Page 1 of Reign Of Triumph
Prologue
I’ll Find Him
Nero
“What do you mean he got away?” Marco exclaims angrily.
Only he, Luciano, and I are in the room, and this is the only reason I dare call him Dad. “Dad, Wan got away, but we wiped out his entire crew. It’s not anyone’s fault. Raffaele’s men were at every entrance and window. Wan had an escape plan just in case. Who the fuck would have guessed he would climb into the sewers like a rat?”
“It doesn’t negate the fact that this man, Wan Kwok, walks free, and he’ll be back,” Marco grits out through clenched teeth.
“We’ve got all his merchandise and the half million dollars he had hidden in the safe. His bosses aren’t going to be too pleased with him. He’s got nowhere to go and very few places to hide,” I remind him. “It’s only a matter of time till it all catches up to him.”
“I want him found!” Marco shouts, slamming his fist on the desk.
A knock on the door gets our attention, and my father gruffly tells whoever is on the other side to come in. When Eros comes through the doorway, my father regains his composure and sits back in his chair.
`“You’ve come to collect your reward,” my father states plainly.
“That was the deal,” Eros replies, his piercing green eyes sharp on my father. His wavy dark hair is messy, but that’s the way Eros is. His clothes have always been pristine, but his mussed-up hair is his trademark look. He’s never cared to look like a businessman. Even in his dark Armani suit, he’s a cross between male fashion model and biker dude.
“Before you do this, I want you to take a look at this,” Marco says, tossing a file folder toward him.
Eros flips through the pages. “What? Are you pleading his case? He raped my sister, and for that, he lives the good life, and my sister died by her own hand because she couldn’t live knowing Giusto was gloating over getting away with what he’d done.”
“I’m showing you the file so you can see how many other lives would be affected by ending him,” Marco tells him.
“He beats his wife, his daughters are terrified of him, and his father raised a man without honor,” Eros states. He’s done his homework, and he’s not wrong. My father only fights this because of a promise made a long time ago.
Suddenly, Eros stops at a photo of a young woman with flowing dark hair and big brown eyes, a wide, sensual mouth, and high cheekbones. “Who’s this? His newest mistress?” he scoffs.
“That’s Serafina, his sister,” Marco responds. “Since her father’s death, she’s been looking after her mother. She’s a good girl and helps Bianca with the kids as much as she can.” Eros glances up, and I can see he wants to ask more about the girl, but doesn’t. “Killing Giusto will bring disgrace on his wife and children, as well as his mother and sister. They already have to hear the rumbling of Giusto’s indiscretions. I’m not sure his mother, Vera, will survive another dark cloud over their family’s head.” Dad lets out a sigh. “However, I made a vow, and if this is what you choose, I will have Nero go and fetch Giusto right now.”
Eros rubs his chin and jaw, his eyes moving back to the photo of Serafina. “Giusto will die, this is a fact. But I believe there’s a way to satisfy your oath to Egidio. I will find Wan Kwok for you, but when I do, Serafina is mine, and I take over Guisto’s territory. He will work for me, until he decides to take me out, then he dies.”
“Wan Kwok has disappeared. What makes you think you can find him?” I jump in. Rafaele has his best men scouring the city and has come up with nothing so far.
“I will find him,” Eros says with steely determination. Then he glances back at my father. “Well?”
“You will come back to La Famiglia? As an underboss?” Dad lifts his brow.
“Only if we have a deal,” Eros responds.
Dad extends his hand, and Eros takes it. “Welcome back, Eros.”
One
The Capture
Eros
My father gazes upon me with astonishment. He blinks his eyes once, sits back in his chair, and stays like that for two long minutes before he leans forward, placing his elbows on the desk, opening his hands wide, fingers extended, and asks, “Why? A long time ago, you walked away from La Famiglia. It was not a choice that most men would get away with, alive, anyway. Now, voluntarily, you walked into his office and are taking over as an underboss? What the hell is going on in here?” Dad points to my head.
“I’ve never been completely out, and you know it. They’ve had eyes on me whenever they could. Yeah, I’ve been able to stay out of sight for most of it. And Nero and I have been in contact from the very beginning. My training came in handy when I had to take mercenary jobs, and I’m good at what I do. Do I need to take this on? No, but I will, because finally, Miranda’s killer is going to get his.”
“Nero knows the course of your life because the two of you have been friends since childhood. I assumed that you both decided to keep your relationship separate. I never knew that Nero was aware of what you were doing to earn your keep,” Dad responds.
“I sent every check they ever sent me back to Marco Moretti. Then they got smart and put the money directly into an account in my name. I haven’t touched a dime of that money. Nero figured out that I put my talents to good use. He also knew that nothing less than avenging Miranda’s death would bring me back to La Famiglia.”
