Page 48 of Arming Alexis

"Antonio!" Massimo's roar echoed through the large living room.

With a roll of my eyes, I climbed to my feet and went to meet my uncle. Of late, my fingers had been itching to take my revenge and finally kill Massimo. But fuck if it wasn't quite the right time.

I didn't know the right time, but now wasn’t it.

"Yes, Uncle?" I asked, biting my tongue to keep my tone even. I entered his office and stood before his desk with my hands behind my back.

“What’s the meaning of this?” He tossed the photos on the desk, and my blood turned to ice in my veins.

The surveillance photos that Cormac had taken of Alexis.

It took every ounce of self-preservation instincts to keep my face clear of emotions. Although I was seething inside.

“I’m not sure who that is. Would you care to tell me?”

Massimo narrowed his eyes at me, red beginning to creep up his face. He was furious.

Unlike me, my uncle could never hide his emotions. It was not a good trait for the head of thefamigliato have.

Yet another reason he needed to be disposed of.

“Do you want to try that answer again?” His jaw clenched, and the muscles in his neck bulged.

“Are you calling me a liar, Uncle?” I placed my palms on the desk and leaned forward. My voice was utterly calm. Almost robotic.

His head tilted to the side. “What are you playing at, welp?”

“It’s you who is playing. Not me.” I barely blinked as we stared each other down. "When was the last time you supervised your operations in person?"

"Don't you dare think to call my leadership into question." He rose to his feet, bringing his face to within inches of mine. "You are nothing but an incompetent brat I had to drag back here kicking and screaming. I've worked my entire life up to this point for thefamiglia. You've done nothing!"

I stepped back and wiped his spittle from my cheek with a second glance. "You've gone soft, Uncle."

With a bellow of rage, he rounded his desk and rushed toward me.

It was laughable, really. My uncle had gained over fifty pounds around his already large middle, and he drank more than he ate most days.

With little effort, I sidestepped his attack, and he fell to the floor with a loud flop. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Miko and Cormac approach. They each nodded, signaling that they completed their mission. I held up one finger, keeping them back and out of sight.

Massimo grunted and staggered to his feet. His face was beet-red, sweat already trickling down his face. A disgrace to the Cavalori family is what he was.

"Do you know what I found out this week, Massimo?" I asked as I leaned back against his desk and crossed one ankle over the other. "You had my father killed because he suspected what I already know."

He stilled and swallowed heavily, his breathing almost labored. "You piece of shit. When I found you, I should have just put a bullet through your brain."

"Yes, you probably should have." With a heavy sigh, I reached behind my back and pulled my gun from my waistband. "It would have probably saved you a lot of trouble, although I'm sure thefamigliawould have gone right in the shitter with your idiot sons at the helm."

Massimo stilled, staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. He didn't speak, didn't beg for his life, nor did he curse me to hell and back. "Your father was just as ruthless and cunning as you."

The statement hurt me more than any bullet could, but I laughed instead of showing it. "I played right into your hand, Massimo." He didn't deserve the title of uncle any longer. Not when he only had seconds before I pulled the trigger. "You may think you found my weakness, but I found yours long ago. I've been working on this plan for years. You were just too stupid to know."

"I left instructions for Luca that in the event of my death, he will torture and kill your precious little omega." A wicked smile spread over his face as he thought he thwarted my plan.

Instead, I chuckled again. "It was Luca you told about her? Sorry to say that he's already on my side after I killed his father earlier today, saving his mother and sisters."

"You killed Giacamo?" Massimo breathed, his hands clenched into fists at his side.

"That fucker was even more perverted than you. Of course, I killed him." I grinned, thrilled to see how off-balance the news of his brother's death made him. "It was only natural to kill him before I kill you. Now, sorry to say, this conversation is boring me, and I have an organization to run."