Page 90 of Massimo

My jaw tightens. I want nothing more than to go home to Nova, especially since my uncle's comment about her solidifies Renzo's warning that my family could very well not protect her if something happens to me. I need to make her my wife as soon as possible, but the urgency to fuck a baby into her slams into me like a Mack truck.

I also want to investigate why she pulled away and retreated inward again after her conversation with Gabe this morning.

But first things first. Mancini is a bold motherfucker, getting bolder by the minute, and we have one of his men.

I know whoever Mancini sends into our territory to find evidence that I have Nova won't be high-level or from his inner circle. Therefore, any information we torture out of them won't be Mancini's deep, dark secrets that I need to know, but he'll fucking do.

He'll be the proxy for my rage against Mancini.

I crack my knuckles. "The playroom."

Chapter 37

Massimo

Thescentofbloodand other less pleasant body fluids overpowers my nose when I enter the basement of hell that Vito calls his playroom.

As I walk into the open space with a man hanging from his wrists wrapped in chains, Vito looks over his shoulder at me with an unhinged grin. He's shirtless and blood covers his chiseled, scarred torso and arms. "Welcome home, brother."

"Are you sure you should exert yourself, Vito? Wouldn't want you to rip your balls open."

His blue-green eyes crinkle as he laughs. "Still making jokes, you grumpy motherfucker." Then he shrugs. "Raf and Mario have been doing all the heavy lifting. My balls are good."

He fists a pair of brass knuckles and swings, slamming his powerful punch into the jaw of the dead man walking—well, dead man hanging. The guy's head snaps back with a groan as he swings on the chains. Raf stands behind the guy and kicks out his foot to push him back to Vito, who launches another punishing fist, this time right between the guy's eyes.

Blood gushes, followed by his howls of pain, as the brass knuckles split his forehead wide open. "F-f… fuck…you."

I unbutton my suit jacket, stalking closer. "Has he spilled his guts yet?"

"Nah, Mass." Raf eyes me with a smile. "That's your specialty."

I do like to rip the entrails of my enemy out with my bare hands. Like Nova has heard, my monster reputation in the underworld is alive and well.

Rage ripples through me. I know this motherfucker is here on the orders of his boss—you follow orders or you meet a bullet, that's how our world works—but I don't give a shit that he's just a minion doing as he's been directed to. I have no mercy for him. Because he's playing a role in trying to take Nova away from me.

Not. Going. Tofuckinghappen.

The guy lifts his head, blinking, trying to see through the blood coating his vision. I see the moment the recognition hits. His eyes widen in panic as I shrug out of my jacket. My intention is clear that I'm here to 'play'.

His struggles renew, making him squirm like a worm on a hook. "No. No!"

Vito grips his jaw in a vicious hold. "I'm fucking insulted, prick. Do you know who I am?"

Terror-filled eyes dart to my brother. "Vito…Santoro," he forces out as best he can with Vito's bloody hand clamping his jaw tight.

"Vito, is your ego bruised for being the unhinged brother?" Raf taunts his best friend while I unbutton my shirt.

"Well, fuck, yeah, of course it is." Vito sneers in disgust, but then he turns to me with a grin. "Good to see you." He hugs me before I can get my pristine white shirt off.

"Goddammit, Vito," I growl.

"Don't be such a grumpy motherfucker. Gabe has started keeping a change of clothes here for you."

Vito pulls back to study me, his hand tightening around the back of my neck. I see the darkness of his apex predator staring back at the darkness of the monster that lives inside me.

The urge to unleash it is strong, especially with that bastard hanging three feet away, a part of the plan to take Nova from me. But I need to cage and control that monster right now.

One, because I want this spy to live as long as possible to extract every sordid detail and secret about Mancini out of him.

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