Page 12 of King Of Order

The gold sedan came ever closer, and out of nowhere, a new vehicle screeched from a side street, stopping before my father’s car, effectively blocking it in.

Its driver leaped out and disappeared into the alleyway.

My grief-stricken eyes picked out the silhouettes of my father and mother in the front seats and a third person in the back—my uncle.

On their way to dinner like they did every Wednesday at their favorite restaurant.

This occasion was distinctive, too—Uncle Costa’s special day.

I sent a final prayer and wish for their eternal peace.

Just as Olivio snarled. ‘Now.’

My world detonated.

I roared as the screen flared with the heated implosion.

This time I didn’t flinch,

Instead, I forced my eyes to stay trained onscreen.

Chest heaving, shoulders trembling, as I witnessed the sudden and rapid discharge and wild release of energy, flames, shrapnel, and dust clouds.

The display froze and then went black.

I sagged into the chair, devastated, destroyed.

Eyes emptied, soul bleak, a hole punched into it that might never heal.

Olivio patted my cheek, his hand heavy and mocking. ‘Message sent.’

I glared at him and held eye contact.

My lips curled into a smile—cold, dangerous, and full of virulence even as my heart broke. ‘Message received.’

Don Tirone didn’t see it yet, but I comprehended something he didn’t.

This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

I’d hunt the man down for eternity and follow him through the gates of hell until I tore him apart with my own hands.

Chapter 4

CHIARA

Present Day

Rio paused, staring at the tumblers for a lengthy moment.

I studied him from behind, my eyes raking his lean, muscular silhouette.

From the fitted jacket that hugged his torso like a glove to his thick thighs encased in tailored perfection.

When he’d moved to the sideboard, he showcased the quiet precision of a wolf, every step calculated, prowling on the hunt.

But beneath that ferocious agility, I perceived something more primal that hummed with raw power—the cunning of a predator.

His presence carried an undercurrent of dominance, a silent warning that I’d be a fool to underestimate him.

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