Page 33 of Promise Maker

Leaving the car, we covertly move through theshadows until locating the boat Leonardo mentioned.

Two guards are standing next to it while threeothers are scouting nearby.

Father gives the signal.

Rodrigo breaks away with our men to handle theothers.

Two clean shots from my silencer take down theguards at the boat.

We carefully approach.

Another man emerges from below deck, a cigarettein hand. He spots the bodies.

I shoot before he utters a sound.

Our men rejoin us as we quietly climb onto theboat.

Father stays at the back of the group.

Counting down with my fingers, I kick the dooropen, and we shoot everyone that moves.

In the end, only one man is alive at the tablewith stacks of cash before him.

“Antonio,” my father grunts.

The skinny man is quivering from fear, hands abovehis head. “Emanuele…perfavore….”

Father observes the crate with the rest of themoney stolen from our club inCanicatti.

The plan is to sink the crate into an agreedlocation and collect drugs after a few days. I know because Grandfather hadused the same tactic until my father took over, opening clubs and secured roomsfor gambling.

Our family hasn’t traded drugs since.

“The dealer?” Father demands.

“Emanuele, I-I would have given the money back,”Antonio insists. “Leonardo said the man was good for it. He said we would makedouble after selling the drugs.”

Father expels a low grumble and aims the gun athis head. “If it was a matter of hard times, you should have come to me.”

“Emanuele, perfavore!”Antonio begs, his eyes wide.

Father says the terrifying words, “Nessunapietà per ildisonorevole.”

“No—” A bullet shatters his brain, cutting off therest of his words.

Sliding his phone from his pocket, Father callsour cleaner to ensure nothing traces back to us. Afterward, he motions to leaveand walks ahead with the men.

I stall, looking around at the bloodbath. Ithasn’t bothered me since I wept after my grandfather killed a man before mewhen I was a boy.

He’d gripped my throat and told me to shut it off.

Rimuovi le tue emozioni o ti faranno uccidere.

Remove my emotions, or they’d get me killed.

My grandfather was brutal—a monster.

Father isn’t asbad, butkilling is what we all do.

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