Page 9 of Revenge Vows

Donatello grins. “We have something for you,” he says. I round the end of the couch and plop down onto it before closing my eyes. I’m immediately greeted by the memory of Alyssa’s green eyes, that pained, hopeful look in them.

“Spill,” I say, shifting into a more comfortable position as I try and ignore my raging hormones.

“Tell him, Bunny,” Donatello says.

Bunny sits beside me. “We finally got some intel on Giovanni,” he says.

At the mention of that name, my eyes fly open. Donatello laughs. Thoughts of Alyssa recede from my mind as my focus narrows to the mention of my arch-enemy.

“I told you we had something good,” he says.

“What did you find out? Has he done something?” I ask.

Bunny grins and exchanges a look with Donatello.

“It’s not about what he’s done but what we are about to do to him,” Bunny says.

I get up, walk to the bar in the living room, and pour myself a drink. My memories of Giovanni are best managed with a little alcohol.

With Giovanni, it’s always been a game of cat and mouse. He was like a brother to me for most of my life. Before Bunny and Donatello came along, our fathers had trained us together to take over their empires.

We were both the first sons, born to rule, trained to be violent, feared, and as effective as sharply honed knives.

I thought I had found a brother in Giovanni or, at the very least, a friend. I was mistaken. Power comes with pressure, and it changes people. Giovanni had turned on me, tried to take my empire from me over and over again. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when he leaked word of our dealings to the FBI and had our warehouse ransacked.

I had been foolish at first, offering him second chance after second chance, only to be disappointed over and over again.

Sometimes I felt bad for my real brothers because Giovanni had taught me that weaknesses were always exploited, even by those who are supposed to love you. I had been very hard on Bunny and Donatello, trying to ensure that they knew that I was bigger, meaner, and stronger than them.

Giovanni had taught me the true cost of love and I would never allow myself to love anyone so openly ever again.

“What do you two think you can do to Giovanni?” I ask them, derision lacing the words. It’s hard to imagine Giovanni making any kind of a slip that would offer my two foolish brothers the chance to hit back at him.

Donatello and Bunny exchange glances. “Giovanni is looking to make some money off a new escort,” Bunny begins.

I look at them quizzically, and Donatello nods.

“One of the men on Bunny’s team confirmed it. They say Giovanni plans to make a lot of profit from this girl,” Donatello says. “I guess she’s incredibly hot, and potentially also a virgin. She might fetch him a pretty high price for that reason alone.”

“Where are you going with this?” I ask. I don’t know why they think that this girl that Giovanni has supposedly hired is going to somehow help us get back at him.

Bunny smiles up at me. “Imagine how crazy Giovanni will go if we snatch his new girl just before she gets to him,” he says.

I chuckle. “You both are insane,” I say. It’s petty, and it won’t actually hurt Giovanni is any significant way, but something about their idea appeals to me.

“C’mon, let’s face it. Giovanni is never going to slip up enough to let you get to him. You both know each other so well, but with this, this he will never see it coming,” Donatello says.

He’s right. Just as my tricks aren’t new to Giovanni, his tricks aren’t new to me.

I can’t one-up him any more than he can one-up me. He knows everything I know, and vice versa.

I look at my brothers.

“What do we do with the girl?”

Bunny shrugs. “Nothing, mess around with her—”

“We don’t hurt women, Bunny,” I cut in firmly.

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