Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Was that truly the best he could come up with? My equipment? “You do realize who I am?”
A slight tremble started in his fingertips as he switched the way he stood, right foot went behind, left foot came forward, he was mentally losing his footing as well as physically. Interesting, I thought Ax was different. Then again, I heard having kids does things to the way you perform an assassination. Apparently, love makes you grow a heart? I wouldn’t know.
“You may be something overseas, but here?” He sneered. “You’re nothing but a made man looking for a way out the way I see it—you’re weak.”
“Weakness is in staying exactly where you’re at.” Lethal conviction dripped from every one of my words. “Only the strong know when it’s time to walk away and have the balls to actually do it.”
“So you say.” He pressed the mouth of the gun against my temple harder as if that would intimidate me more. Sorry, but the gun’s already there. Pressing it harder doesn’t make me more scared, just more angry. “No matter how many pretty words you use to try to convince your grandfather that this is the best option, the Capo will only ever see you as abandoning your blood. It’s as simple as that. You’ll be labeled a traitor.”
“We’ll see.” I licked my lips and then shoved the gun away from me. “I get it. You’ll kill me if I pull a weapon. I’m not a child.”
“Because we normally hold kids at gunpoint?” He rolled his eyes. “This is so you remember who we are, so you remember that you’re nothing but shit beneath your Armani—”
“Enough, Ax.” A voice sounded to my right. “Why don’t you go grab a drink.”
“I’d rather stay here.” His voice was calm again.
I lifted my head toward the man in front of me.
“Wasn’t a suggestion.” He grinned and then turned to me. “I’m Andrei—”
“I know who you are,” I hissed. “The Russian.”
“Tsk, tsk.” He winked. “So much hostility and I thought I was the angry one.” He shook his head as if what he said was fucking hilarious and then opened the metal door. “Let’s go see what they’ve decided about your future.”
“You voted?” I moved behind him.
“I did.”
That was it.
Just an affirmative that he did.
Shit, I hated them so much that I was willing to do anything to get away. Anything.
It had been my life, in my blood since I was a kid.
And now?
I just really wanted to walk into a room without looking for would-be assassins; I would kill to enjoy a hamburger in a public place without packing a weapon.
The room was dark. Tex Campisi, the relative godfather of the bunch, or the Capo dei Capi, was sitting behind a massive desk, hands behind his head, shit-eating grin directed right at me. Perfect. “You’ve killed a lot of people.”
“Yup.” I crossed my arms. Was that it? I’ve killed a lot of people? Did the man need a calculator?
“Deadly,” Andrei said to my right. The guy who had escorted me in, who was now the head of the Sinacore Family, my Family.
“Useful.” Phoenix Nicolasi tapped a black folder against his denim-clad thigh and shared a look with Nixon Abandonato and Dante, the new Alfero leader. Shit, all these guys did was just take things over and rule the world, leaving every pure-blooded Italian behind, not that they weren’t, but it still felt somehow wrong.
It was as if they thought the world owed them everything, and they deserved to take it from everyone who had to fight harder for it. At least, that was how I saw it.
“I’m not convinced.” Chase, the one I wanted to murder the most, stepped forward. “He looks too angry to leave with a clean slate. I say…” He pulled out a knife and held it to my throat. “You let me do a tiny little slit right here and hold him upside down by those expensive as hell Armani shoes and see how long it takes for him to beg for death.”
“Graphic.” Sergio Abandonato joined Chase. “As usual. Then again, last time we did that, it took way too long, so boring. I hate being bored.”
“It’s the worst,” I agreed. “I pray my death is a little bit more exciting than hanging upside down and counting the blood drops that hit the cement floor. Then again, if you hung me over sharks, that might be interesting.”
“I have piranhas,” Andrei pointed out.
I nearly choked at how serious he looked.
Dante took a step away and shuddered. “Creepiest little things I’ve ever seen; ate my sock once.”
“Just. Gone.” Nixon, the Abandonato boss, pointed out.
Who the hell were these people? To joke during this time? I’d heard the Five Families of this generation was different, that the bosses were even more different, that these leaders were ruthless, cruel, and hard, but that they weren’t like their fathers.