Page 70 of The Club

I don’t say anything. He can guess all he wants.

Moretti is losing patience. “So you do a favor for me while your man does a favor for the Scalzis, is that it? Playing both sides is good way to get taken out.”

I don’t have any choice but to holster my weapon and approach. Several guns track me.

I go for the truth. “I knew he killed someone. I didn’t know it was one of your guys.”

“You didn’t bother to ask whose cock he cut off last night? You have any idea how fucking disgusting that is?”

My mind stumbles over that briefly, but am I really surprised?

“Rafael told me that he killed an abuser. I believed him. I still do. So maybe you should explain to me what the fuck Silva was up to—and why he deserved to get his cock cut off.”

Moretti might be a murderer and criminal like me, but he has enough moral fiber to look uncomfortable. I know he’s aware of the Island and my history, and I know he’s against trafficking kids. If he weren’t, I would’ve killed him as soon as my father was cold.

Moretti grits his teeth. “Whatever he was doing was for me to check or allow. No one else gets to decide. This shit has consequences. If this really has nothing to do with the Scalzis—”

“It doesn’t. I’m not a fucking traitor.”

“Then you get to walk out of here, Dominic. But he doesn’t.”

Moretti’s finger curls visibly on the trigger. Jesus, no—

“You owe me!” I shout. “You fucking owe me!” As Moretti’s finger eases a fraction, I say hurriedly, “This is what I want in return.”

My heart pounds in the silence. I don’t think I’ve ever been this scared in my life. I don’t think I’ve ever been this honest in my life.

Thisiswhat I want. Him.

Psycho.

Liar.

Murderer.

Masochist and sex fiend.

And he is all fucking mine.

Moretti lifts his gun. The mafia takes shit like this seriously. Normally, he wouldn’t let something like this go, whether he owes me a favor or not. He wanted Silva gone. He could still kill Rafael for it, but he’ll lose me if he does. Not to mention the fact that I’ll do my best to kill him before I get taken out.

“You better put a leash on him, Dominic,” Moretti tells me, signaling his men. “He’s a fucking psychopath.”

“I know.”

Moretti shakes his head. After a final, warning look at me, he walks out with his men. I watch them all the way to the door.

The second they’re gone, I glare at Rafael. I want nothing more than to light into him right here and now, but I’ve got my guys hovering. I just got outed very thoroughly, and I’m not about to make an even bigger display of it.

I think Rocco senses that. He snaps out orders that have the men scattering. He and two of them head up the mezzanine steps to guard the main entrance. The other two head down to the parking garage to protect that route. It’s a smart precaution, but more than that, it gets them out of my face.

Rafael is busy freeing Noah, and I’m pacing, trying to cover my panic with anger.

Rafael outed me a little the other day in front of Dante and Tristan, and, yeah, we fucked in dim haziness of the sex club, but this is a whole different level. This is public. This is going to be spread.

Part of me knows it isn’t a big deal. Moretti didn’t even bat an eye. But I’ve spent my whole life hiding my sexuality, terrified of the consequences.

It doesn’t matter that my father is dead. I can feel his eyes on me. I can hear all the things he would say right now.

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