Page 8 of Heir of Darkness

“Rude.” Dante scoffed.

“What could you possibly be preparing for now?” Allister asked. He leaned against the black bookshelf filled with random business and legal books.

“Did you both forget that initiation weekend is coming up?” Dante asked. More smoke escaped his lips, making Valerio’s turn up in disgust. He hated the smell.

“Put it out, jackass,” he said. Dante rolled his eyes, crushing the cigarette on the rectangular mahogany table in front of him. Valerio clenched his jaw at the mess. “And I haven’t forgotten. I’ve been preoccupied.”

“Oh, right, you’re reunited with the woman who hates you,” Dante said. “How romantic.”

“She doesn’t hate me.”

“No, she just refuses to be anywhere near you,” Allister told him. “I’m sure that means she’s in love.”

“I could shoot both of you in the neck and no one would utter a word,” Valerio said.

“Who would be your wingman then?” Dante asked. He grinned. “You seem to forget that I’m actually friends with those girls.”

Allister snorted. “With who? You know Gianna because she’s your cousin. You know Luna through Valerio, and the other two don’t talk to you.”

“I’m fun,” Dante said. He shrugged. “They like fun.”

A murderous feeling stirred inside of Valerio. What kind of fun could he possibly be talking about?

“She would never let you near her,” Valerio told him. “She has standards.”

“Clearly. That’s why she doesn’t want you,” Dante muttered.

Valerio’s gun was pulled out in a second, aimed perfectly at the space between Dante’s eyebrows. One shot, and it would be done.

“He’s being a dumbass, Valerio,” Allister said, walking over to the desk and pushing the gun down so it was angled at the floor instead. “You can’t kill your own brother.”

“Talk about initiation night before I reconsider,” Valerio told him. He set the gun back on his desk, leaning back in his chair once again. If there was one person other than Luna that knew how to drive him fucking nuts, it was his brother.

“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m in the mood to chase some newbies.” Dante had a smirk that only led to reckless actions, ones that Valerio usually cleaned up.

“I have to say I agree,” Allister said. He took a seat on one of the chairs that sat in front of Valerio’s desk.

The Chase was fun. Members who wanted to be recruited into the Vitali family always started their loyalty to the heir while in their younger years, usually when they were just beginning to get into their careers. It secured their connections to the family.

The rules were quite simple. The Chase required that everyone wear a flag that was strapped around their waist. The whole point was to see who naturally fell into the predator and prey roles, meaning the people who collected the most flags joined the group. It was a free for all, every person for themselves. Natural pacts were created, but most of the time everyone kept to themselves and ran for their lives. If they made it to the edge of the forest where a post was set up with a bell attached to it, they were safe. Didn’t mean they got in though. Anyone who couldn’t fight for the flags wasn’t worth keeping. That meant the actual event always ended up bloodier and more violent than anyone intended.

If there was something a person wanted enough, there wasn’t a single thing they wouldn’t do to get it.

Valerio knew that all too well.

He enjoyed taking part in The Chase himself—running wild in the forest and forgetting who he was for a moment so he couldresort to his natural instincts. There was something about the way his heart would beat, the adrenaline built up in his body; it was all addicting. The last time he had been a part of The Chase was when he was seventeen, right before he was sent to Italy.

This time Valerio would be a part of it.

“The Chase is always on Saturday night, so what’s happening on Friday?” he asked.

“We started throwing our party on Friday since that’s when Fight Night happens,” Dante told him. “It got boring sitting at home.”

“You’re not canceling that party, right?” Allister asked. “A lot of people look forward to it.”

“Go ahead, plan the party. I have a special guest I’m inviting to The Chase,” Valerio said. He walked out of the room, not bothering to wait for their replies.

“Does that mean you’ll be in attendance at all of the events?” Dante called out from the study.

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