Page 67 of Ruthless Mafia Boss 3: Vino and Claire

He smirked. “The Romanos family Bolognese. Thanks to grandma Rosina.”

“And you.” I smiled.

He winked.

“Continue the story,” I urged.

Otis loved to banter with the other guards; they always got along. But he made the fatal mistake of repeatedly mentioning where we were headed for a specific meeting—as if he needed to announce it to everyone. Our men knew better than to repeat any details. That meeting was one my father handed off to me. I was only eighteen. There wasn’t room for error. I couldn’t fuck it up—I couldn’t let my dad down.” His brows lowered as he recalled that moment.

“Harlem trailed Otis for a week. The guy was slick—careful. But not careful enough. We caught him meeting with a couple of men at a deli two towns over. They were from a rival family… one that’s been eyeing our territory for years. Everyone wants a piece of the pie. We make a shit ton of money. And unfortunately, people are driven by money and power.” Vino shoveled forkfuls of rigatoni into his mouth and his eyes grew colder.

I brought my wineglass to my lips. “What did you… do to him?” I asked, instantly regretting it. My fingers tightened around the wine stem. Did I really want to hear just how cruel Vino could be to his enemy?

Vino’s eyes met mine, hard and merciless, as he downed another gulp of whiskey. That single look sent a chill down my spine.

“Harlem beat the shit out of him and then brought him to the meat locker.”

Vino set the heavy glass down with a dull clink and slowly began to spin it, his voice low and measured almost too calm.

“We chained him to a steel X-frame. Arms and legs spread wide. My father asked him one simple question. How could you betray the Romanos? Then he slammed an iron pipe into Otis’s stomach. Dad wasn’t really looking for Otis to answer him. It felt like his question was more of a statement. Like he was in disbelief.

I gulped as I listened, heart in my throat.

“I told him the men who vouched for him would die too. That’s when he started begging. Said one of the men was his cousin. Said the guy’s girl was pregnant.”

Vino’s jaw flexed. “I didn’t give a fuck. That baby would grow up without a traitor for a father. The doors on both sides of the building swung open. Two Ram trucks backed up close to his body. One of my guards attached a hook to each truck. With two hooks dangling at the end of the chains, I drove four hooks into his body, two on each side.”

My breath caught.

“I looked him dead in the eyes and said, ‘No one crosses us and lives.’ Then I threw my hand in the air and the trucks roared off at full speed, tearing his body apart as blood and guts splattered everywhere. I declared to all the guards watching, “Let this be a lesson. If you cross us, the same will happen to you.”

Vino then shifted his gaze from me to his plate, eating his rigatoni as if he hadn’t just confessed to ripping a man’s body to shreds.

“Do you know how to shoot?” he asked, voice casual, like we’d been talking about pasta recipes.

I nodded slowly. “Yes, my father taught me, my brother, and sister how to shoot when we were younger. I carry a Glock. He made me take it when I moved out of state.”

Vino didn’t look up from his plate. “What about assault rifles?”

My brows lifted. “No. I’ve never handled one.”

“You will.” He finished his whiskey. “Tomorrow I’ll take you to my private range. It’s behind the ATV garage. You’re in my world now. You need to learn to fight. And shoot to kill.”

I straightened my shoulders, met his gaze. “I’m ready.”

As I sipped my wine, I looked at him. “Vino, you mentioned you’d get Ivan...”

He interrupted me. “...and Polina. If I have to go to Russia and hunt those motherfuckers down, you’ll get your revenge.”

Tears welled in my eyes. One slipped down my cheek.

“Then I won’t have to hide my true identity anymore,” I whispered.

“You don’t have to hide now,” he said, voice deepening. “If he comes for you, I’ll catch that motherfucker before he even breathes your name.”

I let out a slow breath, heavy with gratitude and exhaustion. “Thank you, Vino.”

He reached across the table, taking my hand in his. “You’re safe now. And that’s a promise I’ll bleed to keep.”

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