Page 93 of Fortress of the King

I sigh and slump down in the chair, not the actions of a true leader, I’m aware of that, but I don’t care about that right now. It’s just me and Enzo.

“If it’s any consolation, she seems like a decent woman,” Enzo offers as my eyes widen.

“When she’s not out to kill me?”

“She doesn't want to do it, she never had any –”

I hold up a hand. “Don’t, E.”

“Angelo, just think this through.”

“Right, because I haven’t killed men for less? You know how I feel about betrayal.”

I’d go as far as to say that it’s a hard limit for me. I’ve slit throats with my own knife because of it in the past. She’s a traitor.

My eyes brood over the opposite side of the room as I remain silent. It doesn’t dull the pain any less. I’m just a commodity. I shouldn't expect that people want any more from me.

“Angelo, you can’t utter a word of this, she has no idea who I am right now in relation to Fortress or to you. We have to play along for the time being. The Gala is in two days, so if I haven’t gotten any leads before then I suggest we go to the thing and act normal and play this thing out to the end. She can’t know that you know, it’s imperative.”

“This is my fault,” I mutter without hearing him. “She weaseled her way into my life, and what’s worse? I fucking let her. I let my guard down, I dropped the fucking ball.”

Enzo shakes his head. “She’s not a fucking criminal mastermind, Angelo. She’s petrified and lost. If she weren’t involved in trying to knock you off, I might even feel a bit sorry for her.”

I narrow my eyes. “Nice to know where your loyalties lie.”

He holds up his hands. “I know this isn’t ideal, but she’s no assassin. She’s being bribed. She’s not going to do it.”

“You’d be surprised what people would do for the ones they love, E,” I reply. “I’d kill for any of my brothers, for you. She’s not to be underestimated. How do we know that she’s not just acting with you? Fuck knows she could get a goddamn Oscar for her role in this so far.”

“She’s not acting.”

I snort. “I feel so much better knowing that the girl I’m infatuated with has been bribed into spending time with me to gain information, including my darkest secrets that will ultimately lead to my death, so that she can save her own ass.”

“It’s not her ass she’s saving,” he corrects. “It’s her sister’s.”

I glare at him. “I don’t know why you’re defending her; anyone would think you quite like the idea.”

He gives me an eye roll. “I like the idea of finding out who sent her so we can string them up and cut their tongues out.”

Now that sounds like a plan I can get on board with.

My jaw ticks, so my littleCarinathinks she can fuck with me, does she? I’ve got news for her, and it’s all merciless.

She thinks she can just walk into my life and turn it upside down, spending time in my bed, pretending to be interested, using me for information to feed back to my enemies?

It’s all so fucking perfect.

She’s so unsuspecting. So innocent, yet she’s been playing me this whole time. The rage inside me begins to boil. I know it’ll turn nuclear before long if it’s left to fester, and fester it will.

“By the time I’m done with them, they’ll be wishing they never heard the name Medici. I want every last one of them.”

Thinking of all the ways Rocco and I can torture them makes me feel slightly better, but it doesn’t numb everything.

Enzo cracks his neck from side to side. “You know, that grab by the fucking throat hurt,” he grumbles like a little bitch, testing if it’s still working.

“Lucky I didn’t have you by the balls,” I mutter.

“Did you really think we were hooking up?”

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