Page 68 of Twilight Mask

Outside, I watch as one of Simon’s men drives my car off.

Which is when the reality of my situation hits.

I can start killing Bianco soldiers, but that’ll only end up with me locked up in one of the Famiglia’s basement prison cells. I can scream and rage, but that won’t change my brother’s mind.

Because to him, I’m a traitor. Which is the worst thing imaginable.

If I were anyone else, there wouldn’t have been a conversation, only a bullet to the back of the head and a burial deep in the darkest parts of the lake.

That would almost be preferable.

No more Marco. No more Jackal. No more life outside of this place—no more finding out who I am and what I want to be.

Back into my studio. Back into the hole I dug for myself. Back into the darkness, where I’ve always belonged, because there’s never been anything else for me, not really.

Chapter 32

Marco

Ican’t help myself. That night, after obsessing over what to do about Laura, I log into her system and find it completely open to me. The link is still there, and now all the cameras are working again. It’s like finding buried treasure. No, even better. It’s like finding out that the Garden of Eden is real and waiting.

The living room is empty. Her bedroom laptop shows only darkness. When I flip to her basement camera, I almost get up from my seat in surprise.

There’s a piece of paper set up a foot away from the lens. The text is written in a cramped but legible hand.

Jackal. Marco. Simon knows about us. He had me followed, and now I’m stuck here. He took my car and there are guards watching my house. I’m trapped, even though I don’t want to be. I’m sorry. I want to see you, but I don’t know how. Please, protect yourself. Laura.

I read the note again and again as the horror sinks in.

Don Bianco knows about my relationship with his little sister.

If I wasn’t a target before, I sure as fuck am now.

A dozen thoughts run through my head. But before I do anything, I send a message to Laura.

Marco: Are you okay? Tell me you’re okay.

There’s a short delay, then the message moves away from the camera lens. It shows her basement studio. There’s a half-formed jackal ear lying on its side. Laura’s in dust-covered overalls with a respirator over her face; her hair is covered in white and she’s holding her chisel in one hand. She waves and pretends to blow a kiss before she turns back to her work.

That’s the best I’ll get from her for now. I know Laura well enough at this point to know that she’s going to lose herself in her work for a while, and that’s fine with me. So long as she’s safe.

I set up my defenses after that. A string of security cameras around the entire property plus a few guards-for-hire on retainer. They’ll lurk around in the parking lot, just in case.

Then I call Valentina. “You can’t come here anymore.”

“I’m sorry, what now? How am I supposed to get my coffee fix?”

“Simon Bianco knows about my relationship with Laura.” Saying it out loud wasn’t so bad. I figured that would be harder.

She’s quiet for a beat. I figure she’ll be livid—this is putting everything we’ve worked for in jeopardy. Now the Bianco Famiglia will be watching me closely, and good luck getting this alliance shit off the ground, much less planning an attack on them.

“I’ll be over in a few minutes,” she says.

“Valentina—” But too late. She already hung up. I try calling, except I get the dreaded Fuck-You button, and ten minutes later she’s barging in through my door.

She stands in my kitchen, staring at me. She says nothing as I watch her from the living room. The setting sun casts long, golden light through her hair, and I’m reminded of how much we’ve been through together. The stress of living in the Santoro Mafia, the horror of her father’s death, the chaos afterward, and all the rebuilding we’ve done together since.

“You’re such a dumb asshole,” she says at last, and it’s almost a relief. “But this is a good thing.”

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