Page 7 of Titan

I didn’t smile.

“Good.” I rubbed my fingers together. “Edric will be my underboss and you will answer to him. We will need someone to replace Matteo, so I want you to give me a list of potential candidates. And get the men to deal with him.” I waved at his body. “We’ll compensate his family for their trouble.” I glanced up at Edric. “Make arrangements for me to see his wife and give her my condolences before the funeral. Find out her favourite flowers and send them on my behalf too.”

Edric gave me a slight nod but kept his mouth shut. I was sure he would speak his mind once Salvatore had left.

“I need to know everything that has happened since Gennaro’s death. I want you to report to me tomorrow. You’re dismissed.”

I waved at Sal, who stood and eyed Matteo with an unreadable expression.

“Yes, boss.”

Neither Edric nor I spoke as he left the room. He was back a few minutes later with a couple of men. They dragged Matteo’s body out. Sal gave me a nod and shut the door behind them.

I sagged in my chair and rubbed my temples. It wasn’t how I wanted any of this to go, but after Matteo had opened his mouth, I saw red. I’d become like my father, who was ruthless to the extreme. It kind of made me sick.

“Well, I’d say that went better than expected.”

I looked up at Edric, who had leaned against my desk and was giving me the once over.

“You think?”

“If your aim was to be the next Gennaro, you succeeded. He’d have probably shot Matteo sooner, but I guess you wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt or something.”

“I’m not him.”

“You sure about that?”

I didn’t glare at Edric, but I wanted to. Deep down, I knew I was nothing like Gennaro Villetti. I could be ruthless and uncompromising, but only because it was who he taught me to be. Someone with little to no emotion who killed without compunction. That’s the man I’d displayed. I wasn’t entirely sure I liked him… or if I wanted to be him.

“Doesn’t matter. What’s done is done.”

It wasn’t like I could change the outcome now. Matteo was dead. It was a necessity. I had to live with it.

“Well, you could have warned me long before they walked in that you wanted me to be your underboss, Gil. I’m pretty sure no one, including Sal, wants that.”

“I only care if you do.”

He broke out into a grin and waved at the door.

“Being in charge of that old fuck? Sure thing. I’ll make sure the rest of them don’t piss you off too much.”

“That’s because you’ll piss them off instead.”

Edric winked.

“Bingo.”

I rolled my eyes and stood up from the desk before wandering over to the window which looked out over the rest of the building. A few men were sitting at desks and some others chatting near the kitchen area. It felt strange that I was now in control of all of this. I had the power.

“Do you think I can do this?”

“You killed a guy for disrespecting you, Gil. Pretty sure that qualifies you as a mafia don.”

“Don’t call me that. I hate that term.”

It reminded me too much of my father and my conflicting feelings towards him. I still hadn’t dealt with the fact he was the reason my mother had been in a coma for almost ten years, and now she was in the ground. It wasn’t the first time I’d buried my feelings because processing them felt like an uphill battle.

“All right, boss, calm down.”

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