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“Shut the fuck up and drink. You’re gonna need it.”
Toni furrowed his brows and took the glass I had filled for him, tipping it back and holding out on the questions I was sure flooded his brain.
“I married Elena Battaglia last night,” I blurted in a monotone as if it wasn’t a self detonating bomb.
“You did WHAT?” He shouted, not restraining his shock.
“That’s just the introduction,” I said, twirling the ring on my finger and feeling every bit like the piece of shit I am. “I went to meet my dearest father-in-law this morning, hoping to put a bullet through his skull or ruin his legacy by pissing all over his plans to keep the Battaglia name alive.”
“I’m guessing you did neither.”
“You know me too well, Brother.” I said, sarcasm dripping onto my words before tossing back another glass of whiskey.
“Am I supposed to guess what happened or are you gonna start talking?”
I kept my eyes trained on the tumbler in my hand, trying to find the right words in the booze that had done absolutely nothing to tame the beast inside me. There weren’t any. Every word swamping my brain was wrong. At least, that was what we’d been brainwashed to think.
“Don Battaglia said Moretti killed mom and dad.” I started without giving myself a chance to think it over anymore. “That our father was a Battaglia sottocapo infiltrating the enemy for tactical advantage. When Moretti found out, he burned the house down with them inside,” I explained, my thumb rotating my wedding ring on my finger again. “He knew things. About us. He let me walk away to confirm his words without turning me into a strainer.”
I dared a glance towards my brother. He gripped the counter and slowly sat down on the bench beside me as if his legs couldn’t hold him up anymore.
“He kept us as pets. To remind everyone of the consequences of fucking him over.”
“It’s a lie.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged, every minute that passed convincing me that it wasn’t. “I traded Elena for safe passage. If it’s a lie, she’s mine to keep.”
“Fuck.”
That word had been a footer in my mind, passing by in a never ending loop. The more I thought about it, the more I understood that I would never see Elena again.
“He’s telling the truth.” Toni stated.
“I think so, too.”
“Then let’s make good on our promises and make him bleed until there’s not a single drop left in his corpse.”
With a nod, we both pushed back on the stools and stood, marching to carry out the promise we had made to each other ever since we were kids.
???
The Moretti house was a far cry from Battaglia manor. As if it mirrored the power each Don held in the wonderland of crime.
“We came to see Don Moretti.” Toni announced to the soldier guarding the door to his study.
“Do you have an appointment?” He asked, placing a hand on my chest and stopping me from bursting those doors open.
Somewhere between the bar and this shithole, the booze started to kick in, turning off my ability to reign in my impulses, or rage, for that matter.
I looked down at his hand and back up at his face, my brow lifting in scorn showing him just what a bad fucking move putting his paws on me was. I took the knife from my boot and slashed his throat without a second thought, holding his body and laying him on the floor slowly so to not alert the cavalry.
“Now we do.” I chuckled while Toni shook his head in reproval.
“Hide him, at least. I don’t want anyone finding him and pulling the trigger before we get to the bottom of this.”
We were both aware that there was a strong possibility we’d be leaving this place in body bags, but fuck me if he wouldn’t be in one, too. We hid the soldato before straightening our suits and marching into Don Moretti’s office.
I bit my cheek to keep myself from punching his face to a pulp at the sick thought of how he had played us.
