Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Which is how I need to play him now.
“It matters to me,” I say. “If you expect me to take care of people when they screw us over, I need to know why you took care of Vega.”
“Why Vega?”
I comb my brain for a believable lie. “He’s just a man I remember from the past,” I say. “He called me ‘little cobra.’ I never understood that.”
“Because it’s what I called you,” Grandfather says.
I furrow my brow once more. “Never in your life did you call me ‘little cobra.’”
He chuckles. “Not to your face. But that’s how I referred to you in the organization. The little cobra. The one who would take over for me eventually. The one who would one day lead the family in my absence.” His gaze darkens. “I had a lot of clean-up to do when you disappeared. All I heard from Vega was ‘the cobra didn’t grow up. Where’s your pride and joy? Little cobra is more like little garter snake.’”
I didn’t think I could possibly hate a dead man, but I absently feel my hands curl into fists. And I’m damned glad Vega is cold and dead in the ground, put there by Eagle Bellamy, because I’d like to wring his neck.
I never understood Vega’s cobra comment, but I did look up the traditional traits of the snake when I was overseas. I wanted to know what Vega saw in me. According to what I read, cobras are intelligent and territorial, certainly a good trait for the heir to our unseemly dynasty. Above all, they project confidence when threatened by expanding the ribs in their necks to create a hood. In a business where appearances can be everything, that matters a lot.
I’ll admit, I am a poster child for each of those traits. But I will use every single cobra attribute I possess not to lead this organization, but to burn it all to the fucking ground.
Grandfather is lying to me. If he had ever referred to me as “little cobra,” I would know it. He’s also lying about who killed Vega. And I have a feeling that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Damn it all. Did Eagle Bellamy do my grandfather a huge favor years ago without even knowing it?
“What did Vega do to merit his demise?” I ask.
Grandfather folds his hands together. “He made a costly mistake.”
“What was that mistake?”
Grandfather shakes his head. “You expect me to remember every little mistake somebody I work with has made? I could fill a couple volumes.”
“Does every mistake merit being”—air quote—“taken care of?”
He burns me with his gaze. “Don’t take this lightly, Vincent.”
“Who’s taking anything lightly?”
“When you use that tone and make air quotes, you’re taking it lightly. What we do is business, pure and simple. And it’s never to be taken lightly.” Grandfather darts his gaze—just his eyes—to the left and back. So quickly that I may not have noticed if I hadn’t been staring at him so tightly.
He’s lying. I already know that. I know that because he didn’t have Vega taken care of.
Unless…
Unless he knew…
No.
My grandfather has no interest in the names of the scumbags selling drugs on the street.
There’s no way he knows about Eagle Bellamy.
But somehow Myra at the EPA already knew…
“Enough about this shit,” Grandfather says. “Where are we on Puzo?”
“Working on it,” I say.
“Are you? Because I looked into it last evening, and Giacomo Puzo and his wife were both at home, their two children tucked into bed.”
“Did you want me to just march right into his house and shoot him?” I ask.
Grandfather shrugs. “I gave you the fucking gun, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, you did.” I stare him down. “But I’ll do this my way. I’ll prove to you once and for all, Grandfather, that I’m as loyal to this family as I’ve ever been.”
He stares me straight in the eye. “You’re not scared, are you, Vinnie? You can walk right into his home and shoot him dead. I’ll have everything fixed for you.”
“I know that.” I keep my voice steady, looking him straight in the eye.
But the truth of the matter is that I don’t know that. And I’m not going to off Puzo until I’m convinced of one thing.
My grandfather’s so concerned about whether he can trust me.
I’m a hundred times more concerned about trusting him.
I’ve seen what he is capable of.
I’m not convinced he didn’t have a hand in Mikey’s death.
So yeah, I don’t trust that he’ll have everything fixed.
And the fact that he’s taking credit for Diego Vega?
He proved to me what I’ve always known.
He’s a fucking criminal and a fucking liar.
And I’m taking him out.
25
RAVEN
“Oh my God, Ray, your gorgeous hair!”
I’m shocked by CJ’s reaction when she answers the door to the mansion in the Austin suburb.
Until—
She looks me up and down and her jaw drops. “Oh my God… You had sex, didn’t you?”