Page 35 of Sins and Secrets

“Good to know that you aren’t just a pretty face. Sometimes I wondered about that.”

“Shut the fuck up.” I drum my fingers on the armrest and look out the window as we get on the highway and start heading back to Atlanta. “I have enough on my plate without you taking the piss out of me too.”

“How is Arturo doing?”

A lump rises in my throat as I think about the state of my best friend. “We don’t know if he is going to be able to pull through yet. He’s still in a coma and it’s looking more likely that he’s going to stay that way. If that happens, then I have to talk to Billie about what to do with him and she’s not going to like that at all.”

“You make it sound so cold,” Jovan says, the sympathy clear in his voice. “You know that you are allowed to feel things, right? You might not be able to do so around the people you lead, but in the privacy of your own home, you can.”

“No good would come of me focusing on how I feel about the entire situation. Emotion is a weakness. You know that as well as I do. I’m not in the business of being killed because I was too wrapped up in my own emotions to deal with the things going on around me.”

Jovan sighs. “One of these days, Alessio, you’re going to have to bend before you break.”

“We can revisit that flawed idea once I’m done dealing with this business with Paolo. However, I don’t think that is going to be happening anytime soon since he seems hell bent on pushing all my buttons.”

“Well, you know if you need my help, I’ll be there with some of my men. Rio can handle things here on his own for a bit.”

“I know and I appreciate that. Right now, I have it under control — at least as much as I can. I think you’re right about calling Christian, though. Paolo is only growing his mafia. He’s gathering low-level criminals and gang members. There is no sense of honor or family in what he’s doing.”

“Herrera is likely going to be his next target if he’s not getting anywhere with you. I know the last time we spoke, you didn’t want to kill him, but have you given any more thought to that?”

I cross one leg over the other, trying to get more comfortable for the long drive that’s ahead of me. “I have. Killing him is going to be the only way to end this problem. I’ve let him live for too long. Now it’s time to put him down.”

“Are you going to be able to do that? He was like family for a very long time.”

“And then he betrayed us.” My hand clenches into a fist as I think about finally killing Paolo. “There is no mercy for someone willing to turn against their own family.”

Especially not when he has his eyes set on Billie.

The sun is setting as I walk back to my house from the office space on the compound. Though it’s a long walk, I have plenty of time to think through the problems that are plaguing my life.

When I got back to the compound, I sat Davide down for a long talk about the sinking of Paolo’s largest drug importing ship. We started preparing for the counterattack that we know will be coming our way.

It’s only a matter of time before he strikes out and I want as few casualties as possible.

I stuff my hands in my pockets as I walk along the worn path through the trees. It’s the same path that I’ve taken nearly once a week for the last two decades. I built my house as soon as I could, away from everything else to have some peace and quiet.

On days like these, I am reminded of how nice it is to have my home and my office for mafia dealings separate. While I bring work home with me, there is no person invading my space and asking to speak about drug or arms dealing. No mention of money laundering or the prostitution rings I keep trying to shut down.

I hum to myself as I continue down the path, the silhouette of my house starting to rise up on the horizon. Billie is sitting outside on the front step when I get closer, a sketchbook in one hand and a pencil stabbed through the messy bun on top of her head.

Though I want to ask her what she’s doing, it’s best if we talk as little as possible after what happened between us in the casino the other day.

I shouldn’t have bent her over the desk and fucked her like she was just some woman I picked up at a bar — even though I could tell she enjoyed it as much as I did.

I certainly should not have been fucking my best friend’s daughter. It was wrong on all levels, but it was impossible to resist her. Especially when she was trying to get under my skin.

“I thought you were going to be gone longer,” Billie says, closing the sketchbook and looking up at me. “Davide said that you would be gone until tomorrow.”

“Got lucky and finished what I needed to get done early.”

She nods and stares at me in the most unsettling way. I stand straight and try not to look like she’s bothering me, but it’s as if she can see right through me.

Billie shuffles over and pats the spot on the porch beside her. I raise an eyebrow and she shrugs.

“You look like you need someone to talk to,” she says, her voice soft as she watches the sun dipping closer to the horizon. “I’ve been told that I’m a pretty great listener.”

As I sit down beside her, I go back and forth about telling her what’s on my mind. Her father is my consigliere. Billie has heard a lot in her time with the mafia and I know that she keeps her mouth shut. There is little worry about her feeding information to my enemies, but I still don’t know if I can trust her.

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