Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“I have to say, I’m impressed,” he wheezed, and he actually looked and sounded it.
It was something he’d said to me so often in the past, every time he heard what I was up to, that it took everything in me to keep my head in the game. I had to remember that all the times he’d praised me or congratulated us, he was hiding the fact that he’d killed our mothers.
“You are so fucked up.” I walked toward my table of instruments.
I wasn’t lying when I said I’d make it quick, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t make it painful. I could do many things but I wanted to stay true to Lenora, and that meant if she asked me whether or not I’d tortured him, I’d have to be able to truthfully say I hadn’t. Our relationship had started off rocky enough. From here on out, I wanted it to be smooth sailing — if she’d have me. I grabbed my Matriarch and stared at it. I’d never given much thought to its name until this moment. It was fitting. I turned to Giuseppe. His head was lolling, eyes barely blinking, no doubt from the loss of blood. I could just leave him here to die. They’d tied off his knees to keep the wounds from bleeding out, but that was a very temporary fix. If I decided to give him mercy and let him live, which I wouldn’t, he’d most likely need both legs amputated. I looked at the guys, who were still in their seats, waiting in silence. Even Gio was uncharacteristically quiet. Maybe he was in shock. Loren had finished his beer and now had his arms crossed and his legs stretched out in front of him. Same as Dean. I walked to the lever and pulled it just for a second, a gush of water coming down on Giuseppe. He yelped in surprise, then shook from the cold.
“What will you do, Marchetti?” Giuseppe asked, teeth chattering. “Will you torture me like you do the others?”
“Not exactly.” I walked over. “I already told you, out of respect for your children, I’m not going to torture you.”
“This is all for a crime committed over a decade ago,” he said. “A mistake.”
“A mistake.” I pressed my lips together and nodded, pretending to think it over. “What I don’t understand is, why did you kill my mom or Rosie’s? I can see how in your sick, twisted mind you’d want to get rid of Carmela, but why them?”
“You’re a smart man. I bet you can figure it out.” He raised his head, the water from his hair running down his face.
“That’s what I figured,” I said.
If he’d only killed Dom’s mom, he would have been the number one suspect. Even if he denied it, people would point fingers at him and eventually find out. It was a lot easier to prove something true or false when you had a starting point. Since all of the women had been gunned down, it seemed like a rival family’s doing. In many ways, he’d gotten away with the perfect murder. If not for Lenora’s blackmail idea, none of us would have found out until after he died and the furniture in his office was moved or searched.
“You and I are a lot alike,” he said. I held back my glare. “I started just like you. Torturing. Not for the government, of course, but it was still torturing.”
“I bet that made your dick hard.”
“Perhaps.” His teeth clattered. He shut his mouth to contain it.
“We are nothing alike,” I said, stepping forward to slash my knife from his left shoulder to his right hip. He hissed. “I don’t kill women. I don’t get off on fucking up people’s lives for the fuck of it.”
“Not yet,” he grunted. “You will. This will not be enough soon.”
“Well, then, it’s a good thing you’re my last kill.” I smiled.
He laughed, or tried to anyway. “You’ll see. You enjoy this. Like me.”
“I used to. I don’t anymore,” I admitted, cutting from his right shoulder to his left hip. He screamed. “This, though, having you here, this I’m enjoying.”
He closed his mouth, his jaw tense as he tried to bite back his pain. I had to give it to him. Even old, even in this situation, Giuseppe wanted to keep his composure.
“Dominic hates you,” I said. “Gabriel hates you.” I took a step back and tilted my head. “Lenora really fucking hates you.”
His eyes narrowed. “They’re my kids. They’re just upset.”
“Maybe.” I nodded, pacing in front of him. “Maybe.”
He looked over my shoulder. “Costello, your father would be ashamed.”
“Because I’m not joining in on the fun?” Loren said behind me. “Nah, my father has never been about this. You know that.”
“Your father—”
“May just take your place now,” Loren said. “Everyone else is dead.”