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To survive the torture, I built a wall between me and any of my soft emotions. Ruthlessly killing my captors only put a layer of cement over that wall.
Zeus drowned the nightmares in sex. He was a manwhore until the girl he was promised to was murdered by the bratva. Now he's so celibate, we call him The Monk.
Orion seems the most normal of all of us, but that's only because he hides his damage behind humor and charm. It's there. Every bit as ugly and remorseless as mine and Zeus's.
"Luck didn't come into it." Lucia is as hot for me as I am for her. "Like I thought, the Nuovi Inizi is solid. With the other businesses in the area, our yearly take on protection will be eight figures easy."
Laundering money through some of those businesses will only sweeten the deal.
"How many businesses did you recon last night?"
"One."
"One?" Zeus does not look impressed.
It's a good thing, I don't worry about impressing my brother, or anyone else.
"One," I repeat. "I met the proprietor. She researched the area before building her club and keeps tabs on it to keep Nuovi Inizi running successfully."
"You're cultivating her as an asset." It's not a question.
So, I don't answer. "Has Zephyr locked down our dock access?" I ask.
"He's working on it."
Establishing a new territory is never easy. We'll succeed, whatever palms we have to grease and blood we have to spill.
We plan a controlled start though. Recruitment, the port and marking the boundaries of our protection territory are top priority.
Later, we buy our own clubs. The plan is to own at least two strip joints and one nightclub within a year. Lucia's knowledge will help with the latter. Maybe the former too.
Zeus closes his laptop and studies me. "Tell me about the owner of Nuovi Inizi."
"Her name is Lucia Esposito." I found her last name on one of the escrow documents for her new house when I searched her apartment while she showered.
There is nothing in her purse with her full name on it. No driver's license. No library card. Her credit cards are for Nuovi Inizi.
"She's in her mid-twenties. Young to own a club, especially as a sole proprietor," I add.
"You're sure she's alone? No backers?" Zeus sounds skeptical.
"I'll do more digging, but it doesn't look like it." She talked about building her life by herself and didn't mention anyone else when talking about choosing the club's location. "No close family by the look of it either."
My sexy little nightclub owner puts up a friendly front, but she's a loner. The LLC is a dummy corporation for one L. Esposito. Now that I know her last name, I know that is her. No other names are included in the articles of incorporation.
If she has silent business partners, she's done a damn good job of hiding it.
"Married?"
"No." Fury at the thought of another man touching her erupts inside me.
I put a lid on the volcano, like I always do. Unless I need to use my rage to serve me in my role asDímios.
The look on my brother's face says he noticed my reaction. And he's surprised by it.
Not sure why. I'm not incapable of feeling emotions. It's my choice not to let them rule me. Most of my emotions are locked down so tight, they are atrophied.
Anger is a useful emotion though. As long as it is controlled. Anger feeds the beast that kills for our family without remorse.
