Page 60 of Into the Fire

“I’m weak,” he said, each word clipped with anger.

“Who am I?” I demanded.

“The Archangel.”

“No. Tell me who the fuck I am.”

A muscle popped along his jaw as he stared up at me, the blood still dripping from his busted nose.

“I don’t know.”

“I’m Alessandro Arcangelo De Santis. Heir to the De Santis empire. And your new fucking boss.”

He blinked up at me. “Don’t be absurd—”

I struck him across the face again. His head snapped once more, the blood running faster.

“I spoke to my father. He’s in the same train of thought I am. You fall in fucking line, or you fall into an early grave. The choice is yours. Do you want to die, Everett? Because denying me will get you killed.”

He glared up at me. “You wouldn’t—”

I cocked my head at him. “I just killed four men without batting a lash. A fifth won’t make me shed tears. I’m the heir who is eager to make his long-lost father proud. You put me in a position where I needed to pull myself together and focus. Everything that’s happening right now is your fault. Do you understand that?”

He visibly swallowed as he stared at the barrel of the gun pointed at him. “Yes.”

“Your daughter—your spy—is dead. Do you want your son to be next? Dante? Because I can arrange it if you so much as whisper near me. I know how important he is to your empire.”

“Dante would tear you to pieces,” he seethed, spit flying from his mouth in anguish. “I’m a monster but Dante is something otherworldly.”

“He’ll be fucking dead if you don’t come to heel and do as I say,” I said. “Make no fucking mistake about it. I know exactly how to get to Chapel Crest. I’ll find where he sleeps, and I’ll cuthis throat and fuck your skull with his blood as lube. Donotfucking try me, Everett.”

“What do you want?” he asked, his chest heaving.

“Everything,” I said softly, the gun in my hand steady. “Or I’ll kill you and your entire line. Every cocksucker who has ever sat at your table to dine will die.Every-fucking-one.I’m your god now. I’m the new king of the Underground.”

He shivered as he stared at me.

“It’s a bitch losing your kingdom, isn’t it?” I said softly. “That’s why you should be fucking careful when you come for another man’s world, Everett. Especially when that world belongs to me. I made the mistake of letting your atrocities pass. I was scared and overwhelmed. I’m not now. Now, I have an army at my back. An army you gave me. So tell me, what’s your answer?"

“And if I heel?”

“You’ll live. I’ll let you return to your home. I’ll let you continue living as if you’re king of shit, but if you so much as mention my girl to anyone else ever again, you’re dead. I’ll even kill your fucking dog.”

“I don’t want to give you the Underground. What could you even do with it?”

I gave him a dark smile. “I’m giving it to my father as a gift. I’ve missed so many Christmases and birthdays. Figured he might like a shiny new part of the city to play in.”

“You’re nuts,” Everett snarled at me.

“Tell you what.” I squatted in front of him. “I’ll let you keep your Underground if you do as I say. I’ll tell you when to shit and piss. When to fuck. When to sleep. When I call, you answer. You are under my command. You and everyone else stay away from Rosalie. It’s really that fucking simple. If one hair on her head is harmed, if she even feels like she’s being watched, I’ll kill you. Don’t ever think you’re safe from my reach. We bothknow exactly what I’m capable of and now I have my father’s army behind me if I choose to utilize it. This is your freebie. Fuck with me again, and I’ll revoke your right to live. Do we have an understanding?”

He stared at me for a long time before finally nodding his head. “Yes. We have an arrangement.”

“Good, but I want to make sure you remember it. I want you to know who you’re really dealing with. I’ve gone through my share of trauma, and I’d like to know you didn’t go unpunished.”

He glared at me. “What else do you want?”

“Something you may enjoy.” I pulled a knife from my pocket and twirled it between my fingers. “It’s a show of good faith, really, on your end and a promise on mine. Tell me no and I’ll put a bullet in your head just like I did to your friends.”

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