Page 58 of Of Oaths and Secrets

"What do you need?" Paolo asks, his tone all business.

"I need these two bodies to disappear," I reply, my voice steady even though my mind is racing.

Paolo nods. "The butcher?"

I shake my head. "No. We can’t involve anyone else in this. This could cause a full-blown war if word gets out." I glare at Leo again, feeling the pressure of what I’ve done settle in my chest. "You’re taking them to the slaughterhouse."

Leo swallows hard, and I can see the fear creeping back into his eyes. The slaughterhouse—an old, abandoned facility we’ve retrofitted for situations like this. It’s where bodies get an acid bath, where we make sure they disappear for good. Hydrofluoric acid doesn’t leave much behind.

"I need to call Vargas, clean up any evidence," I continue, turning away from the mess for a moment to gather my thoughts. "I’ll head to the club.” The gambling club is our Lucchese headquarters.

Leo’s voice shakes as he speaks. "You want me to do this by myself? It’ll?—"

"No," I snap, cutting him off. "He’s going to help you." I point a finger at my brother, my eyes narrowing. "Now’s the time to pull your weight, Leo. You clean this up, and I hope you remember this day for the rest of your fucking life."

I know he won’t forget it. The smell… the way bodies decompose, the bloating, how sometimes the eyes float to the surface in the acid. The idiot will remember this day for the rest of his life, and maybe—just maybe—it’ll teach him something.

Leo doesn’t argue, just nods, his face pale as he looks from Fredo to the other body on the floor. I turn on my heel, walking toward the door.

“And Leo,” I say without looking back, “this is your last chance. Don’t waste it.”

As I turn to leave, Paolo gives me a look that says it all—I told you so. I shake my head in response. What is there left to say?

Once I’m in the car, I immediately call Vargas. The irritation in my chest doesn’t fade; it sharpens as the phone rings in my ear.

“Lucchese,” Vargas answers, his tone laced with irritation. “Wish I could say it’s a pleasure.”

I roll my eyes. “I need your tech wizard.”

“Derek doesn’t take orders. I’m the one who owes you, not him,” Vargas shoots back.

I force myself to stay calm. “Doyouknow how to tamper with surveillance tapes? My brother’s a fucking idiot, and I’d rather avoid getting him in trouble with our father.” And avoid a fucking war. “I need two people to disappear from the club and his office. Can you do that?”

There’s a heavy pause on the other end. “How long is this going to keep going, Rafaele?”

“As long as I want it to,” I reply flatly. “You should’ve thought twice before making a deal with me.”

“A deal with the devil,” he mutters, and I hear the bite in his voice. “Well, I hoped the nuptials would pacify you. Congratulations, I suppose… though more to you than her.”

His offhand remark is probably meant to get under my skin. Normally, it wouldn’t. But today? Today, it cuts deeper than I’d care to admit. Maybe because he’s right.What kind of life is this for her?The thought eats at me, and I hate it.

“I can make your life a hell of a lot harder if you want,” I say, my voice colder than ever. And he knows I don’t make empty threats.

Vargas lets out a sigh, his frustration evident. "Fine, fine. I’ll make the call, but you owe me for this."

I clench the steering wheel, my jaw tight as I drive. "I owe you nothing, Vargas. Remember who keeps you in business."

There’s silence on the line, the kind that signals he knows I’m right but hates to admit it. Good. I’ve got enough on my plate without dealing with his half-hearted attempts to needle me. I’m already wound too tight, the frustration bubbling just beneath the surface.

“Fine. Derek will handle it. You’ll hear from me when it’s done.”

I hang up and toss the phone onto the passenger seat, the tension still simmering in my chest. My hands grip the wheel as I grit my teeth. Focus. I’ve handled far worse than this, I remind myself. But for the first time in a long time, my mind is split. There’s the business, the famiglia, and then there’s Nora. And I don’t know how to keep them from colliding.

As I pull up to the club, I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the night ahead. Once this mess is cleaned up, I’ll deal with Leo. And then, when I’m done, I’ll go back to Nora. Back to that room where I left something unfinished.

And this time, I won’t leave until it’s done.

Chapter Fifteen

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