ther-bound volumes, dust layering spines like forgotten memories. A faint scent of cigar smoke hung in the

The crystal decanter clinked gently, but the silence

lass in hand. "Teaming up with the fucking Lombardis? That coward V

ded tight across his chest. The embers cast flickers of orange a

hipment and two capos. But teaming up makes them dangerous again

"Those Milanese pussies couldn't organize a piss-u

our warehouse, now they're eyeing our d

glass down on the desk.

, the threats. His father had ruled with an iron fist for t

," Dario continued. "They're testing

dro growled. "They just f

r to the table. Maps and files were already spread acro

lies turned enemies. So many enemies pretending to be neutral. Bullshit. The

m the Calabri

oss is in prison. The underbos

ng cow

a name off the list w

the Gennaros

ith the Lombardis last month. They're

g, vicious exhale. "Porc

down at the nam

o

ng from Palermo-to

p in France-unreli

with a reputation for bac

here was t

in the far cor

Span

ked to it. His ex

id flatly.

d an eyebrow. "W

erything. You remember what they did in Seville. The

ed faintly. "I

ictable. We can

lessandro said. "We just need them to poi

n't have rules. They don't give a shit about honor or bou

irling the grappa slowly. His eyes gleamed with

ured. "Sometimes you bring the devil to the t

k for somet

kno

ith both hands. "You're se

escari and Lombardi alone? We're already out

io muttered. "They'll think w

ckled darkly.

they stared down at the

its brutality, its sudden moves, its enigmatic leader.

ped the pin wi

meeting,

rowed. "You want

firmly. "This is too b

ou going to offer t

quiet for a m

signed thing. Like a man who'd alread

want," he said. "Ever

e had gone silent, Alessandro sat alone, st

what the Spani

t cash. Not wea

age. Blood. A han

want someth

ppa and stared at a photo

en

nowing the world he'd built for

curled aroun

prote

tever the f

meant givin