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“I was asked a question. Had I not answered Emiliano, you’d have found a problem with that too.”
His lips twist into a snarl, spittle flying from his mouth. “Are you arguing with me?”
“No, sir,” I reply sarcastically. I learned a long time ago that no matter what is said, he’s going to take that belt and use it on me. I wish I could snatch it from his hands and turn it on him, but the fucker is too fucking slick. He has an answer for everything. He always has a way out of any given situation. It’s why he’s the Capo instead of someone more deserving of the role, like Niccolò or Davide.
He flicks his wrist, and the belt buckle snaps against my chest. The buckle pin cuts through my shirt and skin. I don’t make a sound as he does it over and over again. I grit my teeth, not giving him the satisfaction of crying out.
He lives for the thrill of hurting people. That’s what he loves. The man is a sadist, and I have to wonder if he takes that into his sexual life as well. Is that why my mother turns a blind eye to his shit, because she’s into his weird kink too?
“You are nothing, Dario. Without me, you’ll amount to nothing. You need me. You need the power of who I am to be a man.”
Ah, we’ve hit the delusion early today. The man fully believes he’s the reason why the Famiglia is strong. He doesn’t give the men—our men—the recognition they deserve. If not for them, he would be a failure.
“My boys, they’re good. They’re great even. Then you came along,” he sneers as the belt once again cuts into my skin. “You are going to fuck up everyone’s life, boy, just like you have mine.”
I stare at him, my jaw clenched tight. I fucking despise this man. I’ve dreamed about all the ways I could kill him, have come up with the darkest, most deranged ways a human could possibly hurt another and then made it even more painful. That’s how much hatred I have in me for this so-called father of mine.
Over and over, he beats me, the sound of the buckle hitting my skin reverberating around the office. His words sound like gibberish as the pain becomes too much to bear. I can feel the blood dripping from my open flesh. No doubt the bastard is going to get angry that I’m messing up his office. But he can go to Hell.
As he continues to unleash his anger, I start to come up with a way to put a stop to this shit. I need this to fucking end. I can’t continue with this fucking pain. But everything I come up with ends with him worming his way out of it. He’s perfected the art of lying. He’s made a career out of using his lies to benefit him. He’s got so many men who owe him a favor that just one call would have me dead and my death pinned on someone he doesn’t like or someone getting too close to the truth about him.
I have studied him for years and learned everything there is to know about him. But the truth of the matter is, Aldo Gallo is a fucking coward. Always has been and always will be.
There’s no saving me from his wrath. The only time that’ll happen is when I move out, and that’s not going to happen at the age of sixteen.
Two more years and I’m free.
That’s all that’s keeping me going.
Fuck Aldo and his bullshit.
EIGHTEEN
PORTIA
“Welcome, Portia.” Kelvin greets me with a smile.
I give him a shaky one in return. “Thanks,” I reply.
I’m still not sure whether I’ve made the best decision. Leaving Indianapolis was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I had security there, I felt safe—as safe as I could be—and I had a life and a home, but more importantly, Tee was there.
I was shocked when Kelvin offered me the job, but it was one I knew I couldn’t turn down. I had hoped that he would give me the job at his local Indiana offices, but that was no luck. He needed me here, in Jefferson City.
My heart hurts knowing that my best friend is still going through so much and I’m not there to help her through it. We call every day, and we text multiple times, but it’s not enough. It’ll never be enough. I should be with her.
“Have you spoken to him yet?” Kelvin asks. I don’t have to ask him who he’s talking about. There’s only one man who counts.
“No,” I reply, my tone hard. I don’t want to talk about Dario. I sure as hell don’t want to be talking about him with Kelvin.
I hear his deep sigh. “Look, Portia, I don’t know what went down between you, but leaving without letting him know isn’t the way to go.”
“Don’t involve yourself in my life, Kelvin. I’m here to do a job, not bitch about a guy I was seeing.”
A guy I was irrevocably in love with. It’s hard to walk away and not speak to him, but the love I feel doesn’t erase the anger I have for him. It’s not normal. I know that. Especially when I’m the only one who harbors that anger. But I can’t help it.
“Tell me about the next shipment,” I say to Kelvin, and he smiles. “When is it supposed to arrive?”
“Come on,” he says, waving me toward the conference room. I was here two days ago to look around and get the lay of the land, so to speak. “It’s time to introduce you to the team.” He opens the conference room door, and inside, eight people wait for us. Six men and two women. All of whom are watching me carefully. I get it. I’m new, and they’re already a team. They don’t want anyone to mess with their dynamics.
