Page 100 of Dominance

“Don’t look at me. They’re the crazy ones.”

“You’re all dead, you hear me?”

“I hear you, Giuli. But that’s not how this is going to go.” I crouch down in front of him, tapping the butt of my gun gently against his forehead, stilling his attempt to rise.

“Finish it!”

“You first. Who else did Dom burn?”

“Let me live. I tell you.”

“Everything?” I pull back the hammer with my thumb.

“Yes!” he shrieks, his lips quivering miserably. “Everything.”

“And you disappear, never give us grief over any of this?”

“Abbiamo un accordo… we have deal.”

“Ero, no—ah fuck!” Ciro’s shout precedes a loud thump behind me, the impact of lighter, more graceful boots right after that.

Biting down a snort, I drag Guiliano up to his feet, shouldering him out along the wall and plopping him down on a crate nearby. After a few moments of catching his breath, Carcosa looks up at me, at Ero to my left, Ciro dusting himself off on my right.

“Well?”

“When he was younger, before Alessandro was in charge, before he left…Dom was working for the FBI…”

19

ADRIANO

Rustic Italian buildings line the drive out to the quaint, cozy apartments at the end of the lane. From the vantage of the low hillside, we can make out the waters of Lago di Garda, glistening in the afternoon sun. I always loved driving through Lazise on our way to the lodge as a kid.

We’d stop near the shore to dip our feet in the water.

No time for that now.

Or much time to spend with our nonna.

The twins haven’t seen her since they were little. Aless and I have been by a few times over the years to check on her. Not that she’d notice most of the time.

A little detail I failed to mention to Dom.

Still, knowing that it will likely be the last time I will get to see my grandmother makes the trip worthwhile, and necessary.

“You want to come in?”

Ero’s mouth twitches up on one side.

“He doesn’t like old people.” Ciro rolls his eyes.

“Fair chance she won’t know who you two are, anyway. I only need an hour, maybe two.”

So they take a lap, heading into town to grab a bite.

Probably for the best, considering all three of us are still wound up from the ordeal in Orvieto. Adrenaline might have faded, but the energy, the thrill…

And more than that, the three of us, going into battle together. It felt like old times. Minus Alessandro leading the charge, bashing his way through the door.

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