Page 44 of Fierce Secrets

That night had changed everything. Gray and I were supposed to be at some party he'd convinced me to attend – one of those college things I usually avoided. But Gray had forgotten his wallet, so we'd doubled back to his house.

The sounds we'd heard from the kitchen still haunted me. The crack of flesh meeting flesh, Meredith's muffled cries.

It had explained so much – the long sleeves in summer heat, the way she'd flinch at sudden movements. Even Gray hadn't known. His own sister, suffering in silence whenever he wasn't home, too loyal to that monster to tell anyone what he did to her.

We'd rushed in, finding Anthony standing over her, his fists bloody. Something in me had snapped at the sight of her curled into herself, trying to protect her vital organs like she'd done this before. Like it was routine.

The beating we gave him was brutal, methodical. Each punch, each kick, fueled by years of watching her try to please a man who only saw her as a reminder of his dead wife. It wasn't until my vision cleared of its red haze that I noticed Meredith still there, huddled in the corner, watching us with wide eyes. I'd pulled back, grabbing Gray's raised arm by the wrist. He was going to beat Anthony until he was nothing but a bloody mess onthe floor. But I couldn't have him land the final blows in front of Meredith, not as she watched on like this.

"Meredith," I'd hissed, and Gray had snapped back to reality, realizing his sister was right there, watching us enact justice on her behalf.

"Go to your room," Gray had commanded, his voice shaking. "We'll handle this."

Meredith had dragged herself to her feet, and I'd hesitated, knowing she was hurt, but also knowing we needed to deal with Anthony. If she was moving the way she was, she wasn't severely hurt.

Then again, adrenaline could make people do wonders.

We'd dragged Anthony to the garage, his body leaving a trail of blood we'd have to clean later. I stayed with him, making sure he didn't die too quickly while Gray checked on Meredith.

That was the night I'd first killed for Meredith Cassaro.

I'd finished the job, and watched Anthony draw his last breath on that garage floor, his eyes fixed on mine as life drained from them. I'd felt nothing but satisfaction, wanting him to know exactly who was ending his miserable existence.

When Gray returned, his face was pulled tight. "She's bruised but okay," he'd said, staring down at his bloody hands. "Told her to shower and sleep, that we'd handle everything." He'd looked at his father's broken form. "We need to clean this up."

When he'd realized his father was dead, panic set in immediately.

"Fuck, Leo. He's dead. What do we?—"

"I'll handle it, Gray," I cut him off, already knowing my father would help me deal with this. "Make it look like a car accident or something. I know people who can help clean this up."

Gray had nodded, trusting me fully. That night, our brotherly bond was sealed. We'd killed together.

Many times, he'd felt guilt since that night, even after I'd told him I'd dealt the final blows while he'd checked on his sister.

I'd told him to go begin cleaning up the blood, informing him what to use to hide all the evidence. I'd made sure my father sent a team to deal with it properly anyway. Anthony had cameras all over the house ever since he'd started skimming from my father.

While Gray had gone inside to start cleaning, I'd made the call to my father. Canzio Donati was not a man easily surprised, but learning his son had killed outside the family business had shocked him.

Until I'd explained what we'd found.

"The bastard was beating her?" My father's voice had gone cold. "His own daughter?"

"Yes, sir."

A long pause followed. "The Cassaro boy – he's a good kid?"

"The best," I'd confirmed, watching Gray through the kitchen window as he'd scrubbed blood from the floor. "We were friends before this whole skimming incident. He's loyal to those he deems family. Including me."

"Bring him in, if he's on board," my father had said. "The family could use someone like him. And the girl?"

"Meredith stays in the dark," I'd said firmly. "She doesn't need to know any of this." Meredith was not fit for this world. I wasn't sure if Grayson was, but he'd proved himself valuable despite not wanting to bloody his hands again since that night.

My father had understood my desire to protect Meredith, also not someone to involve women in the family affairs if it could be helped. "We'll watch over them both from afar. They're orphans now, after all. And even though their father was a thief and a piece of shit, his kids have never done us wrong. You seem fond of them as well, seeing how much time you spend with them. I know it's not all because I told you to keep an eye on Anthony."

"Thank you, they are… family, in a way," I'd admitted, and my father had made a sound of understanding. He trusted my instincts, especially since he'd been training me for so long to one day take his place in the family.

What Gray never knew was that our friendship, while genuine, hadn't been entirely coincidental. My father had tasked me with watching Anthony Cassaro after the first few hundred thousand went missing from our accounts. He'd been willing to overlook it initially – everyone makes mistakes – but Anthony had gotten bolder, sloppier. I'd already befriended Grayson in a chance encounter between our father's where we'd both been present. But I'd deepened it at my father's request.

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