Page 47 of Doll Face

Fabricio stared at him, as if weighing his words. Then he jerked his head to one of the guards, who marched over and took the phone. He brought it to his boss.

“She looks young,” Fabricio said. “Innocent.”

“She was.”

“I never killed her,” Fabricio said, shooing away the guard, who brought the phone back to Matteo. “I don’t kill women who are innocent. I only kill the ones who try to kill me.”

There was a double meaning that Matteo ignored.

“Are you sure?”

The other man leveled a dark glower on him. “I never repeat myself.”

“Fuck,” Matteo muttered. “We’ve both been played.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was told you killed her,” Matteo said, and let that sink in.

“And that’s why you went after my family?”

Matteo nodded. “You also went after mine.”

“This lie you were told. Was it from your father?”

Again, he nodded. Fabricio pulled out a gun and leveled it at him. Rocco made to place himself between him and the weapon, but Matteo held him back.

“Put your gun away,” he ordered.

Rocco glared at him, but did what he was commanded to do. Matteo held his arms open wide.

“I understand you feel the need to kill me and avenge your name. But you’d be letting him win.”

“Who?”

“The man who killed her and framed you. Who turned my grief into hatred. My father.”

Fabricio raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you an extension of Pietro’s arm?”

“If he had Macy killed, then I’ll kill him.”

“That doesn’t make up for what you’ve done to my family.”

“You’d have done the same.”

They stared at one another, and Matteo refused to blink. Refused to back down because of a lie.

“What reparations are you willing to give me so I don’t kill you right now and take my revenge?”

“Territory,” Matteo said immediately. He’d been anticipating the question. “You want in on the distribution through Chicago, and I’m willing to give it once I take over.”

Fabricio pursed his lips as he thought. Then, as if coming to a decision, he lifted his chin. “You have a month.”

Matteo frowned. “I’m getting married in a month.”

“Congratulations,” Fabricio said, although he didn’t sound the least bit congratulatory. “One month.”

Matteo knew he was the one on shaky ground and couldn’t say no. “Very well.”

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