And I knew right there, at that moment, that there was no turning back. Not now that I knew what it was like to be the center of his universe.
LORENZO
“Favorite day of the week?” I asked, staring up at the ceiling in the living room.
I sensed Aida turn her head, so I did the same, meeting her stare. “Tuesday.”
My lips quirked at the corner. “Why Tuesday?”
She rolled to her side and leaned her head on her hand. “Monday is the start of the week, so that’s out. Wednesday is the midway point, so that’s neither here nor there.” I blinked as she explained it to me. “Thursdays are meh.”
I chuckled. “Obviously.”
“And Fridays always get all of the attention.” She smiled, pleased with herself. “So, there you have it. Tuesday.”
“What about Saturday or Sunday?”
“They don’t count.” She winked. “They’re weekends.” She had a point. “What about you?”
I tilted my head to the side, glancing around the empty room. We’d been spending more and more time in the living room, so I decided that we should redecorate. The furniture and decor were the same from when I was a kid, but the mansion was mine now. I stared back at Aida—ours. It was ours.
The hardwood floors were cold and hard on our backs, but I didn’t care. Any opportunity I had to spend time with Aida, I took it without a second thought.
“Mondays,” I said, watching as her eyes widened. She opened her mouth, but I knew she was going to ask why, so I continued, “It’s a new week. A fresh start.” I leaned forward and planted a kiss on her lips. “I like fresh starts.” I pressed my palms to the floor, lifting myself up. I hated leaving her, but there was no way I could bring her with me, not where I was about to go.
“You’re leaving?” she asked as I stood.
“Yeah.” I stepped back, grabbing my suit jacket off one of the new furniture boxes. “I have a meeting in the city.” I didn’t need to explain what meeting it was because she already knew it was Mafia business, and that was all I wanted her to know. The fewer details she had, the better. For the both of us.
She nodded and stood, staring around the room. “Is Mateo going with you?”
“Yeah.” I pushed my arms through my jacket just as my cell pinged. A quick glance at it told me he was outside, ready to leave. “Why?”
“I was going to ask him to help put some of this furniture together with me.”
I sauntered toward Aida, grabbing her by the waist and yanking her to me. “I’ll do it when I get home.” I pulled in a breath, unable to get enough of her rose scent. “Relax. Take a bath. Spend some time with Sofia.” Her eyes flashed, and I knew I’d hit the perfect spot with my last words. “I’ll be back soon.”
She wrapped her arms around me, her head finding the place on my chest where she slept every night. In a matter of three months, I’d gone from hating the fact I had to find a wife to not wanting to leave her side. I wanted to spend every second next to her, listening to her talk about nothing and everything. But I couldn’t. I had a business to run—a business that depended on me being the violent asshole I’d grown into.
As soon as I stepped away from her, I slipped my perfected mask back on and left the house, ready to do business. I pushed her to the back of my mind as Mateo drove us into the city. I was familiar with all of the streets, having spent days on them when I was younger. There was no better way to understand the way people were than to become one of them.
And that was what I’d done.
I’d made friends in low places as well as high. I’d committed crimes. I’d made allies as well as enemies. These city streets had molded me into the man I was today. A man who took no shit. A man who gave people second chances.
One chance. That was what I’d begged Aida for. It was what I gave everyone who crossed me. But that was all the
y got. You should learn from your mistakes, but as Mateo pulled to a stop at the warehouse, I knew this person hadn’t.
Darkness covered the night, seeping into my bones and bringing my inner demon to the forefront. The sounds of the city created the background noise to what would be a long night, one I’d relish at every turn.
Drops of rain fell onto my face as I walked toward the warehouse door, entered the code, then stepped inside. I could already hear pained moans. They’d started without me, but I’d be the one to finish it. I’d be the one to send a final message to everyone who thought they could cross me.
“Lorenzo,” Dante greeted from the edge of the space they’d created between the crates of guns and ammunition. At the sound of my name, everyone stilled. My dress shoes clacked against the concrete floor, each step taking me closer to the man tied to a chair in the middle.
Blood ran down the side of his face and from his arm—the arm that had no hand on it. I’d already taught him one lesson, but apparently, that hadn’t been enough for him. I moved past Uncle Antonio, his shirt splattered with blood. He was the person who’d taught me the best way to torture someone to inflict the maximum amount of pain.
Another chair sat to the side—a chair saved especially for me. I may have wanted to get my hands dirty, but not until Uncle Antonio has had his fun. I nodded at the man strapped to the chair—the man who I’d seen the night of my wedding. He hadn’t begged to keep his hand, and he hadn’t wanted forgiveness. No, he’d wanted another excuse to try and fuck me over.