“I’ve been Don since before you were born, and my father was Don before me. I’ve never known a life that wasn’t this Family. Over the years, I’ve become extremely adept at recognizing my enemies.” He shrugged. “I’m not sure exactly what it is. Sometimes it’s the look in their eyes. Sometimes it’s a tilt in the shoulders or a jerk of the fingers.” He looked me dead in the eye. “Sometimes it’s when behavior abruptly changes with no other explanation.”
My mouth went dry while my stomach sank to my feet. I kept my body still. “Are you worried about someone in the organization?”
“I am,” he responded.
Fuck. “Who, sir?”
He chuckled. “See, it was thesirthat first clued me in. At first,I thought it was grief over losing your father. Obviously, that would have affected you. But when you saw me flinch atsir, and then youkept doing it…” He shook his head while he rested his elbows on the armrests and clasped his hands. “That’s when I realized you must have found out the truth. You’d lost all affection for me as your uncle, and there was only one scenario where that would be true.”
My hands balled into fists on my knees. I couldn’t let him see. I couldn’t give anything away. Instead, I feigned ignorance. “What truth? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He rolled his eyes. “We can drop the pretenses, son. It’s time for an honest conversation between men.”
“Don’t call meson,” I spat.
He pointed his finger at my chest. “That’s all the confirmation I need. I killed Massimo, and you learned the truth. You’ve worn your hate on your sleeve ever since. You’re so transparent, Max. You should work on that. Play things a little closer to the chest.”
Hearing the words out loud stole the breath from my chest. My fists shook, but I wasn’t sure if it was fury or fear. He was going to kill me now, before I ever made our Family right again.
He didn’t wait for me to answer. “Once I realized you knew, I started watching you. I know about all your petty attempts to turn favor away from my men and toward you. I know about allies across the city, in other Families as well. You’ve been planning a coup, Max.”
I kept my eyes on his hands and his gun, but by now there was no point in hiding it. He’d seen right through me from the very beginning.
“I won’t go down without a fight.”
“Oh, Max,” he chuckled, waving his hand in the air. “At first, I was fine with letting you continue your little plans. Massimo was like that, too. He tried to expose my…alternate business ventures. But your father’s favored planning never stood a chance against my decisive action.”
My father had done everything he could to stop Luciano, but Luciano had always been one step in front of him. I should have been more careful. I should have been more ruthless.
Luciano picked up the gun and weighed it in his hand. He stood from the chair.
“Are you going to kill me then?” I asked, standing to face him. He might shoot me, but one bullet wasn’t enough to take me down. If I was going to die, then I’d take him with me.
“No.” He shook his head, holding the gun at his side. “I’m not above admitting I need you.”
“For what?” I’d done everything Luciano had asked for the last six years. What the fuck could he want now that I knew the truth? What did he think would stop me from screaming it to the whole of New York?
“It seems I’ve drawn the attention of the Camorra.”
I froze. Fear careened down my limbs, turning my fingers numb. “They’ll kill all of us because of what you’ve done.”
The Camorra. They would squash us under their feet like a fucking bug. If they knew what Luciano had been doing, they’d kill himforme. All I’d have to do was wait him out. Maybe I could even let them in, show them the evidence I’d gathered.
Fear transformed into frenzy. My heart raced. This could be what I needed to end him. The Camorra could be my answer.
“Yes, they will,” he said with a nod. “That’s why I need you to help me.”
I laughed. “Why would I do that when I can just expose you to them? To everyone?”
I made to turn to the door, but hetsk’d his tongue and pointed the gun at my chest. “I wouldn’t leave this room without hearing what I have to say.”
“Shoot me, then.”
He cocked the hammer of the gun. “As of this evening, I have officially announced you as my second-in-command. I’ve sent messages to all the Families, and to the Camorra themselves,praising your hard work and growth since the death of your father. I went on and on about how much of a help you’ve been to me. How you’ve stepped into your father’s shoes. How you’ve taken over certain parts of the business and we’ve been making more money than ever.”
“What?” I breathed.
“You’re my protégé. I’ve made that crystal clear.”
