Page 48 of A Beautiful Crime

“Grazie.”

“Is that all, Don?”

“No, I’ll be seeing you both shortly.”

He snickers. “I told her you wait for no one. Figured you would be making an appearance.”

“I’m making an exception,” I remind him not too lightly. “If it were anyone else I would have them dragged to me pleading for their life for wasting my precious time.”

His tone sobers. “Of course, Don. My deepest apologies.”

“Accettato. Keep vigilant.”

“Always do. I’ll be waiting for your next call.”

I end the call and place the burner back where I had it hidden originally.

“How is Gino?” Asks Rico with not one care in his tone or shown on his face.

Gino, a trusted friend of mine since I was young, was appointed as Carina’s bodyguard after her mamma’s death by me.

I didn’t trust Savio not to do the same to his own daughter one day. Not after I had known Viola wanted to escape New York City with their daughter. And certainly not after I had discovered her suicide was an illusion.

Before her death, my papa, when he was Don, had Gino infiltrate The Fiore Famiglia as a mere soldier to keep eyes and ears on the inside of Savio’s business. With the inside information we gained we had always stayed five steps ahead, much to Savio’s dismay.

However, after the death of my own papa, then shortly followed by Carina’s mamma’s death, Viola, one of my first commands had been for Gino to find a way to be appointed as Carina’s bodyguard.

It took planning and scheming on my end. I had a lowly criminal on the street paid with a hundred thousand cash to put a hit on Carina Fiore.

Yes, my methods were extreme and drastic.

Yes, I had put a hit on her life.

But, he was a pawn on the piece of my chess board. I had full and utter control.

Much like everything in the underworld where I rule.

And so the lowly criminal went about his duty one hundred thousand dollars richer with a greater future in his eyes only to be killed by Gino who had been with Carina at the time to stop the attack.

And that act of selfless loyalty had proven enough to Savio, and therefore gave Gino the promotion from being a soldier to being Carina’s bodyguard.

Checkmate.

I arch a brow. “Do you really care for his well-being?

“No.”

“Then why ask?”

“I thought it would be polite.”

He causes another genuine chuckle from me. Honestly, his lack of emotion and empathy is comedic gold. Only some can truly appreciate it. That is if they have a twisted sense of humor. And living the life that we lead it’s impossible not to.

After all, I laugh death in the face every day.

“Have Pietro on standby for me in my parking garage.”

Rico nods his head.

---