Page 35 of Ludovico's Vengeance

“Couldn't sleep?” He smiles knowingly at me.

I shrug my shoulders as I pad over to the dreaded treadmill. My cheeks heat when I feel his gaze locked on me.

“Get over here. I'll spar with you, kid.” His kind offer is met with a wide grin on my end.

Nothing feels quite as good as beating your frustration and anger out against someone who is easily three times your size. Michael is a good-looking guy, even if he's closer to my dad’s age. I can see why Brittany is drawn to him the way she is.

The past twenty minutes of dancing around him, blocking his shots, and throwing punches of my own has my blood pumping. I feel a sense of pride fill me each time I get to practice with him. When we started, he told me his goal is for me to be able to take Giovanni down. My goal is to be able to take Michael down. One day it will happen, and I know that the ability to lay him out on his ass means that my father will never be able to hurt me again. My closed fist lands hard against his jaw, sending him stumbling backwards. I scream, worried I've hurt the giant, and rush toward him.

“Oh my God, are you ok?” I shriek out.

Michael's chuckle sends a rush of relief through me. When his eyes meet mine, his grin is wider than I've ever seen.

“You're doing good, kid.” His expression changes as he considers something. “Can I ask you something?” I've never seen a man appear to be sheepish before this moment.

“Sure, anything.” My curiosity is killing me as I stand still and wait for him to proceed.

“What's Brittany's deal?”

“Deal? What do you mean?” My brow furrows as I try to understand his question. When I'm unable to comprehend what he's trying to ask, I attempt to get clarification, but Michael cuts me off.

“Never mind - it's a bad idea.” He shrugs his shoulders and walks out of the gym without a glance back at me.

Michael and Milo have been out chasing down what we expect to be the last of the leads before I have enough to end all of this bullshit with Nina's father. We’ve spent the last six months tracking down anyone associated with the shit stain of a human that is Mateo Barone. In my life, there have been a total of three people I've hated. I had one killed in prison, and then I slit the throat of my grandfather. The moment I get to put a bullet between Mateo's eyes will be one of the best of my life. Granted, I don't see much of anything topping the moment my eyes landed on Nina.

Danny Boy’s erratic driving has me on edge. We've been weaving in and out of traffic on the drive here. The moment he pulls into a spot in the underground parking garage, I breathe out a sigh of relief. I never thought I'd be happy to have a meeting with the mayor.

“Remind me never to get into a car that you're driving again after today. Jesus fucking Christ.” My complaint is met with a snort when Danny steps out of the car and follows closely behind me.

The moment I step inside the modern building, my eyes are assaulted by so much white. The walls are painted with such an intense shade of white, I need sunglasses to process what the hell is in front of me.

“Would it be rude to offer the name of an interior designer the first time I meet this woman?” I mumble under my breath to Danny who tries and fails to stifle a laugh.

As we walk deeper into the space, I'm greeted by a familiar face that I haven't seen since graduating high school. Not much has changed about him over the years. He was never a bad looking dude, tall, buff, but damn, was the fucker a bully.

“Damn, Giovanni Ludovico. I never thought I'd see the day you'd be back in town.” Peter Knight grins from behind a desk as he reaches out to shake my hand. A twisted glint in his eye is evident as he proceeds. “Last I heard, you left when you caught your woman banging gramps. Sorry about that.”

My gaze lands on his outstretched hand and raises back to the face of a man who just insulted me. I imagine every way I could possibly remove the appendage from his body. From the most to least painful. Bloodiest to cleanest, the possibilities are endless.

“How about we don't play like we were friends.” My lips pull up into a wide sinister grin as I lean in to speak into his ear. “You were the biggest dick in high school, and if I had been the one to catch you doing even a fraction of the shit you got in trouble with, my career would have begun much sooner."

The man isn't a total idiot because he returns to his seat. He lifts the receiver to his desk phone to his ear and presses a few buttons on the display. After a moment, he speaks softly into the handset and places it back down. When he lifts his gaze to meet mine, he smirks at me.

“Mayor Ricci will be with you momentarily. Please have a seat.” The asshole gestures toward a handful of dark leather chairs in a designated waiting area across from him.

The universe seems to be on my side today, because the office door opens and a woman dressed in a black suit steps out. She’s a nice-looking woman, close to my age, maybe a little older, with sandy colored hair and light blue eyes. If I didn't suspect something happening with Brittany and Michael, I would suggest he get in touch with her. She looks like the type of woman he's generally been caught up with.

“Mr. Ludocvico, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Mayor Taylor Ricci.” Her genuine smile has me on edge. She's new to the position, so I have no idea what to expect in this conversation. “Please, join me in my office.” She gestures toward the door she stepped out of and begins to walk back toward the open door.

My feet move with purpose as I follow closely behind her. Once we're inside, she points to the chair in front of her desk before closing the door behind us. I sit back and cross my leg over my knee as I attempt to make myself comfortable on the hard, wooden chairs. The furniture in here doesn't seem like this woman. She's too sophisticated for this old-time ornate shit.

“Sorry about the furniture, I haven't had a chance to replace anything since I was sworn in last month. There seems to be bodies dropping every few days, which is taking my attention.” She deadpans, her eyes locked on me. Mayor Ricci is trying to get me to admit to something.

“I've heard about that, I do hope you find out who is behind all of this soon.” I offer a heartfelt smile.

She cocks a brow at me and laughs. “Cut the shit. I know who your family is Giovanni. My family was one that your charitable donations for legal aid allowed to get into Port Windsor legally.” Mayor Ricci's solemn smile piques my curiosity, “My grandparents were trying to escape – well they never really went into detail with me. Even after my parents passed away and I lived with them, I didn’t get the full story. However, they told me if your family ever showed up on my doorstep, I was to do whatever you wanted.”

My chest fills with pride at her recollection of events. That is what our family was supposed to be about. Helping others make a life for themselves. Not helping them kill themselves.

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