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He lets me go abruptly and I tumble back, my back digging into the countertop. My jaw clenches. I don’t thank him for saving me from the fall, and he doesn’t say a word either.
I’m about to leave but think better of it, turning around to say one last thing.
“Take care of Jackass Two and Three for me.” He doesn’t look at me, but I know he’s listening. I continue, “As much as it pains me to admit, you might be the most responsible of the bunch. Keep my brother from getting any STDs and make sure Mike doesn’t get himself killed.”
Roman smiles, amused. “And why the hell should I do that for you?”
“Not for me, do it for your best friends. Do it for your family.”
His eyes trail over my face. “As much as it pains me to admit,” he says, parroting my words. “You’re part of my family, too. Don’t let anything happen to you, Elena. I’ll burn Boston to the ground if that happens.”
I nod once in understanding before walking away. I know it’s the last time I’ll speak to him before leaving for college. He’s wrong, though—he said I’d return home like a good little Italian girl. But I have no plans to. Even after graduation, I won’t return to New York. I’ll find a job and I’ll be happy and content. I’ll do anything not to fit into the boxes that have been laid out for me. After all, I wouldn’t be Elena Legan if I didn’t fight back.
CHAPTER2
Roman de Luca
PRESENT DAY
Aperson whose name I can’t remember once said that there are four kinds of homicide: felonious, excusable, justifiable, and praiseworthy. Growing up in my world, I’ve learned to add one more kind—the necessary kind. The one where you have no choice. And there’s another kind of homicide, one I figured out all on my own. The enjoyable kind. The type of homicide that offers gratification.. Like I’m taking scum off the street.
* * *
“Think very carefullyabout what you’re doing, Vincent,” my father says calmly.
I’ve known the man my whole life and I can’t say I’ve ever heard him raise his voice. Not even when he’s angry. I’m dying to move forward and slam Vincent’s head into a wall, but he’s surrounded by several men. There aren’t any weapons out yet. We don’t want this meeting to end in a bloodbath.
Vincent called us here seeking a truce, an end to the battle we’ve been fighting these past few days. Ever since he managed to convince a few of my father’s most trusted capos to turn coat and betray us.
“I have thought carefully,” Vincent says, trying to sound just as calm and confident as my father does.
But he’s betrayed by the slight hitch in his voice. I even catch the tremble in his hands.Fucking coward.If he wasn’t brave enough to stand up to the Don, then he never should have started this farce of a coup in the first place. I glance around. My father and I might have been a little over-confident by bringing only seven men. Vincent brought twelve. Again, coward.
I’m more furious at the men surrounding him. They used to work for us. Trusted men that benefitted from my family. If they weren’t content with the way things were run, they should have come to us. Instead, they decided to side with a dead man.
“And you think this is the right course of action? What are you going to do, Vin? Kill me?” Father questions with a slight curl of his lips.
“You really think I can’t do it?” Vincent scoffs.
He’s as old as my father with thinning dark hair and brown eyes, a tall, stout man with an eye for trouble. He taught me how to shoot a gun when I was eight years old. That’s why all this is pissing me off so much. Because Vincent wasn’t just a member of our organization—we considered him family.
“I’ve been preparing for this for a long time,” he continues, and I want so badly to punch the smug smile off his face. “I know the ins and outs of every single part of the De Luca business. I’ve managed to convince most of our biggest suppliers and investors to back me. I have the support of the Russos. Do you really think there’s anything you could do to stop me?”
Outwardly, I don’t show any emotion at the mention of the Russos, but inside, I’m seething. The Russos and my family have hated each other for years. Like us, they’re one of the five families in the Italian mafia that dominates the underworld in New York City. The only difference is while my family’s empire has grown, they’ve slunk backwards, choosing to retreat to the shadows. They still have some power and influence, but we have much more. It comes as no surprise that they’re backing Vincent in his bid to overthrow my father. But it still stings that Vincent went behind our back to broker a deal with them.
“Are you going to tell us why you called for this meeting or are you gonna keep boring us to death?” I question, faking a yawn.
Vincent glares while my father’s gaze cuts sharply to me. He hates it when people speak out of turn. Or when they speak without being spoken to. But I’m getting tired of all the posturing and conversation.
When do I get to break someone’s skull?
Vincent lets out a wry laugh. “Speak only when spoken to, Rome. Or have you forgotten all your dad’s lessons?”
I grit my teeth but don’t reply.
My dad speaks up. “What is it that you want exactly, Vincent?”
“Easy. I want you to step down. Denounce your title and leave me in charge. If you do, I’ll spare you and your family.”
