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Only when I go pliant does he ease off.

But I’m far from done. The urge to kill still churns inside me, boiling hotter with every second.

I spring to my feet and lunge at Nico, who has already shrugged out of his jacket. He’s been waiting for this.

My first swing cracks against his jaw. He takes it with a grunt, his head snapping sideways. His return strike is immediate, grazing me by inches as I feint left.

My second punch lands clean on his temple, but Nico’s aim improves. His fist connects with my face.

Fuck!

Pain detonates across my cheek as blood floods my mouth. The bastard hits like a hammer wrapped in concrete.

I spit blood and pivot, then throw a vicious hook that connects with his nose. Cartilage shifts beneath my knuckles with a satisfying crunch.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Dante lounging against the wall, my Glock dangling loosely from his fingers. He doesn’t break us up. He just watches with cold calculation. Like a referee waiting for the right moment to call the match—or take out the less favorite opponent.

Which is why I should end it now. All I need is to get close enough to Nico for all of two seconds and he’d be dead before Dante can react. I won’t survive killing him, but at least I’ll take him down.

Then where would that leave Sophie? And Luna? She needs this asshole. Luna’s face flashes through my mind—those sloe eyes, that dimpled smile—and the murderous rage starts to dissolve.

“I should kill you, you son of a bitch,” I spit, but there’s no venom in my tone.

“Give it your best shot, soldier.” Nico’s hands curve in a come-hither gesture, blood streaming from his nose.

Shit. Sophie’s going to flip when she finds out I broke her precious husband’s nose.

The fight drains from me as I gesture at his face. “That’s going to swell like a bitch.”

“And you might be sucking through a straw for a while yet, Quinn.”

I probe my back molars with my tongue, and pain shoots through my jaw. “Fair point.”

The moment Nico’s fists drop, Dante uncoils from the wall. “Great, you’ve worked things out.” His eyes flash with deadly intent as he faces me. “Now listen, Quinn. You can beat up your brother-in-law anytime. But if you ever raise your hand against your Don in front of the other Capos, I’ll be forced to put a bullet in your head.”

The other Capos.I collapse into the chair in a sudden fit of laughter.

“Wanna share the joke with the rest of the class?” Dante drawls.

“It’s fucking hilarious that you think I’d put on a suit and sit at a table with a bunch of pretentious bastards, talking guns and whores. You stand better odds of carving up my balls and serving them to me.”

Dante says nothing. Instead, he moves to the mini-fridge, pulls out two bags of frozen peas, and tosses one to me, the other to Nico, then perches on the table. “I think our odds are stacked pretty nicely.”

“Meaning?”

“You knew the consequences of going rogue, but you did it anyway. For Luna. If you’re willing to die for her, then you’re damn well going to live for her.”

Every nerve ending snaps to attention. Something tells me this conversation is about to get worse. “What the hell does this have to do with Luna?”

“Everything.” Nico puts the frozen peas away and straightens. “Luna is getting the Romano seat.”

“You’re making her a Capo?”

“She’s Romano blood. She has the brains, guts, and the billion-dollar business to back it up. All she needs is a proxy.”

“Let me guess, that person is me?”

Nico shrugs. “Could be. If you refuse, she’ll have no choice but to find someone else who will do it.”