Page 52 of Deadly Vows

“How much?” I ask.

Shock appears on Enzo’s face as he thinks about his answer.

“Three thousand,” he says.

I slowly stand, pulling my gun from the drawer in my desk. Enzo’s eyes widen, and he takes a step back, but Romelo grabs him by his throat, forcing him to his knees.

“You were man enough to disobey your Capo’s orders; be man enough to face the consequences,” he says.

I chuckle to myself as I place the silencer on the end of the weapon, shifting my attention to Enzo.

“Three thousand. Is that what your life is worth to you? Because that’s what it has cost you. Your life,” I say as I move around the desk.

Enzo is trembling as I come to stand over him, studying him in fascination. He and Elise are so similar. He would go against me for what he thinks is right. In this situation, it’s using the allowances I’ve been giving him to help his mother, even though I expressed that he is no longer allowed to contact her.

“If I didn’t give her the money, she would have been killed. The Trovolis found her and has approached her about me. She’s had to use all of her funds to—”

I can’t help myself. I laugh. It’s so comical hearing how his mother is playing him. And he’s so young and naive that he doesn’t realize just how much money she would have had to tear through for that story to be true. I’m willing to bet she’s trying to collude with the Trovolis right now for more money. She’s officially becoming a problem. But not a problem I can’t get a solution out of before I have to get rid of it.

I place the tip of my gun against Enzo’s head, letting him feel the chilling press of steel against his flesh. A euphoric sense of joy washes over me as I watch his physical reaction to thethreat. The fear inadvertently causes his body to tremble and his breathing to accelerate without his control. It’s always amusing to me that people can react this way when faced with death and still go about their actions that will lead to this result.

“Three strikes, Enzo. That’s three,” I say.

And normally, I would be rid of him at this moment. Normally, regardless of my wife’s desperate attempt to hold onto some semblance of family, I would pull the trigger. But I can’t. Not when I’m missing a mirror in my office because of Elise’s suicide attempt. Not when this kid is the only thing keeping her alive for the moment—the only thing that helps her tolerate this lifestyle.

“You’re out,” I say, lifting my weapon.

Enzo releases an audible gasp and looks at me in shock, but I put my weapon away as an idea forms. I pull out my phone, tossing it to Enzo as I speak.

“Call her,” I say.

Enzo hesitates, watching me warily.

“I—”

“That wasn’t a request.

As I stand at the top of the massive meeting hall, I find myself contemplating my decisions. I have inadvertently made my life much more complicated trying to accommodate my wife. Seeing how many things have come to pass because of my weak decisions makes me understand why I can’t be soft in this business. I never should have told Elise about her brother, and I never should have taken him under my wing. And when I did, I never should have revealed why.

But hindsight is 20/20.

And I no longer feel like playing into the role of someone who accommodates.

“Everyone is in place,” Romelo says, stepping up beside me with Nicolai in tow.

Our attention remains focused below, where Enzo stands, waiting for the arrival of some very important guests. Guests who were stupid enough to believe the lie fed to them. I had Enzo tell his mother he was willing to defect and help the Trovolis. Initially, I wanted to use every person who had a hand in my father’s death as an example, but I have been forced to rid myself of them without the anticipation of fear. They will all meet their end briefly.

Nicolai speaks, breaking the silence. “Are you sure this is necessary? He is still a kid. This might be too much for him.”

I scoff. “He’s a kid who should’ve been dead a long time ago. I’ve been coddling him because of who his sister is. He needs to learn what this world is truly like,” I say.

“But isn’t this the kind of thing that pushed Elise to the edge?” he adds.

I note that Romelo visibly tenses next to me from Nicolai’s choice of words, but I only laugh. Nicolai has always been the voice of reason between the three of us. This time is no different. But I don’t always need a reason to justify my decisions.

“Yes, it is,” I say, just as the doors below open.

Enzo’s mother walks in with a smug expression, pulling her son in for a hug as a large group of Trovolis enters behind her. I smile as I recognize most of them from our wedding. But there is one face I don’t see. The only face that matters at this point, as it seems she is the one pulling the strings.

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