Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 115400 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115400 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
I hold my hand out to Sergiu and without question, he places a dagger right in the center of my palm as Deago watches on with fear.
“Understood,” he mutters.
And with that, three of my men step forward and grab Deago, tying him down on the coffee table as he foolishly attempts to fight them off, wasting what little energy he has.
“Shall we get started?” Sergiu asks.
I nod, and he produces the same manila folder he gave me first thing this morning and begins reading out the details I’ve already memorized. “Paolo DeCosta,” Sergiu says. “First to perish in last night’s raid. Single father of two boys. Died from a bullet wound to the chest. Possible collapsed lung.”
I nod, and with that, I sink the blade deep into Deago’s chest, making sure I angle the blade so it punctures his lung just enough to keep him breathing, but not so much that he doesn’t experience the absolute agony that comes along with it.
Deago screams out, and one of my men grabs a cloth and shoves it into his mouth, none of us willing to put up with his screams quite this late at night. “One down. Twenty-two to go,” I tell him before lifting my gaze to Sergiu. “Who’s next?”
“Phillip Lancaster. Father of four adult children and—”
“Grandfather to six,” I continue. “Died from a blown artery. Bullet wound straight through the neck.”
Sergiu nods, and I glance down at Deago. “Get ready, this one is going to hurt.”
An hour later, I stride out of the Donatelli mansion, leaving behind the type of massacre that I know will be splashed across the news first thing in the morning. However, not a single scrap of evidence will point in my direction. My men are too careful.
Sergiu hands me a cloth, and I wipe the smeared blood off my face as we make our way back to my SUV. “Security has confirmed our product has been returned to our warehouse,” Sergiu informs me. “I have a team checking over it to make sure it hasn’t been contaminated.”
“Good. I want an update first thing in the morning,” I tell him as we pile into the back of the SUV, my driver already waiting and ready to go.
The second the door closes behind Sergiu, he turns to face me. “You know, Monica is quite excited for the DeLorenzo annual gathering next week. She always feels it’s her moment to shine.”
I roll my eyes. Monica is Sergiu’s wife and a pain in my ass, but if it weren’t for her, our family events would be nothing more than a lunch put on in my home. Monica likes perfection, and event planning gives her purpose so she always goes above and beyond, and as the most senior wife of the family, she tends to let the power go to her head.
One of these days, it would be my honor to put her in her place, but in doing that, I would be giving Sergiu a reason to act out, and we have enough drama coming from outside of the family to have to deal with it coming from within.
“I’m sure she will look dazzling.”
“Yes, as expected,” Sergiu mutters. “Tell me, do you plan on bringing a date?”
I shrug my shoulders. I never bring dates to these family events, but the idea of seeing Chiara all dolled up in a gown has been playing on my mind today. “Perhaps,” I tell him. “I am undecided if I will bring someone.”
“Chiara?” Sergiu splutters, saying the one name I’ve gone out of my way not to use. “The whore you picked up from the auctions? Be serious, cousin. Bringing her would be a slap in the face. I’m sure Monica will happily find you a more suitable date. You’re the head of our family, you can’t be seen with some whore on your arm. We can find you better options if you truly wish to bring someone. Whores like that should be locked away in secret, not flaunted in front of the other women. Have some respect.”
My gaze sweeps to my cousin, and I don’t need to say a word for him to feel the wrath of my displeasure. She is certainly no whore, and while I may enjoy calling her as such when I finally get to sink into her sweet cunt, no other man shall be rewarded the same honor.
Sergiu visibly swallows and inches back, pressing his lips into a hard line. “Chiara is not some cheap prostitute offering herself up on the street,” I inform him. “And if you call her that again, I will see to it that you are made to understand the nature of that term. Perhaps Monica shall be offered up to every man of the family and you can gain a true understanding of what it means.”