Page 19 of Duke of Ruin

“You got something?” Rossi barks as I slide into the passenger seat. I hand him my latest notebook with all the details of the shipment from the other night.

“I wasn’t able to get a container number, but you can backtrack this and find out what ship it was on and where it came from,” I say.

“Great fucking work, kid,” Rossi says with real admiration in his voice. “You were made for undercover.” He claps me on the shoulder, and my gut twists.

“It’s getting real hot out there,” I say, and he turns to face me.

“What do you mean? You think they’re on to you?” Rossi asks, his bushy brows drawn together.

“Not yet,” I breathe. “At least I don’t think so, but they’re starting to ask questions, to look into me.”

“We expected that,” Rossi says. “Your background is flawless. If they try to look you up they’ll find everything we need them to see.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple. Their connections run deep.”

“We know that, kid.” Rossi’s jaw ticks. “What’s really going on here?”

“I’m worried about casualties,” I say. Fuck, this isn’t going the way I hoped.

“Casualties? The fuck are you talking about, Sorrento?” Rossi is practically shouting.

“Innocent people are going to get hurt,” I challenge.

“Like who?” Rossi growls. My skin starts to prickle in anger. He’s not going to understand, but I have to make him.

“Like Eli,” I say, and brace for the inevitable barrage.

“Eli? As in Eli fuckingCarbone?” Rossi scoffs, but his hands are shaking. “I don’t know how he’s fucking tricked you, son, but he’s far from innocent. He’s a Carbone. Evil is bred into him.”

“He didn’t choose any of this. He wants out,” I say.

“He told you this?” Rossi asks incredulously.

“Not exactly…sort of, I don’t know. He raises money for the Arts Council for fuck’s sake,” I snap.

“A tiny fraction of the Carbones’ wealth goes to teaching art to kids and all the sudden this guy’s a fucking saint? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

“I’m trying to tell you he’s innocent, and I want to find a way to make sure he’s not hurt by all of this. If my cover is blown, his family will come after him,” I say.

“Then don’t blow your fucking cover!” Rossi shouts at me. I clench my fists to try to keep my composure.

“I thought we were supposed to protect the innocent?” I shout back.

“How many people are we going to protect by bringing this family down?” Rossi snaps at me.

“You don’t get it. How are we supposed to be better than them if we ignore shit like this?”

“It’s a numbers game, kid. Even if this Carbone is innocent, I would trade his life for a hundred other innocents in a fucking heartbeat. He’s still a Carbone, and they all deserve what’s coming to them.”

I take a deep breath and fight to keep the disgust from my expression. “How can you say that? How can you act like you’re out for justice when you can just throw someone’s life away if it’s convenient? AmIthat expendable?”

“If you keep sympathizing with the enemy, yeah,” Rossi shouts, and my mouth drops open in shock. I shouldn’t be surprised, but there it is. Rossi doesn’t care who gets hurt as long as he brings down the Carbones. “Don’t look so shocked, Sorrento. You knew what this was when you signed up.” Rossi waves his hand in dismissal.

“This sounds a lot more like revenge than justice,” I growl through clenched teeth.

“You would know, wouldn’t you,” Rossi mutters.

“I’ll pull out now if that’s what it takes to protect the innocent,” I say. If my disappearance will protect Eli, then that’s what I’ll do.

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