Page 22 of Celestial Combat

Gìo nodded. “They think I’m too American. Too… Clean.”

That, he was. If you saw Gìovanni walking down Wall Street, you wouldn’t have taken him for anything less than the real-estate multi-billionaire he was.

“I can’t even marry with all this heat. Every time I try to make moves, someone pulls a trigger.”

That made me pause. Gìo was known for turning away every potential bride his parents or theFamigliasuggested – partly reason for why they were now allying against him, I guessed.

“You’ve proposed already?”

He turned, jaw tight. “Let me worry about that.”

I leaned back slowly, laying the blade across the silk cloth. “Who is she?”

“None of your business.”

I smirked at his unnatural defensive response.“Does she know?”

Gìo stared at the bonsai on my shelf like it had betrayed him. Then he turned back, eyes colder now.

“I want you to take out three men. Quiet. Clean. Public enough to be a message.”

“Let’s say I did break my rule, and helped you and your family. What are you offering?”

He smirked. “I was thinkingPythoncould use a new location in Miami. Right next to the DeMone building we got down there.”

I smirked back. “Make it Los Angeles too.”

“I’ll get it done.”

“Names?”

“Marcello Costa, Boss of Philly. Gianni Vega, Boston. And Anthony Ferraro in Chicago.”

“Ferraro?” I raised a brow. “I thought he sponsored you.”

“Now he’s sponsoring my funeral.”

I whistled low.

“I’m tired of waiting. You’ve got reach they don’t know about. They’ll never see a hit from the ‘Yakuza’ coming.”

I stood, letting the silence stretch for a beat. The office held its breath. “You really think killing three bosses will make the others fall in line?”

“I don’t think. I know three dead Dons will be a prophecy.”

I looked at him – really looked. Under the tailored suit, there was a man with a plan in motion. But his eyes burned with something else.

Resolve. Determination. Maybe love.

I picked up the blade again, testing the edge with my thumb.

“Alright,” I said. “But I’m picking the time and place.”

“That’s why I came to you.”

Chapter 9

Present

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