Page 9 of Omega's Vengeance

“True.” Enzo shudders.

I clear my throat. “But that isn’t a surprise. I knew Valentino would be upset if Dario went missing. That was the entire point of this. I want him flustered. Then maybe he’ll make mistakes.”

“What’s next?” Enzo rises and goes to the sink to rinse his cup. “Are you actually going to kill Dario, or just torture him up to that line?”

“We’ll have to kill him. No way that fucker won’t want revenge after I off his boss.” I fight the uneasiness that seeps into me at the thought of murdering Dario. His death was always in play. I’m not sure why I now find the idea so distasteful. Is it because we had sex? It wasn’t exactly a loving, bonding experience. It was fast and dirty.

But so fucking good.

I bite my tongue against the wave of lust that washes through me. I’d love another rough fuck with Dario, but I realize that’s never gonna happen. That ship has sailed, and it’s now time to look at him as what he is: bait. That’s all he was ever supposed to be; leverage to lure Valentino here.

“Do you think Valentino will really come for him?” Enzo asks.

“I absolutely do.”

“When do we let Valentino know we have him?”

I laugh. “We don’t. We will continue to drop breadcrumbs. Valentino needs to think he found Dario on his own. He can’t know this is a setup. It’s imperative he not realize he’s being played.”

“He’s smart though. He might know he’s being played.”

“Maybe, but trickling out clues is still the best strategy for us.” I glance at Enzo, taking in the nervous tick in his cheek. “You still up for this?”

“Of course.”

“You seem edgy.”

He frowns. “If you’re going up against the head of the Black Knives and you’re not edgy, you’re a fucking fool.”

My face warms. “Are you calling me a fool?”

He winces. “No, I’m saying of course I’m nervous. Valentino Syracuse is a fucking beast. He’s ruthless. We need to be sure we kill him fast or we’re toast.”

“We will.” I lift my chin, but inside I’m quaking. Despite what Enzo might think, I’m not a fool. I know perfectly well going against Valentino will probably get me killed. But I’ve made peace with that. I never thought getting out of this alive was guaranteed. But I don’t care if I die so long as that fucker goes too. I must avenge my father’s shame and subsequent death. I have no choice. In my world, there’s nothing more important than your loyalty to family.

“If something were to happen to you,” Enzo begins hesitantly, “Your older cousin, Carlo would take your place, right?”

“That’s right.” Unlike me, Carlo has always chomped at the bit to be the head of the Abella Syndicate. I was never power hungry. I’d have preferred a quieter, less violent life. But I was born the son of Joseph Abella and my fate was sealed. Because of that I was trained from a young boy to one day be my father’s successor.

“We need to be sure nothing bad does happen to you,” Enzo says gruffly. “I’d hate to think of Carlo taking over your father’s syndicate.”

“Me too. Mostly because that would mean I was dead.” I smirk and finish off my coffee.

Enzo shifts to face me. “We could just kill Dario now. He’d be less of a threat then and he’s dying either way. Makes me nervous having him loose and wandering around down in the cellar.”

“I don’t want to kill him yet. I want him tosuffer.” I grit my teeth. “He helped Valentino destroy Father. He needs to suffer before I kill him.”

“Copy that.” Enzo nods. “What’s our next move?”

“I want you to go into town. Go to The Golden Ring and start some rumors. Say you heard from someone in one of the other syndicates that Dario is being held in the mountains. Be vague. Give just enough detail for Valentino to start narrowing his search.”

“Okay.”

I give him a grim look. “But don’t hang around long. Just have a drink, talk a bit, and get your ass back here. You stay too long and Valentino might grab you and torture you for more info.”

Enzo swallows loudly. “Got it.” He moves toward the door.

“And Enzo,” I call out.