Page 38 of Brutal Legacy

“But if memory serves, isn’t this the woman you once asked me to look up, years ago and nothing came of it.”

“Basta.” Enough.

Giada was quiet, silenced by my fatal tone, and then whistled.

“Okay, calm down. Don’t get your panties in a twist, brother dearest. You just go on being the most reclusive monk in all the land and die alone one day.”

“I’m not the marrying kind,sorellina. But don’t worry about me. I don’t intend on living that long.”

“Hey! Stop it. You’re being a major downer, and I’m telling Bran. Now, back to the business at hand. As we both know, the Ravellis are cockroaches, and where there’s one, there’s a hundred more, just out of sight. I can see an infestation all around LA, including the airport.”

“They know I’m here.”

“I’m sure they do! Renato De Sanctis’ right hand… bagging and toe-tagging you would be quite the score for them.”

“Unfortunately for them, I’m not so easy to kill. Charter me something private, leaving as soon as possible.”

“On it. I’ll send you the details.”

Giada hesitated a second, before hanging up. “Try not to get killed, okay?”

“Got it.”

I headed out after midnight.I needed a gun to protect myself and Georgia and had a few contacts who could get me one. If not, the plan was simple. Go to a bad part of town, wait for someone who was carrying, and make them an offer they couldn’t refuse.

An hour later, I was on my way back, this time suitably armed.

I hadn’t even had to go far from Georgia’s neighborhood to find trouble. She lived in a truly shitty part of the city. It was dangerous as hell for a woman living alone here. What the fuck was Tommaso Conti thinking to leave his widow in this desperate situation? If he hadn’t been dead and buried already, I’d kill him myself.

He’d died of some disease, as far as I knew, but that didn’t excuse not planning for Georgia’s future. She lived in a rat box; her fucking door didn’t even work. Anger lashed at the walls of my composure as I made my way into her building. It smelled like a urinal on the ground floor, and that only made me more furious. Why was she living here? How had her life become this? This was what she had chosen, over me. It would be ironic if it weren’t so fucking infuriating.

I headed up the stairs and felt the change in energy as soon as I neared the top floor. Something was wrong. I’d barely been gone, and I’d made sure my sister had removed all traces of Georgia’s address from any online system. Nothing tied her to this place. I’d made sure of it.

I raced up the last few stairs and found her shitty door standing open, mocking me.

Holy hell.I’d made nothing but mistakes since I’d gotten here. Being around Georgia was already fucking with my head and making me sloppy and undisciplined.

I drew my gun and stilled just outside. I had to be ready for whatever was inside. I needed to get control back, or both of us could end up dead.

She could die.

I fought the panic that threatened to devour my focus and stepped into the apartment. There was the low droning sound of a man talking up the hall, near the bedroom. I walked silently along the hallway.

“You were just here — you said you’d see me next month.” Georgia’s voice was hard, but there was a hitch in it that betrayed her. She was scared.

Something dark writhed in the pit of my belly.

“Well, you know, I gave it some thought and realized that I could help you out with getting ahead. Like I said, you need to get the interest down on your loans… or you’ll never be free of your late husband’s debts.”

Her husband’s debts?So, this had nothing to do with the Ravellis.

“I don’t need your help with a payment plan, thanks. Just leave,” Georgia’s voice rang out, courageous as always.

A chuckle floated to me in the hall.

“No, I don’t think I will. I think you’ll have to make me.”

Then Georgia gasped, and the sound of a struggle filled the air. I took the safety off my gun and stepped into the room, taking in the scene on the bed.

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