Page 22 of Ruthless Sinner
Luciano’s eyebrows raise as he lets out a low whistle through pursed lips. “Shit, that’s one hell of a debt to welch on.”
“He won’t be welching on anything now that I’m in charge. I don’t know why Father let it get this bad, but Tommaso will pay one way or another.” I don’t care if I have to tear Tommaso’s life apart, strip him of everything he owns, and grind him into the dirt until he is nothing but a broken shell at my feet. I would relish seeing him suffer and die, even if it means only getting back a fraction of what he owes my father. Revenge is worth more than any amount of money.
The waitress chooses this moment to walk up to the table. She flashes us a bright smile and asks for our order, briefly interrupting the flow of conversation. After she departs, Niccolo’s eyes betray his curiosity as he leans in closer to continue our discussion. “So what does this have to do with some girl you kidnapped, exactly?”
I gesture at him with a sharp snap of my fingers, drawn back into our earlier conversation. “Yes, that,” I nod. “So, Martinelli has a daughter. Ordinarily, she would be off-limits. You never involve the wife or kids.”
Salvatore and Luciano mumble their agreement. There is an unwritten rule in our world that you never threaten or harm someone’s family. Those who dare to defy this rule are met with a merciless fate—buried alive and left to slowly suffocate in a desolate hole in the barren wasteland of western Kansas. The fear of this punishment alone is enough to make even the bravest think twice before crossing this boundary.
“But Martinelli has a track record of abusing his daughter.” As soon as the words leave my lips, everyone at the table stills.
None of us are innocent. We’ve all done things we regret and aren’t proud of. But there is one line we will never cross–harming a woman. We may be flawed, but we will never stoop to such despicable acts.
I carry on with my story. “Tommaso treats Adalina like a toy, and when a child is being naughty, you take their toys away and punish them. That’s what I’m doing.”
“But you fucked her,” Salvatore points out.
“She’s twenty-one,” I glare at him. “She’s a consenting adult. And she wanted it. I am nothing if not accommodating for a pretty woman.”
Niccolo shakes his head before fixing his eyes on his phone, trying not to betray his expression of disgust and horror. “I know too much. I know the girl’s name. If the cops question me, I’m going to have to tell them everything,” he mumbles to himself.
“Oh, shut up.” Disgust curls on my lips as I look at my brother, the epitome of weakness and cowardice. He has no idea what true desire feels like, the burning hunger that drives you to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. But one day, when he’s faced with a real challenge, he’ll come begging me for help. And I’ll be there to do whatever needs to be done, no questions asked. “She’s safe and sound. I have her locked in Lucia’s room, actually.”
Salvatore’s laugh fills the room, drawing attention toward us. “You dumbass. You didn’t lock her in the dungeon?”
“No. Enzo and I installed locks the other night.”
“Instead of putting her in the dungeon?” Sal repeats, his jaw dropping in shock. “Was the pussy that good?”
I don’t want to think about Adalina’s pussy around these assholes; I get hard any time she’s on my mind. “That’s not the point. I’m not sending her back to that monster. Martinelli thinks he’ll get his daughter back after he pays his debt. But frankly, he’ll get a bullet to the head before I ever put her in a place like that again.”
A hush falls over the table. My brothers stare at me, their expressions unreadable beneath the weight of their silent judgment. They want to say something, but no one wants to be the first to speak. So we sit there in silence, waiting for someone else to break the ice. Then, finally, after a long pause, Luciano asks what they all wish they were brave enough to ask. “Is this wise, Dante? I feel like you’re projecting.”
“Fuck you.” Projecting, my ass.
“No, I’m serious,” Luciano continues. As the youngest of the Terlizzi family, he is a bold and confident presence, unafraid to stand his ground and make himself heard. “You were mom’s only protector for years. And now you want to be this girl’s protector.”
A prickly sensation spreads across my arm, sending the hairs standing on end. I can’t deny that he’s right. “I didn’t ask you to play therapist, Luc.”
Luciano doesn’t ask me what I want, though. He presses on regardless of my growing rage. “This is personal for you, Dante. Admit it.”
“It’s not personal. It’s business.”
“Yeah, okay,” he rolls his eyes at me in a dismissive gesture. “You can call it whatever you want, but you’re not fooling me. You’ve got a savior complex, and you’re going to bite off more than you can chew with this girl. When you’re ready to admit that, you come right back.”
Niccolo jokingly adds, “And I thought I was the one with the doctorate in Psychology.” It isn’t enough to break the tension. Nothing is. Because Luciano isn’t wrong.
Adalina isn’t only a means to an end; she’s my mother all over again, and being around her makes me want to relive my childhood. I can save her like I saved my mother.
Chapter 24
Dante
Ilose the rest of my day to a flurry of activities—some planned, some not.
After a satisfying lunch, I meet up with Enzo to inspect the shipment of firearms. We are heavily outnumbered, but we’re surrounded by familiar faces. They lead us to the outskirts of town, to a secluded location, and we waste no time testing our new firepower on the shooting range. With each shot, I imagine Luciano’s face on the target, and my aim never misses. Gunfire echoes through the air, mixing with the scent of gunpowder and sweat. The intensity fuels me as I release all my anger and pent-up frustration into each bullet that flies toward its mark. By the end, my arms ache from the recoil, but my heart feels lighter.
Our meeting is interrupted by a call from Saverio Castiglione, who wants to know why his sister isn’t allowed on my property anymore. I explain with as much delicate finesse as I can muster that my betrothed is still underage, and frankly, she disgusts me. I do not chase minors, and until Lucrezia is eighteen, I’d prefer if she stays away. Saverio begrudgingly agrees to do his best to keep his sister off my property, but he doesn’t make any promises. We both know that Lucrezia will do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. She is the true puppet master of the Castiglione household, and if Saverio doesn’t put a stop to it soon, he may find himself removed from power and replaced by a sixteen-year-old girl.