Page 366 of Vicious Saint
My father doesn’t even bother putting up a struggle, instead, he deflates. “It wasn’t us, son. Trust me. We didn’t want Hendrix to find out this way.”
“Fuck you.” I tighten my grip on his silk robe. “Fuck your wife. Your sister-in-law. Your fucking secrets. I didn’t want this shit either. I didn’twantto lie to Hendrix.”
“You’re right, and that’s why none of this is your fault. It’s on us.”
“Who told her?” My voice grinds like stone.
“Saint, p-please get off him!” Theory screeches right before a large shadow eclipses behind me.
“Ahhhh. This must-ehbe the famous Saint Lavell,” a guy with a deep accent says from right behind me. “I’ve been just as eager to meet-ehyou.”
I don’t need to look to know who the motherfucker is, or to get the answer to my question.
The hellfire reaches my mind, putting me in no condition to think through what I do next—which is tackle the piece of Italian shit to the floor.
I’ve seen some of the pictures my father pulled of the Salvini family from the internet, so I knew Dante was big.
But not big enough to put up the kind of fight he is now.
I get one hit in before he’s on top of me with a hand around my throat.
“I choose to come inwithoutmy men, Saint Lavell, you know why?”
“I don’t give a fuck. I’ll kill all of you for what you did to Hendrix.”
He presses down, seconds from cracking my Adam’s apple. “Careful…” He pulls a pistol from his suit jacket, pressing it to my forehead. “My english…it may be broken, but I promise my gun is not.”
“Mr. Salvini! Please!” my father begs at our side, alongside Theory and June. “My son loves Hendrix very much, so I can promise hewillthreaten you again.”
Doubt that’ll stop a mafia boss from killing me, Pops. But thanks.
“Mmmmm…” Dante thins his eyes on me, easing up on my throat slightly. “Is what your fathersaytrue, Saint Lavell? Will you threaten a man like me, who can take your life with a single pull of a trigger, for my niece Caterina?”
“It’s Hendrix.” I grunt. “And I would do even worse for her. So when you pull that trigger, motherfucker, you better make sure you finish the job.”
This seems to please Dante in some way, because he releases his hold on my throat, but it takes a few seconds of a stare down for him to remove the gun.
“Va bene…”He tucks the weapon back in his jacket and climbs off me, then regards my father. “For my niece sake, Mr. Lavell, I let your boy live.” He eyes June, then my father again. “But mak-ehno mistake, I will change my mind if you get-ehin my way again.”
“Dante, please!” June runs over to him, and it enrages me to see how comfortable enough she is to squeeze his hand.
Not because of loyalty to my dad, but to Hendrix.
It may not have been romantic, but June obviously had some sort of relationship with this guy for a long time.
I can tell more and more as I listen to her talk so freely in conversation with him. Starting with how she’s honoring Hendrix’s request for her to give her space.
How angry she is at him for what he told Hendrix.
How she won’t let him see her.
Yadda, fucking yadda.
A bullshit saga, one I only continue listening to because of what she said about giving Hendrix space.
Not sure how they managed that conversation so quickly, or with June not leaving it with a shiner, but she’s probably right. So, I’ll allow my Jimi Hendrix two more minutes of solitude before I hunt her ass down and force her to hear me out.
“I sorry,fiore.” Dante sucks air through his teeth. “But I watch my niece grow up from the shadows long enough. Now go, and you find her, so me and her talk alone.”
