Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 73663 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73663 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“I’m going to do what I have to do.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Do you want me to be honest with you, baby?” I lean down and kiss her cheek. “You might not like what I say.”
“I have to know.”
“Then yes, I’ll be on the ground. Jasha needs to understand that he made a horrible mistake when he came after my brother.”
She nods, eyes closing. I kiss her softly, pulling her close. She bites her lip, clearly struggling to keep her emotions in check. “I feel like we just figured out what we’re going to be, and now I might lose you.”
“You’re not going to lose me.”
“I’ll worry every second you’re gone.”
My jaw tightens. An emotion grips me. It’s not quite fear, but it’s akin to that. I’m afraid of what’ll happen to her if the worst does happen to me, and that makes me want to avoid the violence.
But I can’t let myself succumb to the temptation. Maddie’s strong and she’ll keep going for both of us if I really do get killed out there. Going in person is important—it’ll send a serious message to Jasha. I’ll show him that we’re not afraid to spill blood.
The Rossi family is strong.
It does worry me though. This is what I was nervous about from the start. A lot depends on me keeping myself focused, and Maddie is definitely a distraction. I can’t be weak, and I can’t hesitate. If I do, then other people might get hurt, and I can’t live with myself if that happens.
“You need to be strong for me.” I take her hands in mine and hold them tightly. “This might be hard, but I need you, Maddie. Can you help me? Can you stand by my side even when things are difficult?”
She gets on her toes and runs her fingers through my hair. “For you, I can do just about anything.”
“Good girl.” I kiss her before we head back into Carlo’s room to keep him company until visiting hours are over.
Chapter 36
Renzo
The smell of gasoline is almost overpowering. I help Dante spread more around the back porch, splashing it up onto the siding and into the open back door. The lock lies in splinters across the kitchen floor.
Twenty feet away, three figures are kneeling in the middle of a beautiful lawn. All three wear black hoods. All three are bound and gagged.
The house is a lovely single-family unit, probably over four thousand square feet with lots of trees and privacy all around it. Bucks County is the perfect place to live for a scumbag lawyer like Fyodor. Lots of space, lots of money, but close enough to Philly that he can do the dirty work of his bosses without having to commute for more than an hour.
But it also means there’s nobody around to hear him screaming.
Once the gas cans are empty, I walk over to the biggest figure kneeling in the center of the cluster. I grab his arm and haul him to his feet. The other two mumble something, sounding scared. I drag Fyodor away from his wife and young son and over to the house. I take him inside, making sure I don’t step on the gas, and sit him down at the table.
I take off his blindfold and his gag.
“Hello, Fyodor.”
He stares at me in surprise.
My men stormed his house at exactly two in the morning a week after Carlo was nearly murdered. They took him, his wife, and his child into the yard, tied them up, hooded them, and made sure they couldn’t move as I doused his precious home in gasoline.
“What are you doing, Don Rossi? What’s going on here?”
“Your boss tried to kill my brother. He tried to take my wife. You know why I’m here.”
Fyodor’s face pales. He’s pudgy and balding. “No. I don’t have anything to do with that. I don’t—”
I punch him once in the mouth. It feels good, hitting something. I’m so damn frustrated. Maddie’s the only thing keeping me from losing my damn mind.
“Don’t deny it again or I will make this worse.”
“Please. Don’t hurt my family.”
“I’m not a piece of shit like Jasha. I won’t hurt your wife or your child, although I suspect they’re both going to be pretty fucking traumatized after this. I’d feel bad, except it’s your own goddamn fault. Never should’ve involved yourself with a bratva. Oh, well.”
“What are you going to do?”
I kick his chair over. He topples and hits the floor with a grunt. “I’m going to burn your house down.”
“No, please—”
“And I’m going to leave you in here while it happens.” I grab the gag and shove it back into his mouth. He thrashes, but he’s a weak little paper-pusher, and I easily overpower him. Once the gag’s back in place, I turn away. “Your boss will be very upset about this, if that’s any consolation. And I’ll give your family some money to help them survive the coming mess. Hopefully, they’re smart enough to head somewhere far from here. Either way, you won’t be around to help them anymore.”