Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“That’s why we’re making our deal, isn’t it?” The chill in the air thickens. Fontana’s not smiling anymore. He looks as though he wants to light the table on fire.
“There was never a deal, Prime. That charade was a joke. You were laughing, but you didn’t know the punchline. Would you like to hear it?”
Deanna’s hand grips my knee under the table.
Fontana bends closer. “The punchline is this: I remember you. Maybe you thought I didn’t, but I sure as hell do. Little Prime, such an aggressive shark, a hungry mother fucker and a ruthless little killer. I thought you’d be useful back when I first found you, but like all sharks, you don’t like to stay caged. You were growing too big, getting too hungry, and I knew you had to be removed for my own safety. You can’t imagine how many little Primes I’ve pruned over the years.”
My mouth goes dry. My heartrate increases. The burning, quiet rage shimmers in my stomach. “That night.”
“That night,” Fontana agrees. “You were supposed to be alone. Instead, you brought a friend! That was such a pain in my ass, dealing with the wrong body, and then you disappeared from the streets for a while. I figured I’d scared you enough, at least until you emerged with that fucking Corsetti boy.”
I grip the edge of the table. “You were targeting me.”
“What did you think happened?” Fontana sneers at me. “Instead, you used that friend of yours as a meat shield. Oh, yes, I was mildly impressed. You always were smarter than the average shark, I’ll give you that.”
“Fuck you,” I whisper, pushing back, knife gripped in my fist.
But too slow and too late. Carbone aims a gun at Deanna’s face. “Give me an excuse. I enjoy killing pretty girls.”
Deanna gags, going still, eyes wild with animal terror. Every muscle bunches, ready to spring, but I hold myself back. Fontana’s beaming at me like he’s enjoying the show and he’s right fucking there. Even if Carbone shot Deanna and turned to me, I could still get Fontana. I could do it, right here and now.
Fontana killed Shawn. He meant to kill me, and that makes it so much worse. It wasn’t an accident—it was my own fucking failure that got my friend murdered. It was me, from the start. I’ve always been death, and now Deanna’s going to die too.
But I can’t move. I want to leap forward and end this in blood and glory, except the image of Deanna on my pool table is burned into my mind. My wife, my beautiful wife. I meant it when I said I wanted a future because of her. I’ve been spiraling toward this moment for years with no vision of anything past it, an easy, clean ending, but I don’t want the darkness anymore. I want a future, I want more, so long as she’s with me.
I force my hand open. The knife clatters to the floor.
“Good man,” Fontana says happily. “Here’s what’ll happen. You’re going to give me free rein of your lots. I have product I need to move and you have a distribution system. You’ll let me tap into it. I’ll give you some pittance so you can pretend like it’s all fine to your boss, maybe even lie to yourself, but we both know I fucking own you now.”
“Mr. Spadaro wouldn’t want to see Mrs. Spadaro and the whole family get hurt, isn’t that right?” Carbone’s aim doesn’t waver as he glances at me. “Poor Rosa and Vinnie. And that kind nurse of theirs. What’s her name? Yolanda? She seems like a good person. We wouldn’t want their bodies on our conscience.”
Deanna’s breathing hard. She digs her hands into my leg. “Leave my family alone,” she hisses, but Carbone remains unmoved.
“That’s where we’ll leave it then.” Fontana inspects his nails. “You thought you were coming for me, Prime, but I’ve been coming for you this whole time. You think I didn’t realize what you wanted? Why you were making inquiries? You even got married for me! You fell in love for me! You gave me fucking leverage over you, and now you’re fucking mine.” He claps his hands gleefully. “Isn’t that incredible, Marco?”
“Love knows no limits,” Carbone says.
“You two are so handsome together, I could fucking scream.” Fontana’s smile is psychotic, stretching across his flabby face. “The first shipment will arrive next week. You will not make trouble. You will do as you’re told, Prime. If you try to move your wife’s family, we’ll kill her, track them down, and kill them too. Do you understand?”
Horror like ice water splashes down my spine. This is what he wanted from the start. This is why he dragged me closer, why he pretended to make nice, why he let me spiral around him.