Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
"There is always a beginning—I will be their end."
For ten years the Cosa Nostra has ruled with an iron fist in Chicago—their reign is about to end, and I'll be the one to bring them down.
One more job for the Italian Americans, and I'm done.
Except this "one job" involves saving the boss's brother and sister.
When things go horribly wrong, and a price is put on all of our heads from my Family back home—I'm forced to stay in Chicago, offer not just my gun but my protective services to the young girl I saved while also making sure nobody touches her.
Myself included.
My own Family has splintered.
Half want me dead, half want me alive, and the only people willing to protect me are the very ones I hate—her included.
I'm the Grim Reaper of the Sicilian mafia, and I bow to no one, not even her, so when she asks me to teach her to fight, when she tells me she wants to be made, I give in just so I can piss off the bosses.
Only I made one mistake.
I protect her from the world.
But who protects me from her?
One more battle remains between the families in Italy and in the States.
One more battle where I'm torn between both sides.
And I'm left protecting the one girl who has the potential to wreck us all.
It all started a decade ago at Eagle Elite University—the beginning.
It will end on the streets of Chicago—with me as the end.
I, Santino Sinacore, am their end.
**This may be the end of the OG Eagle Elite, but it is NOT the end of the Eagle Elite World!**
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
DISSOLUTION
Dissolution: The closing down or dismissal of an assembly, partnership, or official body. The act or process of being dissolved, or the dissolution of flesh, even death. i.e.: The only way out of this life is the dissolution of them all. Every. Last. One. Dissolution is death, dissolution is me.
PROLOGUE
“I will end it. I will end. I will end. I will end. I will…” —Rachel Van Dyken
Katya
“Don’t!” Blood trickled down my chin, landing in angry slaps against the dirty concrete, my knees stung from crawling toward my twin brother. “If you fight, they just hit you harder.”
He spit out a tooth. “We must fight, Katya. It is all we have left!”
Tears mixed with more blood as the urge to vomit overtook me. His left eye was completely sealed shut, two of his front teeth were missing, and he was trying to smile at me and make me feel better.
He always was the strong one.
The fighter, even when our foster parents got angry at him and took away meals and video games.
He was unnaturally muscular and could easily take a hit even though he was only nineteen.
Pace squeezed his eyes shut as footsteps neared. “They’re coming back, Kat.”
I whimpered. “Okay, just get behind me, and I’ll try to take the brunt of it. Maybe I’ll pass out.”
“No!” he roared, moving to his knees. With hands bound behind our backs, we’d been in that dark cell for two weeks without any clue why we’d been captured.
All we knew was that the men had Italian accents except for one who sounded Russian.
They came in every day for an hour and tried to get information on things Pace didn’t know. When they turned to me, Pace tried to take the punishment, but I wouldn’t let him.
We were survivors, after all, thrown into a fucking dumpster half-dead when we were little kids. A police officer had heard us crying and saved us.
If putting us in years of foster care with two parents who didn’t know how to deal with all of our… problems was saving us.
Our prints weren’t in any database.
We knew at least our names.
And we each had a stuffed animal, as though whatever loser parent hadn’t wanted us at least gave us that kindness—something from home.
I shivered; I hated whoever they were.
I hated my blood.
Would set fire to it if I could.
“Katya…” Pace clenched his teeth. “Focus on my voice.”
I nodded. “I can do this. Your leg’s twisted funny, Pace. I’ll go first this time, all right?”
“No.” I couldn’t tell if he was crying or if his eyes were wet with unshed tears. There was so much blood on his face I couldn’t even make out his handsome features anymore.
We both knew.
We would die there.
After all, we didn’t have what they wanted.
We were nobodies.
Worthless.
Forgotten.
To be disposed of like trash.
My insecurities came rushing back when the solid metal door made an angry shriek as it was pushed open.
He stood there with his leather gloves on his hands, a mask over his face, and an impeccable soon-to-be bloody black suit covering his body.
“Oh good, you’re both awake,” he said in his smooth Italian voice.
I hated him.
I wanted to dig my teeth into his throat and rip.
“Yeah well, we were bored,” I said in the best teenage voice I could manage, even though I wanted to hurl all over his shiny black shoes. “So, I’m going first.”
“Oh?” He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “Haven’t had enough of me yet, princess?”
I shrugged. “I’m not into old men, but yeah, okay.”
He pushed off the wall and stalked toward me, jerking me to my feet by the throat as I dangled in front of him.
“You will learn respect, Katya.” He dropped me back to my aching feet and then grabbed a white hanky from his pocket. “In a year, you’ll be on your back, and I’ll be between your legs.”
I spat on the ground. “I’ll kill myself before that happens.”
“Oh, princess, you’ll wish for death many times before the day’s even over, but why would I give such a kindness to you, of all people? After all, it took me so long to find you. The game has changed. I need a pawn.”
“Find another,” I said through clenched teeth. Don’t back down, do not back down.
He actually laughed. “Spirited, and here I thought you were scared shitless.”
I was. I was just buying time until the fists came, until the choking started until he beat me into submission.
He stared at me, or it felt like he did, and then he turned and jammed his foot into Pace’s body, over and over again, until my twin screamed in agony.
“STOP!” I yelled. “Please stop!”
He did.
Pace groaned and rolled over to his other side, spitting up blood.
“I stopped.” He turned back to me. “Now, I think you owe me a favor.”