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This marks the fourth head of a crime family within Chicago, New York, and New Jersey taken down in the last few months. Though it’s not uncommon that these things happen—it is a dangerous position, after all—the similarities between them make it obvious it’s the same culprit behind the murders.
They’ve all occurred during sex. Since none of the men were gay, that means it has to have been a female. Tony figured that out.
It’s the same woman leaving her trademark coins. And even though she’s also killed the guards, she only left them over the kingpin’s eyes. But not just any coin. Pennies.
My brother knew this danger lurked. After Giuseppe Tadesco was found in a dirty hotel room in Jersey, Tony called a meeting requesting the attendance of every boss in the Northeast. Only two showed up. Even so, he put out a warning. It didn’t matter if they were partners or sworn enemies. He sounded the alarm for everyone. An alarm he himself didn’t seem to heed.
Be vigilant.
Remain heavily guarded.
Do not allow unknown women into your bed.
“Luca.” Uncle Ray comes to stand beside me. He places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “I loved Tony like he was my own. Whoever did this will pay.”
I nod as I grip the coin in my fist. “That, you can be sure of.”
“Say your goodbyes. We have business to attend to.” He begins to walk away but stops when I speak.
“The only business I have is searching for Tony’s killer.” I’m seething, my entire chest burning with the need for revenge. To do the same to the person who took my brother.
“That’s incorrect,” Uncle Ray says. “With Tony gone, you have a whole empire to tend to.”
My gaze flicks to his. “I’m not taking over his position.”
“Someone must take control, or there will be chaos. The Sinacores cannot be seen as vulnerable at this time.”
“Thenyoudo it,” I snap.
His lips form a thin line, and disappointment and frustration fill his expression. “We’ll discuss this at Briar House.”
My jaw tightens as I glare at him, but I agree to leave the subject for later. Turning away from him, I return to Tony’s side. I want nothing more than to cover his nakedness. To shield him from the humiliation that’s to come when a swarm of people enter the room to take photographs and samples.
They won’t feel anything, of course, because they’re accustomed to death. He will be nothing but another body. A criminal the world could do without.
But to me, he’s my older brother. The one who protected me. Who stood up for me. The only reason my father didn’t downright disown me.
“I don’t understand why he put himself in this position, when it was he who alerted everyone to the danger,” I say, looking up from him to scan the space.
Bottles of Unico wine and Dom Pérignon are strewn about, along with half-filled highball glasses. White powder has been cut and left untouched on a low mirrored table in the seating area, which doesn’t surprise me since he never touched that shit.
It’s all drugs and alcohol against velvet and gold. Exactly what anyone would expect to find in the fancy hotel suite of a mafia boss. But not Tony. This wasn’t who he was.
“Everyone makes mistakes,” my uncle says. “Especially when it comes to sex.”
“Not Tony.” I shake my head, still processing the scene, trying to fit what I know about him with what is being shown to me. “He was the levelheaded one. His dick didn’t rule him. This wasn’t like him.”
“How would you know? As a matter of fact, when was the last time you saw him?”
My jaw works furiously not to snap with a rebuke. The truth is, I hadn’t talked to Tony since he called to tell me about the killer. It had been even longer since I’d seen him in person.
“Veronica left him,” he continues. “He was lonely. Can you blame him for wanting company?”
“No,” I say regretfully.
Maybe Uncle Ray is right. Maybe I don’t know my brother as well as I think.
I kneel, take Tony’s frigid hand in mine, and send a prayer asking that his sins may be forgiven and the blood washed from his soul.
