Page 18 of The Diávolos: Part Two
I turn to face him. “I thought we were supposed to have each other’s backs, Gianis.Thisis not exactly what I call having my back.”
Gianis scoffs. “And what would you call this,maláka?” He seethes, gesturing to his bloodied clothes.
“You gave me no choice,” I spit. “I can’t look weak in front of others. Tell me why you were on my ship, and I’ll consider not killing you.”
“Always with the empty threats,” he says, and before he’s able to finish his sentence, I charge up to him, knife in hand, and press it against his jugular.
“Don’t make me do this.”
Gianis’s eyes meet mine, our faces only an inch apart. “Do it. I know it’s been a lifelong dream of yours.”
“Fuck!” I shout, throwing the knife to the other end of the room.
I grab onto Gianis’s neck with my palm and squeeze until his face begins to turn red.
“Tell me why you were on my ship, and I’ll let you go.”
“I can’t,” he whimpers.
“Then, you leave me no choice.”
“Thank you for meeting me here today,” I announce to the table as I get up and raise a glass of ouzo.
In front of me are three out of the five families who run the streets of Cebrene: Homer Cirillo, Nicholas Matsoukas, and Damon Petrakis. Four, including myself.
I asked them to meet with me today in the hopes of convincing them to join me in overthrowing Peter. Or at least back me up when I decide to go to war against him.
The Godfathers of the Night have a fragile alliance, but they are all in agreement that Peter has become problematic, acting without caring about the consequences. It’s taken a toll on the city, so it’s time I take one for the team.
“Dion, thank you for setting this up. Xander, please thank your family for allowing us to use the restaurant for this important gathering,” I continue. “As you may already know, Peter Kouvalakis has become a menace. Not only is he affecting our businesses, but he’s also putting our alliances in jeopardy. His selfish behavior will cause a rift in our partnerships. He’s already begun to attack my clan.”
“You killed his lieutenant. Surely you expected backlash,” Homer says.
“You’re right. An eye for an eye. But not a full-blown turf war, Homer,” I retort.
The other Godfathers nod in agreement.
“He’s breaking the pact our predecessors have worked tirelessly on building, and we shouldn’t allow him to create a divide,” I add.
“Why should we trust you?” Nicholas says. “You hid your real identity for so long. How do we know you’re trustworthy when you spent years lying to us?”
I take a deep, deliberate breath, the air filling my lungs in an attempt to quell the storm raging inside me. The weight of the past presses heavily on my chest, but it’s time to let it all out.
Closing my eyes, I confront the truth that has long been buried beneath layers of avoidance. “You’re right, Nicholas. I haven’t been honest for most of my time on this Earth.” I exhale, trying to release the pent-up anger that grips me. “As you all know, my parents and sister were brutally murdered when I was six years old. Ignatius—acting in my best interest—decided to hide my true identity from the world. Whoever killed my family wanted to kill me, too. They wanted us extinct. My uncle wasworried they’d come looking for me, so he forced me to live in the shadows as theDiávolos.” My chest expands, and I can almost taste the bitterness of the memories.
“Do you know who did it?” Damon asks.
I shake my head. “My uncle told me not to worry about it, that it had been taken care of, but I’ve been working tirelessly in my search for the culprit.” I clench my fists at my side, mirroring the tension building in my body. “When Peter killed my uncle, I decided it was time for you to know who I truly am, the actual heir to the Vasilakis clan, and to take my seat at the table.”
I nod to Dion and he goes around, giving each person a file.
“In these folders, you’ll find information about a secret society that was established by Peter’s grandfather. The Sisterhood was created by evil fucks who capture young girls and turn them into child brides and sex slaves. The fact that they’ve been able to keep this under our noses for so long is an abomination,” I declare. “I did some digging in my uncle’s computer—looking to discover why Peter killed Ignatius—and found files about this establishment. My uncle had discovered a forum, where a user called ‘2young4you’ had leaked information about the school. I still haven’t found the person behind this pseudonym, but it explains why Ignatius died. He’d uncovered the truth about the Sisterhood and was going to expose Peter’s dealings.”
As the men read through the documents, an almost palpable wave of astonishment and disgust ripples across their faces. It starts with a subtle furrowing of brows and widening of eyes. As they delve deeper into the folder, their shock intensifies.
“Now that you’ve seen the absolute filth that Peter has been running in our city, I have a proposition for you.”
Intrigued whispers from the Godfathers sound from around the table, creating a low hum in the room. The atmosphere becomes charged with renewed energy.
