o

the lingering salt of corn chips. I put a shoulder to the door and surveyed my new terr

near the window, his thumbs a blur against

ooked up. "You must be L

d the top bunk near the

ffel bag onto the thin m

creases sharp enough to cut paper. My shoes were aligned with the bed frame, their heels formin

nute before turning back to hi

, and the room was quiet except for t

nly?" Marco asked from the darkness bel

the ceiling by the streetlights f

the estate," I replied, the w

yes, but slee

rway. I saw her white knuckles and the guilt that pulled at the corners of her mouth. I knew some par

ed in violence. My father was consumed by the Family business. He was the Boss. The constant threat from rival cartels and the leaden weight of Omertà had slowly ground my

ed estate entirely to her and me, arranging a massive monthl

A great distance had grown between us. I did not know how to forge a bond with a man who pres

came

ressed slacks and smiled with a disquieting number of teeth. His first visit to our estate involved a bouquet of flowers and a toolbox. H

that day, wiping gr

ke your mother, L

lates and procured tickets to local theater shows. Elena started wearing d

ernoon I walked out onto

cheap burner phone pressed hard against

e estate is prime real estate. Worth a

he listened to whoeve

settled within six months. Th

her

or spat. "He's no obstacle. Just

tones seeping through my socks. The disrespect was

ter my mother's fragile new happiness

held the banquet in September. Victor's smi

ugh the bottom drawer of Elena's heavy oak desk-

the light switc

are bankbook," he stammered,

hagus. My mafia instincts, inherited from a man I barely saw, were now

ings groaning beneath me. The encrypted phone

and stared at

was dealing with

't raise a victim.

ady to claim tha