Page 59 of Dirty Mafia Torment

I fall into a seat, then pretend to search his upper brow.

“The Eleven are demanding an investigation into Carlo Accardo’s murder.”

“Murder? I heard his death was an unfortunate allergic reaction to strawberries.”

“You heard.” He grunts. “Right.”

“Who gives two shits if that traitorous fuck is dead?”

“The Eleven.Yourfather. You returning his calls?”

I sigh. “If I were, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“His autopsy showed death by anaphylaxis caused by a severe allergic reaction to berries.” He leans forward in his chair. “Fucking hell. You did it, didn’t you? You somehow spiked that asshole’s meal with berries?”

I smooth out an invisible crease in my new suit pants.

“They found traces of it in his goddamn beer mug.”

“Handcrafted beer is fused with all kinds of shit. Though typically, it’s not enough to kill anyone.”

Dante stares at me. “Berries didn’t kill him?”

I contemplate my choices, but they all boil down to this: my truthful admission in exchange for Dante’s trust? Fuck, it’s worth his rage.

“Though thallium, mixed in with his Pepcid pills, would.”

“What?”

I wait, letting it sink in.

“You fucking didn’t.” Dante tosses a pen onto his desk. “There are rules.”

“I broke one.”

“You’re unprotected. Not a made man.”

“But I will be. Soon. Very soon.”

“Thallium in his Pepcid pills.” He leans back in his chair and scrolls on his phone. “Untraceable,” he reads, “unless you’re testing for it.” When he glances up, his eyes are full of admiration. On my side, just as I was hoping. I’ll need him to run interference with my father.

“Christ, you’re clever. I’ll remember not to cross you.”

This is a taste of what I bring to the table. In two days, he’ll get a fucking mouthful, and with my newfound success, I can finally return my father’s calls.

“Clever, but there’s a glitch.”

I frown.

“Your father was dealing with Carlo Accardo.”

“Dealing with?”

“Accardo’s men broke into the estate.” Dante’s voice is tight with disbelief. “Your father’s guards caught them soon after they breached the perimeter … luckily the Beneventi soldiers were waiting for them…”

Not luck.

Fina.