Page 182 of Savage Empire

“Come here and I’ll show you.”

“Enough,” I demand.

Abramo nods easily, and turns his attention back to me. “I can’t say I envy you right now.”

“You have something already then?”

“I want my father dead, and I want you to help me do it.”

Fucking hell.

“Oh? Is that all?” I’m surprised I’m able to pull off the dry sarcasm, even as anger is still rushing through my veins. “Just a borderline suicidal task is all you need from me?”

He sighs, putting out his smoke with the sole of his boot. “It’ll be risky, but I believe I’ve planned the perfect scenario. Tonight.”

“Count me in,” Nico quips darkly.

“Yeah, absolutely not,” Abramo replies, barking out a deep laugh. “This is going to require discretion, and subtlety, not your violent brand of havoc and gore. You’ll get us caught in ten minutes.”

“I assure you, I can keep a low profile.”

“I don’t trust you.”

‘The feeling is painfully mutual,” Nico returns, lifting a brow. “Either I go with you, or I go on my own and fuck your little plan up. Apollo may be my future Capo, but right now, even our father couldn’t stop me from coming along. You saved Rayna, that doesn’t mean I trust you to bring the fucking heir to The Outfit into your territory alone.”

“Fine,” Abramo relents. “Bring your crazed guard dog along, but keep him in line. I don’t want a single soul to suspect me when this is done. I need him out of power, and I know you need it too. Rayna doesn’t want Sienna cooped up in a safe house forever.”

Don’t remind me.

“Let me get her home,” I say, nodding back to my car. “Tell me where to meet you after, and we’ll be there.”

“Deal.”

A dangerous, reckless deal.

I tell Nico to get the car my wife drove here, and we’ll leave together at the house. When I get into my vehicle with Rayna, I can still feel my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

“Apollo, I’m so?—”

“Don’t,” I cut her off sharply. “Not now. If you start prattling off excuses now, I’m going to crash the fucking car. Buckle up, we’ll discuss this at home.”

Instead of arguing with me, she swallows her words, silently crying the whole ride back. Her tears make me want to combust. I’m so mad at her, so consumed with betrayal. But seeing hercry? It makes me feel something even worse. Something so painful I want to claw my way out of my body just to make it stop.

As soon as the car is parked, I’m out of it, slamming the door shut behind me. Rayna gets out too, and she rushes around to get to me.

“I thought he had Yordan,” she starts, voice trembling.

“Ihad Yordan, Rayna,” I snap, hands thrown up. “He was with Elio and Javi in the fucking woods behind the house. We have cameras out there, I had eyes on him all night.”

“I h-heard him on the phone.”

“It was probably a recording!”

“I’m s-sorry, okay? I didn’t think?—”

“Clearly.”

“Apollo, please…”