, her only sin was the hair and skin tone she’d been born with. My hand inched closer, and my thumb ran over her closed eyes. I had to check. I pulled her eyelid open and met the color green.
I breathed in through my mouth as my jaw locked painfully at the color.
Again.
This was the second dead body with similar characteristics and eye color ashers. I knew from the first victim it was meant for me, but I never acted out of emotion. Instead, my moves were strictly strategies that would eventually outsmart and slowly kill my target. I had to confirm it wasn’t a hoax before making my move.
The first could have been mistaken for a deal gone wrong. The junkie was too desperate for her next fix at the cost of her own life. If it hadn’t been for how similarly she’d been left. Moved from the place of the murder. Dried blood and dropped off to one of my properties.
By the looks of this new body, her yellow dress, and designer sandals, she was far from a junkie.
I didn’t believe in coincidences. There was no such thing. They were warnings, some others were signs of a bigger play in motion. I had been right.
I stood, pulled the tarp over her body, and tucked my discarded glove inside my pocket.
Adrenaline rushed through me, hammering my heart in rage. This was my city, and a civilian had been picked based on looks, for amessage.
It’s been received.
“I know what you are thinking, but would he really risk going againstLa Cosa Nostra?” Arlo’s low timbre tried to ease me. It failed miserably.
The answer was in front of us. Pietro Borrelli had violated code, but he’d done so quietly and indirectly to remain clean. Anything would be based on speculation unless proven in council. My enemy was one of my own, California.
La Cosa Nostra ran on codes. One of them: we didn’t touch made-man women or kids. Notours. Internal affairs were fought between men, businesses, and territories. Even then, I would’ve taken precautions. But now, with her head as the endgame, stakes have been raised, and codes will be broken within ourfamiglia.
Borrelli was too old to win, too stubborn and dumbfounded in ego to see straight. Even if Mario Vitelli was the one who broke his word, I knew there would be consequences for taking her under their deal. But Borrelli made a mistake by starting a war I would finish. If he wanted to do it on the sidelines, so be it. It’ll be dirtier this way. In the end, I had more power in the council and streets. I couldn’t lose to either side.
“I failed to act when the first body popped. I’m not willing to risk the third one being Katia.”
She was mine. Mine to torture, mine to protect.My queen.
Borrelli knew what he’d done. Now was the time to pay.
“I need your orders.”
I ran my hand over my face before it settled over the bridge of my nose. I couldn’t slow down my mind enough to pick the first order to give. I needed a minute, a drink and a fuck to clear my mind. I didn’t have any of them, but the thought of Katia’s lifeless green eyes snapped me back.
“I need Ilias at my house until Rio returns tomorrow. Make sure Wex and Vino are with him but not inside. The following day I want him investigating all new and future money transactions made in our waters for any irregularities.” Sharp orders fired rapidly from my lips. “Sergio and Mimmo should set up a crew to watch the ports.” With Katia as the main target, her safety was first. I faced him. “And you, up the security in our clubs and establishments.”
Arlo agreed with a nod before he dipped his head toward the body in question.
“Make sure her family is taken care of by the end of the day. Cash, nothing to be traced back to us.”
