Page 118 of Assassin's Obsession

His night watchman's lack of attention makes sense. Sloppy leaders make for sloppy soldiers. Show me an efficient soldier with a strong awareness of his surroundings and I'll show you a CO who knows how to train his men.

The capo starts thrashing.

Giving him a not so gentle tap on the cheek to get his attention, I order, "Settle down."

His eyes zero in on my face, or rather the Death mask I wear when I'm working, and he goes completely still.

"Good. You know who I am."

He nods.

"Do you know who Kathleen Brigliano is?" I ask.

His eyes tell meyeswhile his head shakesno.

I backhand him. "Try again."

He nods.

"So, you know who her sperm donor is?"

He glares at me defiantly, the stubborn tilt to his jaw telling me he's not going to answer. Considering who's straddling his torso right now, that's some serious aversion to admitting Candi is Bianchi's biological child.

He wasn't exaggerating the reaction of his wife's family to the existence of his unknown daughter.

Pulling my knife, I flip it over my knuckles before gripping it and pressing it against his throat. "You, or someone in your family, might be tempted to try to get rid of her."

Trybeing the operative word. No one hurts what is mine.

I push the knife just enough to cause pain and cut a thin line as I move it an inch toward his Adam's apple. The capo's eyes widen in fear, his breathing labored and fast through his nose.

"What you need to understand is that who's her sperm donor isn't nearly as important as who she belongs to now."

Shock widens his eyes even further.

"I see you've figured it out. She's mine. Not my sidepiece. Not my girlfriend.Mine. And if any of you tries anything, I will kill all of you. Your brothers. Your wives. Your heirs. I will wipe your name fromla famiglia."

All the color leaches from the capo's face and I know I'm getting my point across.

"This is your only warning. You so much as say something derogatory to her and I will cut out your tongues. You touch her inanyway and I will cut off your hands before shoving them up your ass. Then I will kill you and dump you in the soup so you can't even have a proper Catholic burial."

I yank the tape from his mouth.

He sucks in air for several seconds before he asks, "Does the godfather know you're threatening a capo?"

"Don De Luca has formally acknowledged my claim on Candi." Married yet, or not, she's mine in the eyes of the Cosa Nostra.

"Everyone knows you don't feel anything. Why would you take the bastard daughter of a whore under your protection?"

I hit him in the mouth with the hilt of my knife, the satisfying crunch of breaking teeth accompanying the blood spurting from his mouth. "If you can't say something nice, don’t say anything at all. My nonna taught me that. I guess yours should have taught you too."

"She's safe from us," he lisps from between broken front teeth.

"Give me your vow."

"On my honor as a made man," he adds obediently.

This is too easy. "If your honor is as lax as your security, your desire to live had better be stronger. If you die by my hand, it won't be fast.Capisce?"

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