Page 10 of Malevolent Secrets

“Close? To that guy?” His laugh is cruel. He steps forward and opens a door so that he can walk to where I'm standing. His eyes are lewd as he looks me up and down, and suddenly, I feel naked. My body flushes with heat and my heart quails.

“Why come to his funeral if you thought so little of him?” I ask, my voice a little rough.

He sighs and I’m surprised to see something that looks like regret pass across his handsome features. “Look, we were close…before. But then he went and did something really stupid and got himself killed.”

I swallow and force myself not to take a step back. I feel like running away from him, but I still don’t really know anything.

“Did you kill him?” I say, surprising even myself. I clasp a hand over my mouth in shock.

To my surprise, he laughs.

“I didn’t kill Jeremy. But I know who did.”

“Tell me,” I demand, stepping closer. My hands clench at my sides, my nails digging into my palms.

He steps into my space, towering over me. The air between us crackles with tension. “Why should I? What’s in it for me?”

“Closure for the woman he loved,” I spit out. “And maybe you can redeem yourself too.”

Massimo laughs and this time, it’s a harsh, grating sound. “Redemption? You’re in the wrong place for that, sweetheart. But I’ll tell you this much: Jeremy got mixed up with some dangerous people. People who don’t take kindly to loose ends.”

My heart sinks. “Who? Who are these people?”

He leans in close, his breath fanning across my cheek. “The Duretti family.”

The name sends a chill down my spine. The Durettis are notorious, their reputation steeped in violence and corruption. I’ve heard whispers about them, but never imagined Jeremy would be involved with them. Even as naïve as I am, I still know who the Durettis are.

“Why?” My voice cracks, the weight of his words pressing down on me. “Why would they want him dead?”

Massimo eyes me, his expression inscrutable. “That’s for you to find out. But be careful. The Durettis don’t play games. If you get in their way, you’ll end up just like Jeremy.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Let’s just say that I like you,” he says and then he smiles at me. “You’re too pretty to end up like your boyfriend.”

Horrified by his words, I turn and leave, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear. He lets me go and I resist the urge to turn back to look at him as I hurry down the hall.

Outside, the cool night air feels like a slap to the face. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart.

“Oh my God, oh my God,” I say to myself as I wrench open the car door and start the engine. “Dani, what the fuck are you doing?” I snarl into the silence as I back up and then drive away from the shabby factory location.

As I drive home, my thoughts are a chaotic mess. Jeremy’s death wasn’t just a random act of violence. It was a deliberate, calculated move by a powerful family. But why? What did Jeremy do to make them want him dead?

The Duretti family. The name feels like a death sentence.

I park in the garage and sit in the car for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts. The silence is suffocating, the weight of my discovery pressing down on me. I force myself to move, to get out of the car and go inside.

I don’t know what is more upsetting, that the Duretti family killed Jeremy, or that I just allowed Massimo Ranieri to come on to me.

The apartment feels empty, lifeless. I pour myself a glass of wine and sink onto the couch, my mind racing. The Durettis are dangerous, but I can’t let that stop me. I need to know the truth.

I pull out my laptop and start researching the Duretti family. Article after article paints a picture of a ruthless, powerful organization with ties to every corner of the criminal underworld. Their leader, Lorenzo Duretti, is a shadowy figure, rarely seen but always felt. The more I read, the more my fear grows. But so does my determination.

Jeremy’s death was not an accident. And I won’t rest until I find out why he was killed and make those who are responsible pay.

The hours slip away as I delve deeper into the Duretti family’s history. My eyes burn from staring at the computer screen, but I can’t stop. Every piece of information feels like a puzzle piece, slowly coming together to form a clearer picture.

Finally, I lean back, rubbing my temples. It’s late and exhaustion tugs at me. But I can’t sleep. Not yet. I need a plan.

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