Page 31 of Titan

After I’d got done with that, I placed it back on the top of my wardrobe, turned out all the lights in my flat and got into bed. Then I cried myself to sleep because everything about today was too much for me to think about and handle.

Eleven

Gilberto

I wanted to throw something at the wall, but I remained where I was as Salvatore calmly explained to me another body had turned up on our doorstep. This time, it was one of Gian’s men. I’d spent the morning talking to Salvatore about the potential newcapodecinas. Now I had this shit to deal with.

What the fuck was my life coming to?

It didn’t help that I hadn’t slept properly after my internal battle for the third night in the row over wanting to see Theia again. Apparently, that was another fucking issue I had to contend with. I was running on empty. And it wasn’t good at all.

My first instinct was to tell Sal to get rid of this body like we had done the last one, but I took a minute to evaluate the situation.

Who was killing my cousins’ men and leaving them on my doorstep?

Why were they doing it?

What did they hope to gain?

There were too many questions I had no answers to. None of this made any kind of sense.

“What should we do with this one, boss?” Sal prompted me when I didn’t speak.

I stared at the body. He’d been tortured the same way as the first one. I assumed it had been done by the same people.

“Where did you put Dino’s man?”

I hadn’t asked Edric where they’d taken him. He’d been particularly moody when they got back. I hadn’t wanted to bring it up then. He was back to cracking jokes the next day, so I assumed he was fine, and it was handled. He had to get used to dead bodies. They came with the territory.

“The Edmonton safe house.”

“You took him to one of our safe houses?”

“It used to be a mortuary. Edric thought it would be better if we kept a hold of him.”

Edric wasn’t entirely wrong. I had to give him credit for that decision. He’d been thrown in at the deep end like me. To know he’d stepped up to his new role as my underboss gave me a sense of relief. Even if everyone had questioned my decision, having a loyal man at my back was important to me.

“Take this one there as well.”

“Yes, boss.”

“Do you know where Edric is?”

Footsteps sounded on the concrete behind me. This body had been dumped outside by the bins.

“Here… and we have a situation, boss.”

I turned around, finding my second walking up to us with a dark look in his hazel eyes. He adjusted his glasses before nodding at Sal.

“What situation?”

“Your cousin is here and wants to speak to you.”

Seriously? I cannot catch a fucking break today.

“Which one?”

Edric gave me a smile, which made me incredibly suspicious given he’d come up to us looking like hell itself was about to descend on the world.