Page 83 of Worship

“Okay.” Dom pauses. “Luca, we take everyone who ever let it happen. Because I won’t have another person take his place that turned a blind eye. We need to protect them…and you need to tell her.”

I know this has been coming. I knew I’d have to tell Gretchen, but I hate that her loving me has drawn her into a world so dangerous.

“Done.”

Standing at the curb, I hail a cab and head home to check on my girl and plan how to kill Giovanni Sovrano.

I walk into Mama’s, and Mario greets me with the same enthusiasm he always has. I pat his back.

“It’s nice to see you too. Where’s my favorite girl?” I joke about his wife, Sophia.

“Ah, Sophia is making something special for you boys. The table is in the back.”

He motions his head toward the kitchen, and I nod in appreciation. I walk through the restaurant and down a small hallway to a door that’s blended into the wall.

Mario told me about the room once when I was here for dinner. He explained how it was installed during the days of prohibition. It was used to store all the illegal booze; now it’s used for supplies.

Tonight, it’s the place where I meet my brothers.

I knock on the door and hear a click as it’s opened. I duck my head and see everyone seated around the round table, six pairs of eyes looking back at me.

“Well, this is fucking dramatic,” I announce.

Everyone starts to laugh, and Mario comes in behind me with a tray of drinks. The fellas cheer his entry. Such a rowdy bunch of assholes. Mario throws out a few choice curse words in Italian, feeding the insanity, and tells us our food will be ready in a bit.

“Take your time. We need to talk first,” I request.

Mario nods.

“Of course, Luca. Anything you need.”

I take my place between Dominic and Dante at the table. Everyone quiets as Mario leaves. They all know why we’re here—at least, they know I’m going to war, and they’ve vowed their loyalty—but there are things to be said. Truths to tell that may make them feel differently.

They look to me, waiting for me to speak. There’s no going back.

“I want to start by saying I’m sorry it’s come to this. But in a way, I’m not.” I rub my stubbled jaw. “I didn’t want to get here, but Giovanni Sovrano is not a man who should possess power. He’s a sick, disgusting distorted version of what a man is supposed to be.”

Dante nods, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Agreed, but we all know who he is. What’s changed?”

He would know most of all. Giovanni talked his mother into staying in the lifestyle and then sent her away, isolating her and Dante from our father. He threw Dante into the life the first moment he could, without protection. He conjured the devil in Dante.

I take a sip of my drink.

“He’s threatening to hurt the people I love. I saw him this morning, and he admitted he’s planning to hurt anyone in my life that he sees fit. He’s had to wait for a long time to seek out revenge, but now I have weaknesses. And Giovanni looks for a weakness—even if you don’t see it, he does.”

“We’re all monsters, but he wants to hurt you through them,” Vincenzo answers, and I nod.

There’s a code among men in this life: women and children are off-limits. It’s understood and upheld, except by Giovanni and their fathers.

“And if he knows you are all brothers to me, he’ll hurt you. He’s had incriminating information gathered on all your families for years. It’s his smoking gun. So, if you want out, if you want to keep yourselves protected, I’ll understand. You can walk now.”

“What the fuck?” Matteo says, standing to pace.

“What kind of fucking information?” Vincenzo questions, his voice just shy of a roar.

Dante shakes his head at him. “Calm down. Listen. You need to hear.”