Page 89 of Devil's Thirst

“Things going well, then?”

“You could say that.” A smile bullies its way across my face. “She agreed to marry me.”

“Well, fuck me. Congratulations.” Renzo reaches over to shake my hand.

“Thanks, man. Coming back was definitely the right move for me. And there’s no way I could ask her to leave her sister and move back to Sicily, so I want you to know I’m here to stay. I want to pledge my loyalty and do whatever I can to prove myself to you.”

His gaze takes me in with careful consideration. “You’ve got nothing to prove, Sante. It would be an honor to work with you.”

Fuck, that hit harder than I expected.

I have to clear my throat before I respond. “I appreciate that. Though, there’s something I need to tell you, just so you’re aware.”

He lifts a brow for me to continue.

“I found out that Umberto was our half brother. It’s sort of a moot point now, but I felt like you should know, especially considering I killed him.”

The master of stoicism doesn’t even flinch. “This may sound cold, but your mother was my family. A traitor’s bastard son means nothing to me.” Renzo never did pull any punches.

I dip my chin in a respectful nod. Whether I agree or not, he’s made it clear that’s the end of the subject, and I’m happy to oblige. “That leaves us with the matter of John Talbot and finishing what we started yesterday.”

“We need him to be caught in the act of something—anything. For someone in his position, it doesn’t take much to get the feds involved. We could tip them off, but I don’t think an anonymous tip would be sufficient to give them probable cause.Without anonymity, I’m worried it’ll get traced back to us and could end up impacting Lina and Amelie.”

“We could always stage something.”

“We could, but I think it brings in a lot of risk that the case against him ends up problematic. The closer we stick to reality, the better.”

I can’t hold back a grimace. I understand where he’s coming from, but I also want this asshole off the streets as soon as possible. We’ve confirmed he won’t be in the city for Amelie’s opening night, which is a relief, but we need him gone for good.

“It won’t be forever,” Renzo says, sensing my frustration. “Considering what we already know about the guy, I’d say it takes us a week max to line something up. He has no idea we’re coming for him. Best to take our time and do it right.”

“Yeah, alright. I’ll get with Oran and Tommy to see if they have any ideas.”

“Good, and in the meantime, your girl has her opening night. She’ll be plenty distracted all week.”

“True,” I admit, wishing I could say the same. I won’t be able to think of much else until Talbot is behind bars—or dead, whichever should come first.

“We’ve got tickets for tonight, so we should see you there.”

I stand and reach for another handshake. “Thanks, man. That means a lot to us both. I know Mellie will be thrilled to see familiar faces.”

Renzo surprises me by pulling me into a hug. “Proud of you, kid,” he says, allowing a tinge of emotion to color his words. “Don’t think I said it before, but welcome home.”

Gratitude clamps tight around my throat, preventing me from responding. I nod, instead, and let the respect and appreciation in my eyes speak for me.

On my way back to Amelie’s apartment, I have a somewhat of an epiphany.

While I was pleased with all the ways I changed during my time in Sicily, it took coming back to New York to realize a crucial element was still missing. I wasn’t truly happy. How could I be when my family was thousands of miles away?

Fixings my relationship with Renzo and finally talking to my sister—those things have filled me with a lightness I haven’t felt in years. Uncle Lazaro and his family were good to me, for the most part. I appreciate their role, but they aren’t my real family. I belong here in the city with the people who raised me and the woman I love. They are the most important part of my life.

That thought has me stopping in my tracks and changing directions. I have one more stop to make before I head home. One more chance to set things right, and this time, I won’t fuck it up.

Conner’s glarehits me like a swift kick to the ass. I half smile, half grimace since I deserve the full brunt of his displeasure.

“Before you deck me, I’m here to apologize.” I raise my hands in surrender.

He still doesn’t look pleased, but it’s enough to get me in the door. “Have a seat. She’s back with the boys. I’ll go get her.”

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