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“Has he hurt you?” Nero demands.
“No, it’s not like that,” I reply. “You know I can handle myself.”
Nero sighs. “I’ve been worried. Lily is, too.”
“I’m fine, really.” I lie. “I just need more time. The guy is secretive and paranoid, it’s going to take me a while to figure out his weak points.”
“Well, if you want ideas of where to start, a man like Sebastian always has enemies,” Nero mutters darkly. “They’ll be your friends.”
I think of Sebastian’s uncle, and the weird vibe there when we ran into them. “I’m working on it. I met a woman, a journalist, I might be able to use her to get more information.”
“I still don’t like this, you know,” Nero says quietly. “You’re in danger near that man, whether you know it or not.”
“I don’t care,” I tell him, honest. “I have to do this. For Miles.”
Nero pauses for a long moment.
“You know that old proverb, right? If you go looking for revenge, you should dig two graves.”
I shiver. “The ruthless Nero Barretti is warningmeabout revenge?” I reply lightly.
“You know what I mean.”
“I do.” I sigh, feeling a pang. “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”
We end the call, and I try to decide if it’s worth sneaking the phone back into Sebastian’s house. I decide against it, and throw the burner in the trash. For all I know, Leon is rifling through my drawers every day, and I can’t risk Sebastian seeing I’m still in contact with Nero.
I keep walking, trying not to let Nero’s words unsettle me. I knew what I was signing up for, embarking on this mission. I knew how high the cost might be.
But avenging Miles’ death is worth it. I’d pay whatever it takes, even if it can never bring him back to me.
I find myself near an outdoor market area, with used books set up on carts, outside the British Film Institute. I pause and browse the books for a moment, before stepping inside to grab a drink in the cafe. There’s a classic movie festival going on, and one of the posters catches my eye.The Godfather Part II..
I stop and stare at the poster, an ache slicing through my chest. I’ve seen the movie. I watched the whole series with Miles, years ago, during one weekend marathon. He couldn’t believe I’d never seen them, especially given our line of work. So, he insisted: Ordering in pizza, getting beers, setting up his apartment with a projector and laptop, the whole nine yards.
I spent the whole time sat on the couch beside him, wishing he would reach over and hold my hand, but still, I had the best time. Miles was like that: thoughtful, kind, and sweet. He cared about the people in his life, was fiercely loyal to us—to me, Nero, all the other guys in the organization. He could have done anything with his life, he was smart enough, a real nerd, something. After Nero paid for him to go to law school, he told Miles that if he wanted out of the Barretti organization, he could go. Start over, a blank slate. Go legit.
But Miles stayed. For Nero. And for me, I like to think. He wouldn’t go and leave us behind. He was always the angel on Nero’s shoulder, counselling him from crossing the line. Trying to protect all of us.
But we couldn’t protect him, in the end.
I couldn’t.
This is why I’m here. Sebastian shouldn’t be walking around happily when a man like Miles is in the ground.
I make a vow to myself right then. I will be ruthless to avenge him. No matter what it costs me.
12
SEBASTIAN
Nine-to-five doesn’t applywhen you’re running a billion-dollar empire. I do what needs to be done, regardless of the time of day or day of the week—and I expect my team to do the same. I’ve burned through three assistants in the last year because of it, but I have no plans to change my ways.
That’s why I’m at the office late into the evening. I’m in the conference room with a select team whose main goal is to obtain Alistair Dunleavey’s shipping company. Whatever it takes.
“Dunleavey is still on the fence,” I inform them, annoyed. “Which means we need to prep for two scenarios: a willing partnership, and a hostile takeover.”
Of course, even the partnership option wouldn’t let Alistair keep control for long. I’d have him out the door in a week, thanks to my cutthroat legal team. But he doesn’t know that.
