I want her towantme.
I fucking love her.
I still love her.
I never stopped.
I need—
I need my brother.
But that door is sealed shut just like the one with Adriana.
I take a breath.
The liquor bottle sits half-empty on the corner of my desk, my ice filled glass sweating under the dim light. Papers scattered—contracts, threats, everything blurring together in this mausoleum I call an office.
How the hell did I makes this big of a mess? I exhale sharply.
Because I’m the fuck up.
Alwayshave been.
I can’t fix shit with Adriana, but I might be able to fix things with Santo.
I pick up my cell and dial. The phone rings three times before he answers.
“What?” His voice sharp. I hear a muffled voice in the back. More than likely Piccola.
“Santo, I want to talk.”
“Then speak.”
“In person, can you come over?”
“No.”
His response is immediately. Cold.
But I hear the whispers, I hear her working on him. Probably telling him to give me a chance.
He exhales low.
“Fine, I’ll be there in fifteen.”
He ends the call and I throw back my drink. What I’m about to tell him, show him… this could fix it all or end it all.
I open my drawer and take out the memory card. I place it on my desk and pour myself another drink. My hands cold.
I can’t remember the last time I was nervous about Santo.
The elevator chimes.
I don’t move.
The sound of his shoes—sharp, deliberate—cuts through the silence of the penthouse. That slow, purposeful gait.
It’s not Scythe. Not yet. No fury charging toward me.