Page 35 of Ruined
Santino frowned but said nothing.
Luca took another hit, this one sending him to his knees. The crowd roared. The brute stepped in for the kill, and I grimaced. I thought Luca might snap and end it. But he didn’t. He stayed down, just like they’d told him to.
The ref called it, raising the other guy’s hand in victory. The crowd erupted again. Luca stood slowly, wiping blood from his mouth as he walked back to our side of the ring. He grabbed his shirt and headed toward the locker room.
I turned back to Santino. “Why the hell is the family screwing with Luca?”
He exhaled slowly. “He has to prove himself.”
“By making him look weak in front of everyone?”
Santino’s jaw tightened. “Vinn thinks Luca is a loose cannon. A guy like that, with that much baggage? It’s dangerous.”
“How is this supposed to help him?”
“This is about control.” Santino sighed. “Vinn needs to know he’s not going to snap and take us all down with him. Throwing the fight proves he can follow orders, even when he hates it. That he’ll take a hit for the family.”
“Luca’s not a fucking liability. He’s done nothing but prove himself since he came back.”
“The family doesn’t see it that way. They see a guy who broke out of the Bratva, killed their Pakhan, and showed up at our doorstep with nothing to lose. That’s a wild card, Dom. Wild cards get people killed.”
My teeth ground together. It wasn’t fair. Luca had already given more than anyone had a right to ask, and they were still testing him. “And what if he snaps because of this? Then what?”
“It’s not my call, Dom. I don’t like it, either.”
I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough to taste blood. I couldn’t care. It was the quickest way to get myself killed, but every time he took a hit, I felt it.
“So, you coming to Delilah’s birthday party on Friday?” Santino asked. “It’s at Vito’s. The boss will be there.”
“Yeah, I’ll go.”
Vinn Costa, the boss of the family, didn’t attend parties to celebrate. He used them to watch.
When Vinn handed me the casino, it was a challenge. It took years to get to that moment. After leaving New York, I’d been nothing. Homeless, drifting from city to city, living on subway benches and in shelters.
The Costas should’ve killed me when they found me running illegal poker tables under their noses. Santino saved my life, vouched for me to Vinn, and handed me my first real shot. I took every shit job no one else wanted. When the time came to get Made, Santino put his reputation on the line to sponsor me. One wrong move could destroy everything I’d built.
I couldn’t fuck this up. I owed the family.
Loyalty had gotten me this far, but watching Luca bleed made me question the cost.
NINE
LUCA
Vito’s was built for secrets.
Dark, crowded, and noisy enough to cover whatever sins went down in the shadows. Santino owned the restaurant. Apparently, he’d inherited it from a client defaulting on a loan. Overhead, a girl in a glittery costume swung on an aerial hoop.
Maria elbowed me. “Gonna save some attention for me?”
I ripped my gaze from the aerialist.
I hadn’t expected Maria to take me back so easily. It took a few apologies and a little charm. I told her I missed her, but I wanted to make it up to her. I promised a night out at Vito’s. This time, she’d be the center of my world.
The truth? I needed someone on my arm.
Maria had done herself up like I asked. Tight dress, perfect hair, glossy pink lips, tits on display. She looked great. My hand slid down to grip her ass. She giggled when I leaned in to kiss her, but like always, it didn’t stir a thing in me. I might’ve beenmaking out with a plastic doll. This had been a problem for as long as I remembered. I used to think it was stress.