Page 150 of Filthy Liar

“You’re my son!”

“I’m not your anything. Possibly your karma, but that’s it,” I answered. “Hey, Ant. You want to make sure everyone’s out of the building for me?”

“Suck my dick and I’ll think about it,” he chuckled in my ear piece, but his fingers were already flying over the keyboard. “Looks like most are out. The other guys have just gotten to Blake so they’re heading out now. I’ll get a message through to Fabio to make sure everyone else is leaving. How much time do I have?”

“Minutes.”

“I can work with that.”

“That traitorous little—” Stefano started bellowing, but Elio punched him in the mouth with a growl, cursing him out in Italian.

“I already have a plan, you know?” Dante said dryly, pointing to a gas can by his feet that I hadn’t noticed before. “Figured the Devil would feel right at home in the flaming pits of hell.”

“How poetic,” I deadpanned. “You pour, I light the match?”

“I think I should light the match,” he argued, and I rolled my eyes, turning to face him.

“You’re inheriting a damn kingdom, Mr. Mafia Heir. I just want revenge for my family.”

He grumbled, but I knew he was going to let me do it before saying so.

He would get his revenge by taking over and changing everything he hated that our father did, but I needed blood for what he’d done to me.

Elio stepped forward, bowing his head slightly. “If I may? No son should bear the weight of killing his father.”

“The weight on my shoulders will be lifted if he dies by my hand,” I answered. “Would you like another minute or two to beat him?”

“I just want to find her,” he said quietly, flicking his gaze to Dante, who nodded.

“Once I take that seat at the head of the Ricci family, I promise you things are changing. Pledge loyalty to me and you will have your answers. I want to find out what happened to every missing person within our family. That’s what we are, Elio. Family.”

“I’d like that, boss,” he replied without hesitation, stepping back. “I’m done. He’s all yours, Ander.”

I smiled slightly at the use of my preferred name, motioning for Dante to proceed.

Satisfaction washed over me as Stefano started to panic, begging for his life as Dante doused him in gasoline.

“It’s really funny that you think we’d listen to your begging,” Dante hummed, covering his emotions well.

Deep down, this was killing him, he just didn’t want anyone to see it. It was another reason I had to be the one to light the match.

Despite growing up under Stefano’s iron fist, he’d always known him as his father.

“I begged. No one heard me,” I added, and Dante tsked as Stefano tried to spit on him.

“I remember many sleepless nights lying in bed as a child, black and blue after you and your men worked me over with fists to toughen me up. I begged until I learned that it just pissed you off more.” He punched Stefano, his voice going flat. “All you’re doing is making me angry, Papa. I thought tough men didn’t beg or cower? You expected a six-year-old boy to be strong, but you can’t be? How embarrassing.”

Today would be a fresh start for our family, and as I pulled my lighter from my pocket, I glanced back at Raven. “Take Zav out. I need all of you to go.”

“Wait, what?” Raven asked, taking a step towards me. “I’m not?—”

“Raven. I don’t want you seeing this, and I need to do this alone with Dante. Make your way back out and we’ll follow,” I said firmly, seeing her thinking about it for a moment before she nodded, taking Zavier’s hand.

“If you’re not out in a few minutes, I’m coming back to look for you.”

If I wasn’t out in a few minutes, I’d be dead, but I wasn’t about to tell her that.

“Deal,” I nodded, motioning to Knox. “Dante and I are fine on our own. Take them back out. Beckett? Keep my family safe.”

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