Page 61 of Rotten Men

“A man of honor, Ciro. I know how alien that concept is for you, but you know as well as I do, the Outfit would never let me kill Silvio without just cause of treason,” I snap back at him.

My whole life I have tried to accomplish what Ciro did in less than five minutes—boldly killing amade manwithout an ounce of fear of repercussions from the Outfit. But the code I grew up with prevented me from taking the formerconsigliere’slife, no matter how much I dreamt for this day to come.

“Isn’t conspiring to kill the boss of the syndicate traitorous enough? Killing your parents in cold blood doesn’t fit the bill either?” he adds, cocking his brow.

“Knowledge which I was unaware of until this night, Ciro! If I had known it to be true, I would have pulled the trigger myself long ago.”

“Excuses. You could have found a reason to do it. And if you didn’t, you could have conjured up one,” he rebukes, unimpressed with my reasoning.

“That is where we differ, you and I. I could not kill amade manin cold blood without the Outfit’s blessing. Honor would have prevented me from doing so.”

“You are right. That is the difference between us. Because it only confirms what I have always known to be true—you are nothing but a sheep, Vincent, while I am the wolf to be feared. Honor does not bind me. It never has,” he reckons, appalled by my sense of loyalty.

“Not honor and not family it seems,” I spit back, just as disgusted.

“Are you talking about yourself or my brother?”

“Both, Ciro. You will meet your justice for betraying us both,” I vow.

“I’d like to see you try.” He grins forebodingly.

“Stop!!! Both of you!” Selene screams out, standing back to her feet. Before I’m able to prevent it, Ciro pulls my love into his arms, while the twocaposin the room bind me still once again.

“This is just the start,rosa,” he whispers in her ear, stroking her hair adoringly. “I will show you a world where men will kneel at your feet, and never again will anyone hurt you. You will be feared by all,cara mia; just as you were destined to be.”

“Selene doesn’t want to be feared. She wants to be loved,” I choke out, struggling from my confinement.

“Isn’t that what I’m offering her, though?” Ciro states matter-of-factly.

“All you are offering her is death,” I say, glancing at the blood seeping into the carpet to make my point.

“Take it as my first gesture of love,rosa. A start at least.”

“You don’t know the meaning of the word.”

“That’s why I need her to teach me,” he adds, looking mesmerized by the woman in his arms.

My revulsion for the lunatic before me is so strong that I break free from my henchmen, and launch myself at him, prepared to shred that loving look from his evil eyes. But Selene blocks me, placing one hand on my chest and the other on the man who has set his eyes on stealing myvitaaway from us yet again.

“Ciro, please. Take me to my son,” she murmurs under wet lashes.

He tilts his head and orders his men to hold me back once more.

“Ciro, please. This conversation has no place right now. I want to see my son,” she insists, placing her delicate hands on both his cheeks.

“And you will,rosa,” he promises earnestly.

“I want to see him, too,” I demand, gaining another disgruntled curse from the deviant man.

“Really? Am I expected to believe you care for the child, or is this all for Selene’s benefit?” he accuses.

“Not for Selene’s, but for my own. He is mine after all.”

The surprised, shocked look on Ciro’s face is worth every penny.

“The boy is yours?”

This time I’m the one who smirks, pleased with his discomfort.

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