Page 6

“There’s always more problems,” Enzo replies.

“Is it the Gattis again?”

Saying their name aloud turns my father’s face to thunder. “Fuck those cunts.”

“Enzo!” Bianca clutches at her napkin. “There’s no need for such talk at the table!”

“I don’t care,” he replies sharply. “We know what they are. Snakes. Fucking poisonous snakes.”

In this ever-churning world of organized crime, we have one major competitor. The Gatti family. They weren’t much of a threat when I was growing up, and there was a point when our two families could be considered friends. The Gattis were so loyal, in fact, that they were the ones who rescued me when I was fifteen.

My father parted with a large chunk of his weapons business as a thank you.

Something we regretted immensely when it came out five years later that it was actually Santino Gatti, the head of the Gatti family, who kidnapped me in the first place. He simply used the Yakuza as a pawn for a drug deal.

As a result, my father is waging a war against the Yakuza as revenge for their hand in my kidnapping and a way against the Gattis. He seeks to wipe both families out, and we would be winning if we weren’t fighting on two fronts. Time and time again, I approach my father with solutions to end the conflict with the Yakuza so we can focus on the Gattis, but he refuses. Too much bad blood.

But I need peace with the Yakuza. Without it, I can’t get what I want.

“What’s happened?” I ask around a mouthful of pancakes.

Enzo finally puts his papers down and looks up at me. “We lost several trucks last night. Burned to a fucking crisp. It’s not even the guns I’m pissed off about. Ten of those trucks carried the new ammo I promised the Russians. Millions up in smoke because of that fucker. I swear to fuck, when I get my hands on him it won’t just be my weapons routes I’ll be taking back. I’ll drain him dry of every fucking firearm.”

“Enzo!” Bianca slams her palm down on the table. “You know I don’t like it when you talk like that.”

Enzo’s glare holds no warmth as he looks at my mother, then he sighs deeply and returns to his coffee.

“Anyway.” She turns to me with a bright smile. “You don’t need to focus on any of that. Neither of you should because we’ll see the Gattis at the party, and I don’t need either of you ruining this for me. These parties are the highlight of my year!”

“Mom,” I say with a smile. “Aren’t you even a little bit angry at them?”

“Anger gives you wrinkles, dear.” She pats the back of my hand. “And you’re already getting too many of those.”

“I’m only twenty-six!”

“Exactly. You’re not getting any younger.”

“Oh, speaking of.” Enzo looks up once more and passes an envelope to Bianca. “You forgot to give her this.”

“Oh yes!” Mother’s cheeks flush red with excitement as she presses the envelope into my hand. “This is yours.”

“What is it?” Something about her excitement immediately sets me on edge as I slide the flap open.

“It’s what you’ve been waiting for, dear,” she grins. “It’s a marriage proposal!”

3

ROMAN

“Thirteen trucks in total, over four billion bullets, sixteen hundred crates, and over twenty thousand guns. All destroyed.” Setting down the report onto the sleek, mahogany table we sit at, I slide it across to my father, Santino Gatti, and wait for the approval I know is coming.

This is good. This is more than good.

Santino has been craving a good hit against the Falzones for months now, and my half brother Alto has been coming up short. He’s not as ruthless as I am and wastes time going after small fries like actual businesses or people on the street. I know where to hurt Enzo Falzone the most, and I’m not bound by any code of ethics that keeps Alto in line.

I have one single goal, a single goal I’ve had for my entire life, and I will do everything to achieve it.

“Good,” Santino murmurs gruffly as he pours over the paperwork in front of him. “A hit like this will hurt.”