Page 43 of Wounded King

Luciano is already ahead of me, opening the gate first and then the car door. When we're both seated, I order, "Get to Benny's wife. Quiet her down. Give her a couple hundred grand to disappear, but keep it quiet." The last thing I need is for the other idiots to figure out that I'll pay off their widows. I want them to think I took Benny's wife and kid out, too. They need to fear me.

"You got it, boss."

I climb into the car, keeping my back straight. I blink a few times to restore my swimming vision. Every inch of me aches.

Violet was right. I should've stayed in bed.

"So, we going to talk about the elephant in the room?" Luciano asks, buckling.

"Fabio Becattini," I push his name out like a curse.

"He's Donna Margarita's lap dog," Luciano remarks.

I chuckle. That's the aptest description there is for that scum. He has been her lover for years. Rumors have it that he was her lover even before her late husband passed. Uglier rumors suggest he had something to do with his passing.

I might have been exiled in Sicily, but that doesn't mean I haven't been informed about what was going on at home. Largely by Sophia, but otherfriendsas well.

"So, what'd you do to piss her off?" Luciano wants to know.

I shrug. I don't have a clue. "We haven't crossed paths in years. Not since I was fifteen or so."

"Three attempts on your life within a few weeks is more than someone simply wanting you dead, Marcello," Luciano warns.

"I'm aware of that," I snarl. Very aware. Whoever is after me, it's personal. Luciano is right. Three attempts are not nothing. Plus, whoever it is went as far as to infiltratemyinner circle.Mybodyguards.

"Did you bang one of her daughters?" Luciano keeps prodding.

This time, I laugh out loud. "If she has a grudge against everyone who's banged her daughters, she will have to kill half the city's male population."

Luciano grins. It's well known that neither Margarita nor her daughters are the chaste type. Margarita began whoring them out the moment they turned legal. Even marrying one of them, Isabella, to Edoardo. As the mother-in-law to our Capo dei Capi, she wields a lot of power. She's also been rumored to be running the Giordano branch of our family since her husband's death. Turning Giovanni—her own son—into a puppet? I don't know how much of it is true, but he's dead now, and from what I've seen, it was a setup. Which makes me doubt she'd be behind it. Why orchestrate the death of her own blood?

Then again, this is Margarita we're talking about. Underestimating her would be a mistake. Margarita is a foe not to be underestimated.

"We'll smoke her out of her den and find out," I say thoughtfully. It's time to get serious about finding out who wants me dead, and why. "Get Fabio. Alive."

"You got it, boss." Luciano opens his phone, already typing. My day just got infinitely better.

The next day…

It's been a week since I quit my job at St. Raphael's and started working for Marcello. So far, I've been a coward and haven't told my mom, but she insisted on having lunch today. I suppose it's confession time.

She gets up when she sees me and waves me over for a big hug. "You look good, baby girl." She scrutinizes me up and down the way only a mom can. "Okay, who is he?"

My face turns flaming red, making it impossible to lie. Shit. I didn't think confession time would roll in that quickly. I try for a distraction. "You look good too, Mom. Did you have your hair dyed?"

"Nice try," she pulls me down on a chair. "But thank you. I did it yesterday. I thought it was time for a change."

Her beautiful blonde hair, normally the same shade as mine, is now a dark brown, emphasizing her blue eyes and making her look ten years younger. "It looks really nice."

The waiter arrives, giving me another reprieve, but as soon as he has our drink orders, Mom is back in drill sergeant mode. "Spill."

I sigh. "Alright, there is a guy. I think I like him."

"So, what's the problem?"

I fiddle with the napkin. "It's complicated."

Her expression turns far away for a moment, "Oh, baby girl, it always is. Does he like you too?"