Page 137 of Fortress of the Cursed

Looks like Roberto started his own new family, and we weren’t invited to the party.

Rocco sits in the back with Dom, as usual, saying nothing.

He hasn’t been able to shut up lately about his new puppy Bear, and how much Charlie adores him already. They’re both safely up in the suite at the casino while everything goes down.

But right now he’s like a different person.

This is what the mafia does to you.

Every little bit of good in your life, every little taste of happiness eventually gets swept away by the reality of what we do.

I’d give it all up to get her back.

The money, the wealth, the cars, the lifestyle, everything. Nothing is worth anything without her.

It doesn’t mean anything.

I close my eyes and try to breathe.

“You good?” Angelo asks beside me.

“No.”

“This whole fucking situation.” Angelo runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t understand.”

“You were always Mario’s favorite,” I tell him. “Maybe Roberto couldn’t stand it.”

Angelo scoffs. “Enough to try to take down the entire family?” He shakes his head. “The reign was his anyway, it always was.”

“Maybe it wasn’t?” I say. “Maybe Mario had other plans.”

Angelo goes quiet for a while.

“Where are we going, Angelo?” I ask as each precious second ticks by.

“Uncle Mario’s grave.”

I turn to him. “A fucking church?”

“He wants a show. He’s gonna get one.”

“Angelo, this sounds like a bad idea.”

“A bad idea was trying to start a war in the first place.”

I shake my head.

When I left Sage’s arms this morning, I never imagined I’d be in this predicament.

My dead cousin is Il Diavolo and he’s the one behind all of the anarchy and the wars that have been started amongst just about every fraction we know.

He is the reason for so much bloodshed.

“I don’t see how this can end, except badly,” I mutter, tapping my foot because I can’t keep fucking still.

“Have faith, brother.”

I don’t want to have fucking faith, I want Sage back in my arms, where she belongs.

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