Page 113 of King Of Order

‘Cazzo,’ he roared.

‘Want more?’ I taunted.

He glared at me. ‘Who are you anyway?’

Mindful that hotel rooms these days were monitored and bugged, I hovered over him and beckoned him to draw nearer with a little finger.

His eyes widened as he obeyed, my slaps having realigned his thinking.

I whispered into his ear.

I kissed my lips with two fingers

At that, Nicco’s cocky posture cracked.

He straightened, his eyes dilating, hands curling into fists at his sides, face white as a ghost. ‘What the hell?’

I leaned in until my face was inches from his, rasp razor-sharp, each word a direct threat. ‘You’re not the top of the food chain, Barbieri. I am, and so is my woman. Trust me, I didn’t appreciate you assaulting Chiara or threatening her. I might teach you what happens when you’ve been laying your mitts on people out of your league.’

A tic developed in his left eye.

The false bravado evaporated, his throat working as he tried to swallow back the fear rising.

He let out a shaky laugh, but it held no humor. ‘Come on,amica. You’re blowing this out of proportion. Chiara owes us money. You know how this business works—’

My hand shot out, and my fist went through his jaw.

I heard the gratifying crack as he fell to the ground, screaming.

Blood stained his bandages as I’d clocked him in the same area Chiara had sliced him.

‘Not anymore.’ I cut him off, my voice slicing through his cries and gasps. ‘Broke your maxilla, have I? How do you like the pain? It’s the same agony you inflict on others, and what’s fair is fair. Do you want a shattered femur, too? They’re hell in recovery, and you never quite get back your jaunty stride. Or perhaps a fractured ulna, right hand? If I read it, you’ll need to relearn your writing all over again.’

‘What do you want?’ he gasped at me and cradled his injured chin.

‘A fast learner, I understand. You’re going to call off your dogs, for I‘m sure you sent for reinforcements from Rome, perhaps called a few associates in Naples,si?’

He stared at me, then when I arched a brow to urge him along, he nodded, cursing under his breath.’

I continued, undaunted. ‘Turn back every hound you’re sending after her or me. Also, you’ll be returning every last bit of money she or her brothers have paid the Barbieris and wiping her slate clean like it never happened. From this moment on, she owes nothing. I don’t care how you do it, but you better figure out some ‘creative accounting’ real fast.’

Nicco blinked, his lips parting in disbelief. He opened his mouth to protest, but the look in my eyes must have told him I wasn’t bluffing.

I witnessed him realize he wasn’t adept enough to talk his way out of whatever punishment I was about to serve.

Panic flickered in his gaze as the fuckin’ actuality of his situation settled on him, pressing in like a vice.

‘You can’t be real -.’

His voice cracked, a far cry from the cocky thug who’d swaggered into the gallery and thrown Chiara around like she was nothing.

I took another step closer, forcing him to lean back until he had nowhere to go. ‘You think this is a joke? You touch her again, and I’ll make sure your father gets word of every last detail of what you’ve been up to. Of how you dared to handle, therefore desecrate the girlfriend of a Calibrese, how you broke the oath between the high Mafia to honor our women. He’ll hear it all when we deliver you to him in a body bag.’

The silence surrounding us was thick, suffocating. Nicco’s chest rose and fell rapidly, fear pooling in his eyes as he struggled to maintain even a shred of his former arrogance.

Finally, he nodded, a whisper leaving his lips. ‘OK. I’ll make it right. I’ll reverse everything. I swear.’

‘Now, while I have eyes on it.’

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