Page 33 of Titan

I moved away from the window and sat behind my desk. This was an unexpected turn of events, but when had anything been fucking straightforward since I’d taken over?

What would Gennaro do?

He’d probably take over theirfamigliasto prove them wrong after they’d insulted him. He was ruthless… but was I? I didn’t know if I could do that to my family, even the ones who didn’t think I could do this role. It didn’t sit right with me. I wasn’t Gennaro. I couldn’t be. After my last conversation with Theia, it made me think about how much of a terrible father he’d been to me. How I’d had to hide my identity because I knew he wouldn’t approve of it. He’d left me feeling like I wasn’t good enough. Like I couldn’t do anything right even when I pretended to be someone else. And maybe that was the problem. Maybe I had to be myself… if I could work out who he was.

“They can’t find out I’ve asked you,” he added when the silence had gone on for too long.

“Well, considering we’re not on speaking terms, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Does that mean you’ll help?”

“It depends on what exactly you’d like me to do.”

“Find out who is behind this.”

It wasn’t my responsibility, but the fact I was dealing with two fucking dead bodies belonging to their men had me wanting to get to the bottom of this. I was involved whether I liked it or not.

“I’ll need the details of the shipments and the names of the men who’ve disappeared.”

“Of course.”

“I need your full cooperation too.”

He nodded slowly.

“You have it.”

“And when this is over, you won’t challenge me if I decide your father and Dino are no longer worthy of their roles.”

Nino paled slightly at my words.

“I won’t.”

“Good. Then give me the information and I’ll see what I can find.”

And hopefully, make this shit go away for me too. I don’t need dead bodies littering my fucking headquarters.

It would kill two birds with one stone if I dealt with this. Plus, I’d show my fucking idiot cousins how wrong they’d been… and maybe live up to my brother’s faith in me.

Nino stood up and took something out of his bag before sliding the pages across my desk.

“Thank you for this. I wasn’t sure if you’d help.”

“We’re family, Nino.”

He gave me a nod. I might not think highly of my extended family, but they were still Villettis. Family mattered in my world. It came first. My father had drilled it into our heads from a young age. We were loyal to family until they weren’t, and the only way to deal with disloyalty was with death. It was why I’d killed Matteo the day I’d taken over. Why I would execute anyone else who decided to fuck with me. Whoever was behind this shit with my cousins would die by my hand. That was how it had to be.

Nino came around my desk and explained what was on the papers to me before he left. I sat back and stared at them, wondering where to start first. I’d have to wait for Edric and Sal to get back. Then we could discuss where we would go from here.

I pulled out my phone and stared down at the messages between me and Remi. If I went to see Theia again, what the fuck would that even mean? I shouldn’t be having this dilemma over a woman I was paying to speak to. She was there for me to unburden myself. And yet it didn’t feel like this was a transactional relationship. Not when I was with her. That was fucked up. I couldn’t blur the lines even if I wanted to be her friend.

You don’t know how to be friends with someone, Gil.

The only person I’d ever maintained an actual friendship with was Edric, but he’d forced that on me and refused to accept anything less. I wasn’t going to tell him I’d paid a sex worker to talk to me. I would never hear the end of it.

Quit overthinking this shit. If you want to see her, see her. It’s as simple as that.

Gil: Is Theia working tonight?

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