Page 77 of Under His Control

“Makes sense.”

I blew out a long breath as we neared where I’d set up my scope. We had to time it right down to the tee—literally, the tee time of that hole where Oscar Morelli would be setting up to swing at. “I hate that she’ll always be on the cusp of danger,” Iadmitted, feeling free to speak my mind with Franco, “but this is the life I want. With Eva. Working with you, Dante, and Romeo.”

“She’ll be safe. Anything can happen, but we have men in place. Last night prompted us to review our security measures, and you can trust that Dante is bothered about this. With Nina pregnant and at that house?” He huffed a laugh. “He won’t take any chances. Not with her or their baby, not with any of us. It’s a real family here, Liam. Not just a job.”

“I can see that.” But setting up the scope and taking my shot while Franco served as my lookout was just a job. Just another kill. Keeping myself dissociated from it helped me to not dwell on it. Maybe that was how my buddy Ethan in Brooklyn coped with his decision to consider hiring himself out as an elite hitman on call.

The world was full of danger. There were too many “bad guys”, and I was coming to really see how the Constellas weren’t all bad.

On the way back after the successful hit, Franco received a call.

“Please, no. Nothing can come up now.” I laughed as he shot me a look.

I meant it, though. I wantedoneday to share with Eva, to commemorate my admittedly poorly executed proposal.

Franco listened to whoever spoke on the other end, and I gritted my teeth at his tense expression.

Shit. Something’s happened. Because of course something has.

“Where? Near Brooklyn?” he asked the caller.

Okay, nothing to do with anyone at the house, then.Sometimes, this guy amazed me. He was on top of so many other capos, all the soldiers, like a chief commander. How he kept track of so many operations and employees was beyond myimagination, and I bet I’d never fail to look up to the man who was already more like a friend than a boss.

“Does it look like the Giovannis did it?” he asked.

Those fuckers.I shook my head, looking out the window both to watch the scenery blur by and also to check the passenger mirror for anyone following us or noticing us. I would never lose that paranoid nature I couldn’t shut off. It was simply a part of who I was. Always on edge. Always alert.

Especially after killing a prominent but crooked assistant to a politician.

“Huh. Yeah. Okay. Well, no. I’m headed back to Dante. You can fill him in. Yeah. Yeah. Bye.”

Once he disconnected, I rolled my head on the cushion to face him. “Now what?” I kept my tone neutral, not whiny. They were paying me very well. I was marrying into the family. But I wasn’t afraid to stand up for myself if it seemed like they would be taking advantage of me. I was likely the only decent sniper they had in the organization. I assumed that not with inflated confidence but with the years I’d put in to become the specialized firearms expert that the army wanted me to be.

“One of the businesses was attacked.”

I exhaled a long breath.

“No, it’s nothing you need to deal with.”

Now I felt like an ass, slacking. “Hey, I’m here for whatever you need, but?—”

“No. Not this. They fucking shot the place up. Only one employee survived, and I’ll need someone to track them down to talk with them. Sounds like he or she is the only witness.”

I nodded, absorbing this news. It really was one thing after the other. “I can ride along and help.”

“To find a witness who’s probably scared shitless after their workplace was shot up?” He grunted a bitter laugh. “Yeah, thatwill take a while. It sounds like they ran after the shooting happened.”

“Can’t say I’d blame them. What business was it?”

“A deli. Just a cover business. Sometimes, they packaged drugs in the basement.”

“And you think the Giovannis are behind it?” I was getting sick of that rival family already. They were a thorn in my side, and I’d only just joined the Constella Family. Dante had to be exhausted from putting up with them—former friends or not.

“Tony, the capo who called me, seems to think it’s something the Giovannis did with the way it happened. I’m not so sure, though. Another soldier seemed ready to swear it wasn’t them.”

I sighed. It already sounded like a hassle. “So, now what? Comb through surveillance and track what you can?”

“That and finding this surviving witness and seeing what they say. No.” He shook his head. “Scratch that. What’s next foryouis bringing you back to the house so you can have your date night with Eva.”

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