Page 89 of Strictly Forbidden

I grinned as I pulled the truck into a secure parking lot across from the restaurant where I’d confirmed Saldono was enjoying his lunch. He frequented a few different establishments he felt secure at on a Wednesday afternoon, not bothering to take more than two of his soldiers with him. He was almost always accompanied by a different woman, spending the rest of the afternoon sequestered inside a hotel suite permanently registered in his name.

I’d been asked only once to be one of the guards and only because one of the usual two had come down with pneumonia. It was a well-known secret that somehow, he’d managed to keep from his wife.

Either that or her marriage had been about producing children and shopping for fine trinkets. While breaking into his hotel would have assured privacy, that’s not what I’d wanted.

In fact, I wanted as many people to see us together as possible. So when he did make his final move against me, the photos would also be plastered all over the internet.

Even if he ended up dead in the process.

As Dan exited a vehicle, three other men did as well in addition to Big Eddy also coming out of retirement to help with my cause. I immediately had my hand out, but Big Eddy pulled me into a bear hug, clapping his hand on my back.

“Buddy. It is so good to see you living and breathing,” Big Eddy said as he pulled away.

“It’s good to be seen. Thank you, guys, for coming,” I answered and shook Dan’s hand.

“You look older,” Dan told me, half laughing. “But damn good. You’ve put on some bulk.”

I glanced across the street, just able to catch sight of the restaurant in question. “An important thing to do when I was shoved into a cage like an animal.”

“Yeah, I hear you,” he said.

“You sure you want to do this?” Eddy asked.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” And I was.

“It’s dangerous for you to play games with the man.”

Dan’s comment was understood. I turned my head to stare him in the eyes. He’d always been a voice of reason, but he also knew when I was determined to do something, it would happen no matter the consequences. “I learned a long time ago that by just planting a seed, often the truth would spiral on its own, festering into a painful boil.”

I’d worked with the other three men over the years and they were studying me intently. I’d been considered a bit crazy even then.

“He ain’t gonna budge, Kage. He truly believes you killed Antonio so you could take his throne.” Mark was finally getting older, or at least he appeared that way. Our line of work certainly took a toll on a man’s body.

“Would you prefer I assassinate him?” I had no intention of doing that unless pushed. Maybe Noel’s influence had infected me with the desire to build a new life.

“I doubt your parole officer would take too kindly to that,” Dan teased.

“Yeah, well, he’s a putz. Let’s go.” They knew the plan, their presence showing Saldono I’d picked up where I’d left off before being railroaded.

With or without him.

I knew exactly where Rinaldi’s table was. As soon as I walked in through the front entrance, I marveled at the fact the place had barely changed. It was dark, meant for hard-drinking corporate moguls with its exotic woods or a romantic movie in the making. It was the kind of Italian place highlighted in years gone past, complete with white table linens.

It had also been frequented by members of crime syndicates since it had opened its doors in nineteen fifty-one. A long time. I could only imagine how many murders had occurred inside.

But not today.

When I heard the buzzing sound of a text coming in, I feared it might be something from Noel. Shifting aside, I pulled it into my hand, navigating to the texts. Noel had sent a single picture. What the fuck was she doing? It wasn’t a close-up but the instant I looked at it, I was thrown past into the past on the night I’d left in the middle of a storm, coming home to a family that had been slaughtered.

And before.

Memories that hadn’t surfaced, meetings my grandfather hadn’t discussed, shipments that were kept in a warehouse I’d yet to be taken to.

As I started to refocus, Dan moved in front of me.

“What’s going on? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I have.” As soon as I turned my phone where he could see the screen, he whistled.

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