Page 8 of As Angels Sin

“Have you forgotten we run in the same circles, brother?” I hear him holster his weapon, before crunches on the rocks beneath his feet tell me he is approaching me.

Brother? The fucking nerve of this guy.Still, the point remains. One pound of flesh for another.

“I haven’t spoken to those circles in a very long time.” I keep my focus on the horizon ahead of me. Drinking in my shadow’s playground one last time. For better or worse, Mark’s unexpected arrival means it’s time to leave.

“Yeah, well, I meant more along the lines of the tracking anyway.” He stops at the edge of the cliff, by my side. My shadow screams to push him over the edge, but I somehow find the willpower to ignore it.

“You’re not an easy man to find.”

“You shouldn’t have found me at all.”

“Well, you’ll have to do better than the mountains if you want to get away from me, Crue.” I hear him rifling around in his pockets, before a blinding yellow flame burns my eyes.

“Why are you here?” That’s all that matters. The how’s and what’s of his sudden appearance can die with Devin.

“Two months is a long time in the game Lorenzo Napoli and Matteo Baronne play. Without your swift hand of justice maintaining the chaos, new moves are being made.” Mark drags out a puff on a cigarette and I watch the ember burn away the paper around it.

“Stop trying to sound smart and say it straight.” It’s unusual for me to speak this way to my oldest friend. Heisthe closest person I truly have to a brother, but I’m irritated. Not only did he find me, while I was trying to stay clear of the mess I left in New York, but he stole my fucking kill. It is an injustice that will take me a very long time to forgive.

“Woah, calm down, big fella.” If it weren’t for the cigarette in his hands, I wouldn’t have been able to see him pull them up in mock surrender. “Something’s happening at the Napoli house. Something big. Lorenzo still wants you on his side in this war and asked me to convince you.”

Fuck.

“I tried to kill his daughter.”

“And? I wouldn’t be here if she’d have told ‘em, would I?” He takes another puff, before he flicks the half-smoked cigarette off the side of the mountain.

I’m not much one for prayers, but tonight I’ll make just one: start a fire and burn that piece of shit town to the ground.

“Any idea what’s happening?” I start walking back the same way I lead Devin up this mountain. I am disheartened in part, but also devilishly excited at the thought of seeing her again.

Killing her, you mean.

My shadow is right, but I ignore it once more.

“Nope, but I can tell you it’s nothing good. Lorenzo seems scared. More than if it were just a turf war with Matteo.” Mark starts to follow me.

“He has you, so why does he want me too?”

“I’m just a glorified messenger, Crue. I’m asking the same questions as you are.” He hooks an arm around my shoulder as we begin our descent down the mountain. “So, what do you say? Do we ride this one out for old times’ sake?”

“I’ll think about it.”

And I’ve got a long drive back to New York to do it.

Chapter Four

FIAMETTA

“Are you sure I should be coming with you?” Simone asks, as we walk through Father’s mansion, in the direction of his office. She’s been at my side every other day since I woke up. She’s my last stable connection to the life I actually want to live, especially now that I’m a prisoner behind these walls.

“No, but it’s the least he can do considering the circumstances. I’m going nuts here.” I sigh, and tug Simone’s arm to stop her for a moment. “Boredom isn’t the worst of it, though. Remember that guy that was following me around?”

“Tomas? Who could forget him,” she shudders at the mention of his name. “Joe says you’d better run from thatM-effer. He’s bad news and I’m inclined to agree.”

God, I miss Joe and the soup kitchen. I miss my boutique, Mrs. Walker, and all the other faces I’ve had to let go of for the last nine weeks.

“It’s not as easy as you’d think. The guy never goes home. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think this meeting was about my father telling me they were lovers.” We snicker at each other and continue on to Father’s office.

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