Page 2 of Twisted Lies

“Claire says it’s time to go.” Her voice is small, as if she’s scared to say the words out loud.They do make everything more real.

I nod, turning to face the mirror once more, making sure everything is in place. Today is a day we must stand tall and not give in to emotions. We need to show a strong, united front. Show the other families that the passing of the business will go without a hitch. Dad had been training me to take his position for years.I’m more than ready.

“You ready?” I ask.

“No. You?”

“No. But we don’t have a choice. I’ve got your back, Rebecca. I’ll handle all of this.” She nods, believing my words. Giving her a weak smile, I add, “Let’s get Claire.”

Claire waits for us by the front door. “You need to grab an umbrella. It’s going to rain,” I remark. Rebecca goes to the hall closet and pulls out three black umbrellas. She hands me one, then Claire.

Claire shakes her head in refusal. “I don’t want one. Let’s just get this done,” she mutters, opening the front door and stepping into the cool air. Rebecca looks at me as if I should make her take one, but I shrug. If not having an umbrella does something for her, so be it.

Our uncles are waiting by the cars, along with Dad’s most trusted men. Antonio and Chris, two of my oldest friends, stand next to my uncles. They look at me with a new form of respect. The keys to the kingdom have fallen into my hands, and now they all have a choice. Fall in line or leave. And no one leaves this life alive.

The funeral passes in a blur, much like the past few days. Angry rain falls, and my shoes start sliding on the muddy ground. The sun slides behind the clouds, making the mood even more somber. The priest speaks, but I’ve stopped listening, my mind flying in a million different directions.

I have men out looking for my sister’s fiancé,Mike. When I get ahold of him, I will skin him alive. I knew he was a rat. I knew it from day one. I should have followed my instincts and killed him when I had the chance. Instead, I let Claire convince me he was a good guy.The guy for her. I was reviewing the files my father left when I found the latest report onMike.

They had done an excellent job burying his background. It took several attempts to learn the truth. My sister was engaged to Adrian Regio’s son—bastard son at that. Once I knew that, all the pieces fell into place. He had betrayed us. Hell, half of the Five Families had.They would pay.

First, I need to tell Claire the truth. Today keeps stacking shit on in heaps.

I need a drink. I might skip the glass and go for the bottle. My lips curl, thinking about everything I’ll do to Alex—Mike—once I find him, before realizing I’m smiling at my father’s funeral. My father would approve of my thoughts, but others would be confused by the grin.

They will all pay with their blood.

* * *

Claire eyes me from her seat in front of the desk. I try to ignore how much the office reminds me of our father, from the smell of cigar smoke to the pile of books in the corner. Memories circle, and I practically hear his deep laugh and voice. I need to get him off my mind. I try to accomplish this by focusing on my sister and the task at hand.

Handing her the file with the information, I know what she’ll see once she opens the folder. A picture of Mike with two other men walking, looking as if they are in deep conversation. She flips through the pages—more photos of Mike, some with the same men, others with different men. The last picture is him with Adrian Regio’s sons.

I know the moment she puts two and two together. It’s not so much in her words but her eyes. Even as she tries to debate within herself, she knows the truth. She was betrayed and, in turn, betrayed the family.But she is not the only one who’s betrayed us in this room.

“I don’t understand,” she says, but we both know she does. She keeps flipping.

“The men in the last picture are Adrian Regio’s sons,” I state, knowing she already knows. Logan and Sebastian are as different as any two brothers can be, but they are both as dangerous as their father. The main difference being Sebastian is a drunk and impulsive. Logan, on the other hand, is charming and highly intelligent. Their father is simply cruel. He never hides what he is, it’s always there lingering behind his eyes, telling the world not to turn their back on him.

“I know. I don’t understand what this has to do with Mike.” Her voice shakes at the end.

“Yes, Adrian has two sons. We have both met them. What we did not realize or know is that he has another son from a mistress. His middle son is Alexander; we know him as Mike.”

I continue to talk about what happens next, but she’s lost in her mind. I speak now because if I don’t, I’ll crumble myself, and I don’t get the luxury of crumbling.

“What do we do?” Her voice comes out cold as she bunches the pictures of her fiancé in her hand. Her back straightens in the seat, her eyes harden, and I know she’s pushing all her feelings towards rage.

“It’s done, Claire. I got the call from Pete shortly after we got home. That’s why he wasn’t there today. He was in negotiations.” I pace. The others look down at their feet. “Shortly after our father’s death, Adrian made a play. He has already gone to Nikola Costa, turning him against us. Tony Costa has been killed, leaving Nikola in charge. They both saw the opportunity to seize power. Once they made their deal, it took nothing to convince Daniel Ferrari to turn into the rat that he is. They quickly seized territories. It was impressive how easy it was for them. Disgusting even.”

I pull the 98 from my side, aim at Matteo, and give a slight squeeze, killing him instantly with a bullet through the brain.

“Almost like they had more help than from my baby sister. But exciting news at the meeting—Adrian had the generosity of allowing us to keep some of our territories. Out of the kindness of his heart. Of course, we will have to pay him for his kindness. He also gets the joy of knowing he brought us to our knees in a matter of days.”

She interrupts me. “What are you going to do?”

“The only thing I can do. Adrian will never keep his promise. If anything, he will bide his time till he takes us all out, one by one.”

“Elijah, what are you going to do?”

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