Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 82524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Ignazio grins viciously. “If I wanted your slut wife dead and your bastard kid slaughtered, they’d already be in their graves.”
The room bursts into action. Half the men get to their feet, shouting at Ignazio. Rocco Malvasi roars the loudest: “How dare you insult the Don like that, you fucking dickhead prick!”
I wait for the outrage to settle. The room teeters toward violence. Even my brothers look like they’re barely restrained.
“You come here and insult me. You turn Nunzio against me, and now he’s dead. What else will you do to rip this family to pieces?”
Ignazio’s sneer is ugly. “You accuse me of ruining this family? I’ve known you since you were a child, Rafe Corvino, and you are as arrogant and foolish as you’ve always been. We made a mistake following you back then and we will make a mistake following you now.” Ignazio holds up a hand when the room threatens to erupt into another uproar. “Hear me now, friends. You’ve known me a long time. I followed the Old Don, the good Corvino, all my life. I followed his oldest child when he perished in that tragic fire. But I will not watch this family ruin itself for this man’s glory.”
Anger simmers inside. How dare Ignazio come here and speak to me this way? After everything he’s done? The fool is a traitor and a bastard, but I have to let him have his say.
“You men know me!” Ignazio says louder, and I feel something in the room shift. Fewer of the Capos are standing. More of them seem to be listening thoughtfully. “He wants to remove the old guard and torch the old ways. He wants to take what made us strong and rip it to shreds. He wants to bury us! He wants to bury all of you alongside me! And for what? For some fucking company?” Ignazio bangs his hands on the table. “For his own vain glory. If we follow him, we will lose everything we’ve worked so hard to create.”
The talk this time doesn’t sound so angry. I notice more than a few interested frowns. I glance at Silas and the look on his face confirms what I’m feeling.
The scales tipped.
One or two votes. That’s all he needed. And Ignazio was brave enough to show up here, which says a lot about his convictions, and smart enough to say what everyone’s been thinking.
And now it’s finished.
I sink into my seat. I let the room see me as I stare down at my hands, at the tattoos on my knuckles.
ASHES.
Is that all I’ve ever been?
Everything I’ve given to these men. All the sacrifices I’ve made.
I could’ve had more time with Hattie and June.
But instead, I hid them away and I threw myself into the family’s work.
Only to end up beaten by a traitor.
36
RAFE
Ignazio’s sneering only worsens as he strides around the table like a preening peacock. “You all know I’m right!” he shouts at the last few holdouts. Loyal and loud Rocco hurls insults, God bless him for it, while my brothers remain grimly silent. Devlin restraining himself visibly. Cassian looking like he’s ready to kill the whole lot of them.
“Today we’ll take control of the Corvino organization from the corrupt brothers. They call themselves the Lords of Ashes, but I say they’re nothing more than thugs and bastards in pretty suits.” Ignazio returns to his position at the far end of the room, looking like he’s won.
And right now, it feels that way.
Has it always been this bad?
“We take the vote.” My voice is gentle but everyone hears it. I push heavily to my feet. No matter how this goes, I’ll deal with it. “No more talk. You all know where I stand and how I feel about this merger. You’ve listened to Ignazio, the traitor, and you can decide what you think now. No more talk, no more insults. We vote.”
Silas takes his cue. He claps sharply. “All those in favor, stand.”
Men climb to their feet slowly. All four of my brothers first. I join them, proud and tall. Rocco leaps up, glaring at the rest of the gathering.
“You fucking pussies gonna stay down this whole time?” he snaps.
More get up. Men I’ve known all my life. Men I’ve raised from nothing, given positions of power, and built into giants of the city. But more stay where they are, staring at their drinks, at their cigars, at anywhere but me.
At the Don who gave them everything.
My heart breaks. It’s close, like we thought, but Ignazio’s diatribe must’ve scared—or convinced—a few of those who weren’t sure.
In the end, there are slightly more than half of the gathering still in their seats.
“That’s it,” Ignazio says, sounding triumphant. “That’s the end. I hereby announce—“
He doesn’t finish. I draw the gun I’ve had in my jacket, aim it at his face, and pull the trigger.