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“He will answer for what he did one way or another,” I inform Lulu. She wraps her arms around her sister, and her gaze darts to the left, freeing me from standing here with a wriggling Angel.
I move past Lulu and into the house. Angel doesn’t fight me, and I don’t release him until I open his father’s study door and drop him to his knees. He gasps then, a hand flying to his thigh to suppress the new flux of blood.
“What in God’s name?” Lorenzo Valachi rises from behind his desk, removing a pair of black-framed reading glasses from his face. “What is the meaning of this?”
He’s looking from me to Angel, but as he sees the blood on Angel’s trousers, his expression hardens, devoid of any warmth or sympathy for his son. He knows. Angel is his son, but he knows what he is. Useless. A fool.
“Why don’t you tell your father what you have been up to?” I want to kick Angel on the floor but find my control and remain still.
Angel starts mumbling. “I’m sorry, Papa… I messed up.”
I step closer to him, and he cowers again. My gaze moves to his father, who’s waiting.
“He nearly got Lulu and Vivi killed. He was making side deals with the local dealers. Deals he has no right to make.”
Angel is rising, holding out both his hands while shaking his head. He hobbles forward and hisses before speaking. “I didn’t bring the girls,padre. They weren’t supposed to be there.” The plea in Angel’s voice makes me feel sorry for him for a split second, until I remember seeing Lulu in the line of fire.
“You did what?” Lorenzo takes a step toward him.
“I wanted to make a deal with them myself. Show you what I can do.” Angel fixes his crumbled shirt from being manhandled. “They shouldn’t have been there.” He points at me as if it’s my fault. “They should have been here at home, safe.”
I don’t look away as Lorenzo’s hand lands heavily on Angel’s face. The crack of flesh hitting flesh makes me flinch internally.
Angel holds his face. “I was trying to make you proud.” He sounds like the broken little boy he is.
“Local drug dealers. You think that would make me proud? My son, a drug dealer?” Lorenzo’s chuckle holds not one ounce of humor.
Angel’s face is beet red, and when he glances at me, I see his hate.
“You are an embarrassment to this family,” Lorenzo declares.
Angel fumbles with more words but ceases as his father strikes him again. “Such a disappointment. God cursed me with you!”
I internally wince again, the sound reminding me too much of my own relationship with my father, but I refuse to have pity for a creature like Angel. Angel is ready to flee, but his father thumps his fist on the mahogany writing desk. “You will tell me the deal you made with them so I can clean up your mess.”
“It was one shipment that they would distribute for me.”
“I have men for that.” Lorenzo shakes his head before pinching the bridge of his nose. I’m wondering when he will ask if his daughters are safe, but that seems to be the furthest from his mind.
“The profits would have been better if I had done it directly.” Angel defends his stupid decision, and another strike to his face has him holding his swollen red cheek.
“Imbecile. We have men in place to keep our hands clean.” Lorenzo looks at me for the first time. “You will have to fix this.”
I nod. “I have disposed of all the men who were present, but I will make it right with the local cartel and law enforcement.”
Angel opens his mouth to protest but wisely closes it.
“Get out of my sight and clean yourself up,” Lorenzo demands.
Angel leaves, slinking from the room like a wounded animal, but not before giving me a look loaded with pure hate. I return the sentiment.
Lorenzo sinks into his chair, sighing heavily. “That’s it. I’m done with the boy. He will no longer have a say in the family business. And I have a meeting with all the Valachi coming up.” He strokes two fingers across his left brow. “You will attend with me.”
Surprise flitters through my system. This is it. This is my opportunity to get to meet all the men of the Valachi. If it wasn’t Lorenzo, one of them ordered my mother’s death. I would finally come face-to-face with the man who tore everything away from me.
I nod. “Whatever you need.”
Excitement pours through my veins. This is what I have been waiting for. This moment in time. An opportunity couldn’t have presented itself so neatly, so I guess I should be thankful to Angel for being such a fuckup. This is only the first step, but it will grant me an audience with these men, and slowly, with time and the right strategy, I will find out who took my mother’s light from me. I will destroy this family from the inside out. I will leave them throneless and empty-handed.
