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He chuckles, a low, mocking sound that reverberates in the damp space. “Forgive me, how rude of me not to introduce myself.” He rises, adjusting his cuffs with a practiced elegance. “Leone Vizzini,” he says, inclining his head slightly as though his name alone should explain everything. “I’m the man your dear Remo wishes he could be.”

The name rings a faint bell, but my thoughts are sluggish. All I know is that he’s dangerous. More dangerous than anyone I’ve ever encountered.

“What do you want from me?” I ask, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice.

Leone tilts his head, studying me like I’m some rare exhibit. “Want? That’s such a simplistic way of looking at things.” He leans closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “This isn’t about what I want, my dear. It’s about what I can take.”

“Where’s Adeline?” My voice comes out hoarse, but I force myself to meet his gaze.

“Safe, for now. She’s not my concern. You, on the other hand…”

My stomach twists, but I force myself to hold his gaze. “Remo will come for me.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it.” He straightens, clasping his hands behind his back. “Do you know what I love about opera?” he asks all of a sudden as if we’re having a casual conversation.

I blink, caught off guard by the question. “What?”

“The drama. The passion. The inevitable tragedy.” He smiles, but there’s no warmth in it. “Every note, every act, building toward a crescendo of heartbreak and despair. Beautiful, isn’t it?”

I don’t answer. Especially since he doesn’t seem to need me to.

“You’re the crescendo, Daniela. The final, devastating act in Remo’s little opera. And when the curtain falls, he’ll have nothing left but the echoes of his failure.”

My chest tightens, fear clawing at the edges of my composure. “You’re insane.”

“Perhaps.” Leone shrugs as though the idea amuses him. “But then again, insanity and genius often share the same stage.” He laughs, a soft, chilling sound. “Every bullet I put through you will be for the brother he stole from me.” His voice is like ice, sharp and cutting. “I won’t stop until he’s lost everything.”

The door creaks open, and a man steps in to murmur something to Leone. Leone nods, his gaze never leaving mine. “Duty calls,” he says, straightening his jacket. “But don’t worry. We’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted. Welcome to my world, Daniela. Let’s see how well you perform.”

As he turns to leave, his parting words hang in the air like a death sentence.

He leaves me alone with my thoughts, and they’re not kind. I remember Livia’s lifeless body and the blood pooling around her. The bastard shot her.

Then, I think of Remo, his voice low and gravelly, telling me to stay safe.

And I wonder if safety is even possible in a world like this.

Chapter 24

Remo

The ground is soft from yesterday’s rain, swallowing each step I take toward the edge of the cemetery. The air hangs heavy with the stench of fresh earth and something metallic I can’t shake. Livia deserves better than this. She deserves a celebration, not a hole in the dirt, but this is the world we live in. We’re all just filling graves until there’s no one left to bury.

I’m numb. Or maybe I’ve just mastered the art of pretending I am. Either way, I’m standing here with Marco and my adopted brother Yuri and watching the last person I trusted disappear under a mound of dirt.

Yuri shifts beside me, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket. He doesn’t look like he belongs here. With his kind eyes and the calm that always seems to follow him, he’s the antithesis of this world. The only reason he’s here tonight is Livia—an old friend he couldn’t say no to despite having walked away from this life long ago.

Marco lights a cigarette, the glow from his lighter briefly illuminating the dark hollows of his face. “She knew what this life meant,” he says. “Doesn’t make it easier, but she’d tell you not to fall apart.”

“I’m not falling apart,” I snap, sharper than I intended. Marco doesn’t flinch, but I catch the way Yuri’s stare softens like he’s already dissecting every fracture in my armor.

“The job’s personal this time,” Yuri says softly, his words deliberate. “Don’t let it eat you alive. Try to make it home for Christmas this time.”

I glance at him, searching for a reason why he’s really here. He’s made it clear he doesn’t want anything to do with this world. And yet, he showed up anyway, standing at the edge of the abyss he once escaped and offering me something I don’t deserve. Hope.

“It won’t,” I mutter, turning back to the grave.

By the time night falls, I’m back in the shadows where I belong. Leone’s men think they’re untouchable, but they’ve never faced me when I’ve got nothing left to lose. I’m running out of patience and favors, cashing in every debt and calling every shot I’ve earned to find Daniela. And when I do, the streets will run red.