Page 129 of Till Death Do Us Part

Lo and Elsa looked at me. I nodded. They stepped out of the car, standing next to it.

“What does that mean, Cassio?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. Your old man wants him out of your life. Tommaso wants John for his own reasons. He’s trying to find a happy medium.”

“This setup was supposed to make me doubt John, since we’re having some issues. Send me running.”

Cassio nodded. “I was ordered to do it and to make it seem real, but I couldn’t go through with it. I know how John feels about you. I know how you feel about John.”

Sirens wailed in the distance until they closed in on the restaurant. Law enforcement jumped out before it seemed like the cars had even stopped. Weapons were raised, pointed at John. The blonde was screaming, causing a scene. They were handcuffing her because she was fighting.

Lo and Elsa moved closer to the restaurant. I couldn’t look away either.

“This is part of it, isn’t it?” I didn’t see Alfonso anywhere with his bloodied flag, though. This wasn’t the usual game.

Cassio shrugged. “I wasn’t aware of this. Tommaso wouldn’t have called the cops. He’s old school and still values the code. No law enforcement. Period. Someone might have rolled on John.” He must have noticed the confused look on my face. “Ratted him out for something,” he clarified. “Or maybe your old man got with Alfonso and set this up.”

“Tommaso wants me out of the picture so he can keep John.” I took a deep breath. “If I don’t remove myself?”

“John’s life will be on the line.”

“Take me to my car, Cassio.”

Chapter46

Felice

It was the first time I’d seen Cassio in eight months. He was waiting for me when I got out.

“Penthouse?”

I nodded.

He pulled off, and silence filled the car until I broke it.

“You tell me.”

He glanced at me. “Tell you what?”

“You know. Fucking tell me or you die.”

“You’re going to have to fucking kill me then. I’m not going to pull something out of the sky to say for kicks.”

Cassio could lie, but never to me. I knew him too well. He was lost, but he wasn’t clueless.

“You tell me my wife’s dead.”

He wasn’t the one who came to me with the news. Tommaso did.She crossed over three lines and crashed into a cement truck.

I refused to see visitors or talk to anyone after that.

“How did it happen, Cassio?”

He looked at me, then turned his face forward. “I don’t know.”

He was fucking lying to me.

“Take me to her grave.” The words were poison-tipped barbed wires. Every time I thought them or said them, they ripped me to shreds and tainted my blood. I was experiencing a slow death, a mortally wounded animal begging for my last breath. Had been since she shut me out over the sheet.

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