Page 114 of The Fates We Tame

“Ballsy statement given you’re the one truly standing in our lot,” Spark says. He looks over Alessio’s shoulder to the two men behind him.

“You’ll still be dead before one of those fuckers takes me down,” King says. “And we have cameras. If you think the men currently holding guns to your brothers’ heads won’t pull the trigger if they see anything happen to us, you’re delusional.”

Alessio smiles grimly. “The end of your life is not determined by where you are standing. If you think I wouldn’t take at least one of you down with me before you attempted to kill me, you’d be mistaken. I’d prefer it wasn’t my newfrati.My sister can hold a mean grudge, and killing her husband would definitely set her off. But if it was either of you two”—he looks between King and Spark—“I think she’d be okay with it.”

The crack of a bullet ricochets around the lot, and the drone drops to the floor. “Guess I’ll take a sniper over a robot any day,” King says.

The two men behind Alessio go for their weapons. Spark goes for his holstered gun, but King puts out his palm and stops him from moving forward.

Alessio takes a step back. “Besides, I have an offer. Marriage was supposed to create a partnership. It’s our goal to manage the New York side of the docks. You wish to run the Jersey side. Perhaps we could work together.”

I glance at Spark, who looks back my way, realizing at the same time as I do that he and I are married to women on opposite sides of this fight.

“I think what we need to do is discuss what the fuck happened tonight,” King says. “There have been penalties delivered. You don’t get to attack us while we’re carrying out business on our side of the harbor, and then say, ‘my bad’, and offer a deal.”

“Then discuss,” Alessio says calmly.

“You tried to steal from us,” King says. “If it weren’t for Switch, we’d all be fucking fish bait in the harbor. But maybe I’m feeling generous. A wedding gift, of sorts.”

“It depends on who you killed.”

“Is that what people are to you?” I ask, thinking about Sophia. “Disposable assets to be swapped, shared, or disposed of, as long as the goal is the same? To come out on top.”

Alessio steps up to me. “Perhaps your brain injury has led to you forgetting what this life is really about,brother.”

“Fuck you.”

King steps between us. “We’ll bring your brothers, the men we hold, and the bodies and lay them out on the concrete. Once we have moved inside, you can come claim them.”

“Was anyone of yours hurt?” Alessio asks.

“A woman,” I reply. I can still feel the way Catalina gripped my wrist as she begged for pain relief I was trying to administer.

“My apologies. Perhaps we can consider this an even score. You keep Sophia. I take my brothers. And then we can work together.”

“You’re lucky we’re letting you leave with your life,” King says. “You’ll owe us. I want payment. Repair of my property. And the agreement you will never come for our side of the docks.”

“Fair,” Alessio agrees.

“In that case, we’ll bring your men around,” King says.

Alessio looks to me. “I need a word with Switch. Man to man. Nothing to do with any of this. No weapons. You have my word he’s not at risk.”

I nod to King. “I’m good.”

Alessio watches until Spark and King are a safe distance away. I’m on edge, because while my Spidey senses say Alessio is a man of his word, I wouldn’t put it past him to pull a knife on me. But I’m reassured that Saint has me covered.

“What?” I ask.

“I want to see Sophia. I want to talk with her. Is she okay?”

I shake my head. “You ask me that after you just had a fucking goon squad try to take out the men protecting her and her friends so you could get to her? I’m sure she’s fucking great and having a party right now, knowing we beat the shit out of her brothers.”

Alessio looks up and takes in a deep breath before exhaling it into the night sky. “My father puts too much trust in my younger brothers’ skills.”

“Let’s just add that to his list of mistakes.”

Alessio tips his head in the direction of the clubhouse. “Is she in there?”