Chapter 24
CHAPTER 24
B ecome Like Him
Symphony
I dress in a black T-shirt and sweatpants and put on my black jogging sneakers. Today, I put my plan into motion. Michael doesn’t want me to come home because I’m not like him.
I want to go home. I want to be with him. So, I plan to become just like my husband. I will be an assassin for hire.
Uri has told me all about what they do for the families, my nonno’s and the Donatis. They make the bad guys go away. Michael said we don’t kill innocent people or those who don’t deserve it.
I can’t kill for my family like he does, but there has to be a way for me to show him we can be the same. I know just who to ask to help me. Once dressed, I make my way down to the kitchen, where I know I will find him.
Adriano is standing at the kitchen island with his coffee. He is already dressed for our morning run. I walk over to him and stand at his side. He looks down at me with a surprised expression.
“I want to talk to you. I need your help.”
“Okay, you need my help with what? I’m no good at those lifts and things. I hope that’s not what you need.”
His cheeks flush as he says the words. I asked him to help me once as I tried to work out a new routine when I was asked to do a piece with a partner. That didn’t go well at all.
“I will not ask you to put your hands next to my vagina today. You don’t have to worry about that,” I say.
Adriano chokes on his sip of coffee. I pat him on the back and reach for a towel to hand him. He looks at me with wide eyes.
“Some days.” He shakes his head. “What do you need, Sim?”
“I need you to help me find clients.”
“Clients?”
“Yes, individuals who want my services.”
He looks at me skeptically. He turns to me and leans his hip against the island. I take a step back as I note that I have entered too far into his personal space.
“What service are we talking about?”
“ Morte .”
He narrows his eyes at me. I stand with my chin held high. I try to force eye contact, but it doesn’t last long.
“Explain to me what exactly is going on in your head,” he says after a few beats.
“Michael doesn’t want me home because I’m not like him. I have to prove I can be like him. I have trained.
“I have the skills. I’ve just never applied them. I will start my own assassin company.
“I will perform hits for hire. You will help me to find clients. You will also keep this secret until I am ready to expose myself,” I explain.
He scoffs. “That’s not going to happen. Michael and Uri both would kill me.”
He folds his arms across his chest as he glares at me. I release an exasperated breath. I thought this would be easier.
“If they don’t find out, then they won’t kill you. Did I not say you are to keep this a secret? If you die, it will be because you are a poor liar or you spoke when you shouldn’t have.”
“You are crazy,” he says, allowing his accent to slip.
“No. That is not a part of my disorder. I am quite sane, actually. I’m on the spectrum, not crazy. Now stop calling me names and assist me. I will pay you handsomely for your help.”
“ Fanculo , she wants to pay me for my own death,” he says under his breath. “She’s right. I’m the crazy one here.”
“Yay, you’re going to help?”
“I’m going to keep you out of trouble.”
I throw my arms around his neck and hug him tightly. He returns the hug hesitantly at first. When he does embrace me, he buries his face in my hair.
“He doesn’t deserve you,” he murmurs.
“What?”
I pull out of his hold and take a step back. The moment has just turned awkward. I didn’t mean to cross the line.
“Why do this? You dance and play like an angel. You’re perfect the way you are.”
“I am the heiress of the Trovati throne. I am meant to be the wife of the next don of the family. He will run the family on my behalf. How can I not match him?
“To the civilian world I can be the odd girl with no friends, no social skills, nothing more than a freakish talent, but in the underworld, I will be known to be as lethal as my family. As deadly as my husband.
“I am doing this because my mother was taken from me for this birthright. My husband has been taken from me over it. I almost lost you because of it.”
“But you don’t have to do this. How do you even know these things? I thought the point was to keep you innocent,” he says with a voice full of concern and protectiveness.
“I know these things because they have been spoken of in front of me as if I lack the ability to understand. I have ears. I understand.
“Uri is also probably the only one who doesn’t coddle me. He has answered my questions when I ask. If you’re not going to help me, I will go to him,” I say in frustration.
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t help. I just thought … Never mind. I will do as you ask.”
“Thank you. Would you like to talk about your compensation? I’m willing to pay you twenty-five percent of each transaction.”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “This will be on me. Come, let’s go for a run.”
Micheal
“I’m growing tired of these games.” I seethe as I hold this bastard by his ankles over the edge of the rooftop of one of Uri’s nightclubs.
Knowing Uri would be here tonight, I entered the club through the back so I wouldn’t be seen. It’s a good thing I did. I found this motherfucker slipping something into the food the kitchen had prepared to send up to Uri’s office.
Everyone was too busy to notice his sneaky ass, but I caught him and followed him out as he went to deliver the tray. Now we are here. I would send him back to his boss with missing hands and a cut-out tongue, but he has seen us both.
Uri heard the commotion outside his office and stepped out. The look of realization on this asshole’s face sealed his death. All I want to know is who sent him.
“My boss is Jacques Dubois. A call came in from someone he owed a favor. Italian accent.
“He asked us to kill the man they call Hush for two million dollars. Jacques refused the job. I called the number back to accept it. That was a lot of money to turn down,” he chokes out.
“Too bad you won’t get to spend a dime,” I snarl and release him.
“Fuck, Michael. Have you lost your bloody mind?” Uri bites out.
“I dropped him in the alley. I couldn’t leave him alive. I will have him cleaned up before anyone notices.”
“You are becoming unhinged. Your work is beginning to look more like mine.”
“That isn’t much of a problem, is it? Shouldn’t we be uniform?”
He growls and gives me a look of exasperation. I shrug and dust my hands off. I did what needed to be done.
“Don’t get cheeky with me, you arrogant brat.” He pauses to take a breath and pinch the bridge of his nose. “I think it’s time for you to take some time off.
“You’ve been under a lot of pressure. Let things cool down a bit and then you can get back to it. Killing dodgy bastards like that filthy fucker can wait.”
“I’m fine,” I grunt.
Swiftly, he moves to get in my face. He glares into my eyes, making my inch of height over him disappear. In this moment there is no doubt I’m the little brother.
However, I don’t look away or cower. He’s not expecting me to either. Uri demands respect, but he is also willing to give it. I know I have earned his respect, which is why I listen.
“You will take a fucking break. Deal with your shit. Clear your head. We are not to get sloppy now. Do you understand me?”
He is right. I have been becoming unhinged as of late. I’m sexually frustrated, I keep having dreams about Symphony, and there seems to be no end in sight of this bullshit with Leonardo.
The Locatellis have enough power to give us the green light. They are strong enough to handle a war if it comes to it. I grind my teeth at the thought because even I know that all could lead to uncalculated disaster.
“I hear you.”
I turn and walk away. I have a lot to work through. London and Italy may not be the places where I need to be to sort this out.