Page 54 of Desire and Revenge

“I know that.” She rolls her eyes. “I won’t believe you just thought the tree was cool and decided to get it. You don’t—”Her words trails off and then, more cautiously, she asks, “Who’s Jacobe?”

I still, then curse myself for allowing her to view the tattoo up close. “It’s nobody.”

“His name is etched into your skin, Nero,” she points out.

I’m tired and my defenses are down. That has to be the only reason I open my mouth and say, “He was my father.”

She tenses against me. “Your father? What happened to him? Where’s he now?”

How did I forget how curious the green-eyed princess can be? I sigh. “He’s dead. Died fourteen years ago. He was close to the former capo, Sebastian’s father.”

“Is that why you left? Because he died?”

I swallow. “Yes. He was a good man, and an even better father. He was my mentor and my friend, raised me to be good, too. After he died, I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t look at the places we had walked together without feeling betrayed by fate. And so, I left.”

“How did he die?”

I chuckled bitterly. “Transaction gone wrong. The bad guys didn’t want the deal he was offering, and things got out of hand.”

“You say it like that’s not really what happened,” she whispers.

“I found out a year later he had been executed, and all because of someone’s greed. All because they thought he didn’t deserve everything he had worked hard for.” I close my eyes, and my fist tightens.

“Some people think that people like us, born from a line of nothing, should stay there. It doesn’t matter how hard we try to claw our way out; they’ll always be waiting to get rid of us when we start to threaten their throne.”

“Who executed him?”

“That’s enough heavy conversation.”

I feel her raise her head and peer at me. “Was he going to be the next capo?”

“You should work on your pillow talk skills.”

She sighs, frustrated. “You don’t trust me.”

“I don’t trust anyone, Princess.” I open my eyes and our eyes meet, the now familiar wave of heat curling through me at something as simple as eye contact.

Hurt fills her eyes, and I immediately look away, because that sad expression on her face is making me want to get to my knees and confess all my sordid plans to her.

“I’ve already been betrayed by someone I considered family,” I admit with a low voice, and her eyes narrow. “How am I supposed to trust another person?”

Her gaze is steady and piercing, and I have the odd feeling she can see into my soul. “Are you going to kill Sebastian?”

I drag my thumb down to the fluttering pulse between her collarbones. “Yes.”

I wait for the shock, surprise, or terror to fill her eyes, but her expression remains just openly curious.

“And are you going to kill me, too?” This time, her voice trembles.

“You shouldn’t ask me that.”

“I’m asking it anyway.”

“Sofia—”

“Are you?” she cuts in.

I imagine her lifeless eyes staring up at me and I recoil from the thought, my heart thudding violently. I’m not supposed to leave anything of Lucchese’s empire standing. It’s all supposed to be razed to the ground. Every. Single. Thing.

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