Page 43 of His to Claim

“Go,” the huge jerk orders, and I bristle. I hate being ordered around. Especially by big brutish men with no manners and who work for an asshole like Carmine Gallo.

But I have to be smart about this and play my cards right. Ideally, I’d like to lull Gallo into a false sense of security, make him think I’m just a stupid, harmless woman with no agenda. And then I’ll strike when he least expects it.

Letting out a breath, I tilt my head back and look up into the darkness. Not good. My heart starts thumping harder and I wonder why he wants me to go up into the loft. I have a feeling nothing good can come of this, but what choice do I have?

I briefly squeeze my eyes shut then force myself to grab onto a rung, step up and begin to climb. I’m not scared of heights, but once I’m on the second level, my pulse kicks up as I look over the barn below. I have a bird’s eye view of the entire first floor, and it’s awfully high and more than a little intimidating.

Stepping away from the edge, I glance around and don’t see much other than a hay-strewn floor, some bales of hay that are stacked up, and large, wooden beams crisscrossing above me.

Why am I up here?I wonder. I have no idea what he’s up to or planning, but I know it can’t be good.

As if in answer, Gallo appears, steps over the edge and sends me an evil smile. I mentally warn myself not to underestimate the man. Everything in me is screaming he’s a fool, but he’s a dangerous and possibly deranged fool, and that’s a very bad combination.

Even though I know I should be scared, I’m more pissed off than anything. Especially because he’s out to ruin the people I love most in this whole world. And that can’t happen. No way. Not on my watch.

Turning to face my kidnapper, I toss my hair over my shoulder and place my hands on my hips. “What the hell do you want from my family? We haven’t done anything to you.” I make sure my voice stays firm and strong. The last thing I want to do is show any fear because that’s like blood in the water to a shark like Gallo. If he smells my fear, he will strike and try to take me out.

“You haven’t done anything to me?” he echoes. A short, harsh laugh erupts from his throat. “That isn’t exactly true, Ms. Rossi.”

He vehemently spits my name out with such caustic hate that I nearly cringe. It’s like acid drips from his tongue and I wisely decide it’s time to tread lightly because he’s clearly harboring a huge vendetta. Maybe even bigger than I realized.

But why? There has to be more to the story than the few details that I already know.

“Your brother’s wife sicced assassins and bounty hunters on me.”

Well, tit for tat,I think, but I keep my mouth shut. If the bastard wouldn’t have put Angelo and Blake’s names on the Kill List then that wouldn’t have happened. She just managed to flip the tables on him and now he’s mad.

“Then they all descended on my mansion and a war broke out, burning it down to the ground. I barely escaped with my life.”

I stifle the urge to sigh. This isn’t new information and I wonder how much longer he’s going to cry about it. As far as I’m concerned, if this is his reason for wanting to destroy my family, it’s a piss-poor reason. Especially since he started it.

“All I wanted was a chance to sit among the mafia greats in this city. It’s what I deserve,” he seethes.

Yeah, yeah.Maybe this really is just about him wanting more power. My gut thought there might be more to it, but maybe I’m wrong. Perhaps Carmine Gallo is just a power-hungry man who wants to exert his dominance over everyone else. I suppose it’s really nothing new and happens all the time. If I had a dollar for every person who tried to topple the top players in New York City and take over, I’d have a fortune.

“It’s more than that, though,” he says in a voice so low, I almost don’t understand him. But he’s definitely caught my attention and I find myself perking up.

What in the world is he talking about?

“It’s what I’m owed,” he continues, voice full of fury, “and I will collect what is my due.”

A frown creases my brow. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. No one owes you anything?—”

“The Rossi’s owe me my son back!” he yells, and I flinch. Completely startled by his outburst, I take a wary step back. “It’s because of your family that he’s dead!”

He’s breathing hard, his face a mottled shade of reddish-purple, and he’s clenching and unclenching his fists. I’m not following him, but he has my full and undivided attention. The last thing I want to do is aggravate him or piss him off further, but I need to know what it is he’s talking about.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say again softly.

He sends me a glare that should make me tremble. But, honestly, I’m more curious than scared or intimidated.

“Of course, you don’t! Carlotta Rossi has no idea what’s going on, does she? She’s just the sweet, innocent little sister who doesn’t get too involved in her family’s business affairs. Poor, clueless Lottie,” he sneers, taking a step closer.

I hold my ground, but do a quick sweep for a weapon, searching for anything I could grab and use against him. Only one of the thugs is up here with us, so it might be possible to take him or Gallo down. Unfortunately, I don’t see anything useful.

“It’s so much easier that way, isn’t it? Not knowing? It lets you sleep in your big bed every night with no guilt or regrets, huh? Well, wake the fuck up, little girl! Because your family is nothing but a bunch of murdering, money-grubbing assholes! And they will pay—they all will…starting with you.”

“Wait!” I hold up a hand when he lurches forward. “If you tell me what happened, maybe I can help you. Maybe we can fix whatever the problem is and?—”

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