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“Like the guy that takes souls to Hell?” Gunn asks with a smirk.
“A real man,” I tell him. “Someone my father knew.” As I say that, I look at my uncle, who’s staring at me with a strange expression. “Tony mentioned him to me once, but he didn’t elaborate.”
“If Nico knew anything about it, he didn’t mention it to me,” Uncle Ray says thoughtfully, as if he’s digging deep in his mind for any memory of it. Then his brows shoot up, and he turns his focus to me. “Now more than ever, boy, you need to cement your place. You must choose who will stand by you.”
“Or I let it all go,” I mutter. It’s the idea I’ve considered for months. “The Sinacore empire has amassed enough money for me to retire. Does the world truly need us?”
“Yes!” My uncle pounds his fist on the table and huffs. “Don’t you see? We make this world go round.”
“Anyone with rank has been slaughtered,” I retort.
“They weren’t the only ones running this shit. We still have soldiers and contractors. And they are all watchingyou. If you dissolve the family, you will not only endanger those who have sworn loyalty to us, butusas well.”
I wipe my hand across my face. “Without knowing who the Ferryman is or what he wants, I can’t do anything. For all I fucking know, he’s one of my soldiers.” I’m suddenly struck with the realization of what Tony was actually going through. “We can’t trust any—”
“Sir.” Bob, one of the pizzeria’s oldest employees, pokes his head in from the kitchen. “Got the pies for the Casey party all stacked up. You sure you don’t want me to deliver them for ya’, boss? That’s an awful lot of boxes.”
My uncle gives me a glance so quick, if I hadn’t been looking right at him, I might have missed it. But I had been.
I’d seen Bob baking away even after the restaurant closed. While I hadn’t questioned him, I’d found it strange when I saw the amount of dough rounds set out. If it had, in fact, been for a party, they would have been made before now. My first thought was that my uncle was delivering something more than pies. Were he anyone else, I’d demand my share of the cut of whatever it is he’s selling or buying. But his transactions are the least of my concerns right now.
“Thank you, Bob. I’ll take them myself if you’ll please just set them in my car for me.” Uncle Ray tosses the keys to his employee across the room, who manages to catch them despite being at least seventy years old. “We’re almost done here.”
“We’re done now,” I state, gathering my things and standing.
“What are you going to do about the Ferryman?” Gunn asks.
“Do you still have Kyle’s number?”
Kyle is one of the guys we occasionally partnered with when we first started on the streets. He’s a hacker. And he was a good one back then. I can imagine he’s only gotten better after his release from a year in jail. Anger tends to do that to a person.
“I can find him.”
“Have him search for this Ferryman. I’ll keep looking as well.” I go to the door, followed by the two men. “In the meantime, we lie low. I’m not about to announce my position until I’m sure I’m surrounded by men I can trust.”
“And who exactly are those men?” my uncle asks from behind me as I exit the building.
I turn to peer at him over my shoulder. It’s no secret he and my father didn’t see eye to eye on many of the family affairs, which is why Ray was never a made man. However, he was always there in many capacities, offering counsel and support in the way he’s done with me. The way he did with Tony.
But just as my father and brother never did, I can’t bring myself to offer him an official rank.
“I’m still trying to figure that out,” I answer my uncle. “For now, Gunn is my second. When I decide on anyone else, you’ll be the first to know.”
He nods. “As you wish.”
“Tony knew something. That’s why he tried to get the families to come together. I have to do the same. I’m going to put out a call for a temporary truce. We must meet.”
Ahead of us, Bob reaches my uncle’s black Land Rover. He attempts to balance eight large red and white boxes on one arm while he fumbles with the keys.
When I see he’s about to spill the pies everywhere, I run toward him.
Before I can take more than two steps, there’s a deafening boom, the sort that sucks out all sound from the atmosphere. A split second that seems like an eternity. Then it blasts against me with enough force to knock any awareness from me.
Briefly, I lie on the ground, confused. My ears go from dead silence to a high-pitched ringing as I push myself up. As if my head is underwater, I hear someone scream in the distance, then see the inferno blazing in front of me.
A second explosion bursts from the SUV, knocking me down again. This time, I don’t stay down. In a hurry, I scramble to my feet, searching for Gunn and my uncle.
“Motherfucker!” Gunn emerges from a nearby bush, brushing leaves and debris from his hair. He reaches for my uncle, who is a few feet from him. “Are you all right, man?”
