Page 86 of Never Say Never

I laughed. "Yeah, I do." I glanced around the place. "Do you think that doing this will save you? I want you to know that the moment all of this is said and done, I plan to resume my job. You and your brothers will rot in a tiny little cell, and not even the same one. I will have your goddamn lives crushed into nothing but powder."

The look on his face changed. "I can't let you do that."

"You don't have a choice."

"I promise you that I do," he said. "I get that you're pissed off and hurt?—"

"Never that," I said, echoing words he'd once spoken to me.

"But it wasn't my intention to hurt you. My family still means everything to me. I will do whatever it takes to protect them, York." His eyes narrowed on me. "Whatever it takes."

That expression sent fear rattling up my spine. In those blue eyes, I saw the killer that I knew the Vitales were. All of them seemed like such charming, philosophical sons of bitches, but I'd read the reports. Their calmness and sense of rightness dissipated if you got between them.

"I'm sorry," Paul said.

I laughed. "You don't know the meaning of that word, Paul." I grimaced. "Gianpaolo."

Paul flinched so hard it was as if I'd hit him. He took a step back. "All right, I'll let you be angry."

"Get out," I said, evenly, ignoring the way my throat tightened, trying to choke me. "Get the fuck out of here. Don't come back."

Paul stared. "No. I'm not leaving your side."

I turned on my heels and marched over to the kitchen. Yanking open one of the drawers, I grabbed a big, black knife and made my way back to Paul. I shoved it out in front of me, the point of the blade directed at his throat.

"I won't ask again. Get away from me and my family."

The hurt that crossed his face was quickly replaced with coldness. I watched him change in front of my eyes, Paul to Gianpaolo. The man in his place was one that I didn't know. One that I hadn't started to develop feelings for. It made me hate Paul that much more.

"I'm not leaving," he said casually as he shoved his hands into his pockets, ignoring the fact that I had a knife trained on him. "There's a room down the hall that I will be taking as my own. Yours is across from it. I gave the master bedroom to the girls so they would have more space. I hope that's okay."

"Don't talk as if I haven't told you I hate your fucking guts," I spat.

"You hate my guts. Noted. Groceries will be delivered soon, as well as some essentials. I even have someone bringing pictures of Dawn from the apartment and any important memorabilia."

I stared at him in shock and disgust. "You have those... thugs in my home?"

"Those thugs are cutting up and disposing of two bodies," he said as he shifted around in his pocket and produced a pack of cigarettes. He put one between his lips and lit it with a lighter that he dragged out next. "And cleaning it up to look like they were never there. I told you I'd protect you, York. I mean that. Every word."

Benito stepped into the apartment and shook his head. "Paolo, we need to talk." When he saw the knife in my hand, he drew a gun. "Put it down."

"No," I said, my voice shaking despite me trying so hard to make it stop.

"I will shoot you."

"I don't doubt that," I answered.

Paul moved, stepping in front of me as he stared at his brother. "I already told both of you to knock this shit off. I don't need you to check on me, Benito."

He scoffed. "As soon as this thing with the Triads is done, he's going to come for you. You have to know that."

"Yeah, I do," he said. "He just said as much. Doesn't matter."

"It matters to me," he snapped. "He's going to try to burn us all, and I won't have that. Why the hell should I offer them protection?"

Paul took a step forward. "I gave you decades of my life, Benito. Don't forget that. I might be this family's whipping boy, but remember that I haven't had a life in years. This is the one thing I'm asking. Protect them."

"They should be running far away from here." Benito's eyes fell on me. "They should be running from me."