“As my whore?”I said, turning away.“I’m not having that.”
“Show some respect, will you?”she shot back, hopping off the bed.“I’d work for you, but I’m not that low.”She said it like a dare.
My hands wanted to clamp around her throat.She pushed and pushed, playing me for someone she didn’t know.Doesn’t she know who I am?Who she fucked?
“Not gonna happen,” I said cold.“Get out or I’ll throw you out myself.”
“Look.Just take me.I want to kill, too.”She shifted, eyes suddenly pleading.
“What?”I blinked.
She dressed fast, slipping into a conservative dress that covered everything — the opposite of the outfit she probably wore last night.She handed me a scrap of paper before she left.
“Let’s just say we share the same passion, Alessandro,” she smiled, fingers warm at my neck as she kissed my cheek.“Here.Take my number for when you change your mind.”She pulled away and walked out like she belonged to me.
The door closed.I watched it.My brain tried to make sense of what the fuck Lucy wanted, but I shoved it away.She wasn’t a priority.I had a dozen fires to put out.
My phone screamed to life — Vicenzo calling.
Just seeing his name tightened something in my chest.He was never a good father, but he was my blood.He’d built this empire, and he’d thrown me at the center of it.He didn’t trust me.He never had.
“Figlio, where are you?”he barked the second I answered.I put him on speaker and tossed the phone onto the chair while I started on my tie.
“At home,” I said.
“That’s useless, isn’t it.Have you sorted Roderick out?”His voice cut through the air like a blade.
I stopped.Roderick.How the fuck did he know?
After what I did to Roderick a few days ago, I wanted Vicenzo to see I could handle my own shit.I wanted to be trusted — not babysat.
“Yes,” I said through my teeth.
“Good.”He was satisfied for two seconds before the old man started in again.“Did it ever cross your mind to inform me?”
“I don’t think something insignificant like that needed telling.I handled it.Stop thinking I’m incapable of doing the little things.”My voice warmed.
“Alessandro!Calm down!”Vicenzo snapped.I could feel the anger spike — the kind that makes you want to crush something.
“Your mother wants to see you, and so do I.Arrange a day to visit.”
I clenched my jaw and breathed myself back under control.“I will.”
“Okay.I’ll see you then—” he cut off.The line went dead.I threw the phone onto the bed and pinched the bridge of my nose until stars burst behind my eyes.I pulled at my hair till it hurt.
Vicenzo still didn’t trust me.Why the fuck did he even name me next don?If it was up to me, I’d walk away and let it all burn.But if I left, everything would collapse.I stayed because one person always asked me to: keep my head steady.
Rosalina Ferrazzo.
My mother.
She’s everything to me.Always has been..
***
IPULLED THE PIECEof paper out of my pocket and handed it to Salvatore.He stood next to Bruno, both of them leaning on the table, arms crossed like they were judging me.Bruno watched me with that permanent frown he wore when he knew shit was about to get complicated, while Salvatore took the paper, eyes flicking down at it before he looked back at me.
“I need you to keep tabs on someone,” I said flatly.“Someone who might be a problem.”
