Page 30

When his father didn’t introduce himself, he looked over to see the smirk he had all day had been wiped clean from his face.

“Dominic.” He held his hand out, introducing himself when his father remained stunned. “Nice to meet you, Salvatore.”

The Carusos newest recruit took his hand in a firm grip. “You can call me Sal.”

The second his rough hand took his, Dominic instantly recognized a tell. Out of all the hands he’d shaken of Carusos’ men, none had been as rough as his. Those were the hands of someone who had grown up in Blue Park.

“I know you, don’t I?” Dom said, making all three look awkwardly between themselves before he continued. “You’re from our part of town, aren’t you?”

A silent sigh of relief that Dominic didn’t understand washed over the men. Clearly, he was left out of something, and he didn’t know what. Taking another moment to look into the young man’s eyes, a memory hit him. As he fiddled with the cherry candy in his pants pocket—a habit he’d never grown out of—he knew where he’d seen him before. The street kid cleaned up good. It’d been a few years since Dom had last seen him wandering the streets a few years back, but his face, while clean-shaven, still looked young. It was certainly a small world. Little did he ever think the homeless kid he’d passed on his way to school from time to time would end up working for mafia royalty.

“Yeah.” Sal adjusted his suit, looking like he himself didn’t think he belonged in it. “Mr. Caruso took me off the streets of Blue Park after my mother died.”

“How kind,” Lucifer finally spoke through clenched teeth. “Is this the Great Salvatore you’ve been speaking of?”

Dominic had to do a fucking double-take. No fucking way.

At their meetings, Dante had mentioned the Great Salvatore as an associate of his. They spoke about him as if he was an urban legend who was on his way to becoming the greatest hacker to ever live. Lucifer had even used his services when they needed to get a cop off the city’s payroll and onto theirs. Dominic had assumed he was an older man, not some homeless kid.

Dante wrapped an arm around Sal’s shoulders like a proud father. “Yes, he is.”

Lucifer’s jaw flexed slightly before he held out a pale, long-fingered hand. “Nice to finally meet you, Salvatore.”

His blue eyes didn’t stare as kindly as they had at Dominic when he took the devil’s hand. “Likewise.”

Then … Dominic finally saw the little secret that he hadn’t been let in on as he noticed Sal’s eyes weren’t just blue; they were blueish-black.

It really is a small fucking world after all.

Going back to their seats, they watched Dante walk away and take his seat in the first pew with his children. Sal sat with the family, making it look like he was one of his sons, as well.

Dominic chose not to say anything yet, waiting until after the funeral to discuss just how much more fucked up the Luciano family could get. The only thing that made him happy about his new revelation was that his father’s creepily chipper mood had turned sour. However, it quickly returned when the priest began. As if his father didn’t make him sick enough, the longer the mass lasted, the bigger his smile got, while everybody else cried.

In a sea of sad faces, the only face that wasn’t distraught, other than his father’s, was the angel sitting in the front pew next to Lucca.

He couldn’t help but watch Maria throughout the different stages of the funeral, wondering at what point she was going to cry. He thought when the choir sung the gospel song that she’d at least look sad, or when the pallbearers carried her mother’s body out, but even when her dead mother was lowered into the ground, she hadn’t shed a single tear.

Dominic couldn’t help but laugh at the fact he had thought she was an angel.

Maria was a mafia princess, and a fucking monster, just like the rest of them.

Eleven

The Earth Becoming Whole Again

It seemed like such a sin to throw dirt on such a beautiful, white casket. Every shovel of it made a hard thud from the impact, until it became softer as the dirt began filling up the six-feet-deep hole.

As Dominic left the graveyard, Maria exited in the opposite direction, and with the earth becoming whole again, Dominic turned to give the princess one last look.

And thus, a new beginning was created from an end.

Twelve

Blue Park’s Biggest Whore

The drive back to Blue Park was definitely going to be awkward as they got into Lucifer’s old black Cadillac. It was just another thing that separated them from the Carusos—seeing all the new Cadillac models surrounding them.

When Lucifer turned the key in the ignition and the car roared to life, his smile disappeared now that the festivities were over.