Page 190 of Inside the Sun

To make things worse, all of us have a metal rod implanted along our spines, connected to a control system Anzo operates through his cybernetic upgrades. It’s not only a taser, it’s also a locator device. And… a bomb. He had it done when we were kids. He’s always kept us on a short leash, muzzled.

Rocco walks into the room.

His face is tense, brows furrowed.

"I talked to Ennio and Alessi. It’s not looking good. This case landed with some new people. There’ve been major personnel shake-ups in both the police and the FBI…"

"Fucking Lowens!" Anzo explodes, pacing to the window and rubbing his mechanical hand across his forehead. He smears a bit of Domenico’s blood there without realizing it.

Now he looks like what he really is. A butcher. And he’ll always be that to me.

"I think it’s true they bought off that prick," I mutter.

"Mayor Ronalds?" Anzo raises his eyebrow.

"Yeah. Heard a rumor they started paying him off, subtle pressure to clean house. Police, courts, other departments."

"Anzo, that’s still unconfirmed gossip," Rocco cuts in, looking skeptical.

"Even so, we’ve started seeing changes. If this lands with new hands, we’re screwed," Anzo mutters.

Silence.

Rocco shoots me a look that says plenty. He thinks Anzo’s overreacting, being dramatic. But truthfully? I think that the landscape’s shifting. And I think the Lowens really are sick of not being able to get at us.

Rocco crosses his arms and lifts his chin slightly before speaking.

"Well, I was always against going after that little shit. Getting involved in politics, and that whole Beta Activation mess, was going to blow up in our faces. We should’ve stuck to business and stayed the hell out of activism."

A split second later, Anzo’s mechanical hand cracks across Rocco’s face. He stumbles, then hits the floor. A rare sight. Usually, Anzo avoids confronting Rocco like the plague. But this time, my brother struck a nerve.

"You’re the last person who gets to tell me what I should or shouldn’t do," Anzo growls. "I know all you care about is hookers, racketeering, and extortion. That’s the life you want till the day you die. But some things are simply bigger than this and worth fighting for."

Rocco wipes a little blood from his lip, then says with biting sarcasm,

"Yeah? But are they worth dying for?"

Anzo shrugs. "Don’t be a child. Worst case, we end up in prison."

"Speak for yourself," Rocco growls. "I wasn’t part of that shitshow, and I never backed it. So whoever shows up, they’re here for you."

I know exactly what’s about to happen, and then it happens. Rocco’s whole body jolts as the electric current hits him.

Anzo’s gone off the rails. When things are calm, sometimes you can actually talk to him, even reason with him. He acts careful then, calculated. But there are moments when something flips inside him, like he’s got multiple gears, and that’s when the sadist comes out.

I’ve always believed that those moments when he loses control are going to be his downfall. He’ll leave the door open forthe wrong kind of opportunity, and this time, he did. If he never gave in to that part of himself, he’d be unstoppable.

These thoughts float through my head as I watch the scene unfold, my arms crossed over my chest. That’s how I always am.

People never really know where I stand. Most think I’m the most neutral of the Ferro brothers. Or that I just don’t care. But it’s all an act.

The truth is, I loathe my uncle. Probably more than any of them. But who knows? Each of us has our own reason.

I never forgot what he did. My parents, who I loved more than life itself, were butchered by that fucker.

He thinks Mauro was the only one who witnessed it. He’s dead wrong.

Maurosawthem die.

---