Fontana killed Shawn. He meant to kill me, and that makes it so much worse. It wasn’t an accident—it was my own fucking failure that got my friend murdered. It wasme, from the start. I’ve always been death, and now Deanna’s going to die too.
But I can’t move. I want to leap forward and end this in blood and glory, except the image of Deanna on my pool table is burned into my mind. My wife, my beautiful wife. I meant it when I said I wanted a future because of her. I’ve been spiraling toward this moment for years with no vision of anything past it, an easy, clean ending, but I don’t want the darkness anymore. I want a future, I want more, so long as she’s with me.
I force my hand open. The knife clatters to the floor.
“Good man,” Fontana says happily. “Here’s what’ll happen. You’re going to give me free rein of your lots. I have product I need to move and you have a distribution system. You’ll let me tap into it. I’ll give you some pittance so you can pretend like it’s all fine to your boss, maybe even lie to yourself, but we both know I fucking own you now.”
“Mr. Spadaro wouldn’t want to see Mrs. Spadaro and the whole family get hurt, isn’t that right?” Carbone’s aim doesn’t waver as he glances at me. “Poor Rosa and Vinnie. And that kind nurse of theirs. What’s her name? Yolanda? She seems like a good person. We wouldn’t want their bodies on our conscience.”
Deanna’s breathing hard. She digs her hands into my leg. “Leave my family alone,” she hisses, but Carbone remains unmoved.
“That’s where we’ll leave it then.” Fontana inspects his nails. “You thought you were coming for me, Prime, but I’ve been coming for you this whole time. You think I didn’t realize what you wanted? Why you were making inquiries? You even gotmarriedfor me! You fell in love for me! You gave me fucking leverage over you, and now you’re fuckingmine.” He claps his hands gleefully. “Isn’t that incredible, Marco?”
“Love knows no limits,” Carbone says.
“You two are so handsome together, I could fuckingscream.” Fontana’s smile is psychotic, stretching across his flabby face. “The first shipment will arrive next week. You will not make trouble. You will do as you’re told, Prime. If you try to move your wife’s family, we’ll kill her, track them down, and kill them too. Do you understand?”
Horror like ice water splashes down my spine.This is what he wanted from the start. This is why he dragged me closer, why he pretended to make nice, why he let me spiral around him.
Augustus Fontana wanted to own me, and I walked right into his trap.
“Don’t, Prime,” Deanna whispers, voice trembling. “Don’t let them… you can’t…”
I want to burn him to the ground, revel in his blood, drain the old bastard to a withered husk.
But he’s right.
The fuck, he’sright.
I got married for him, I fell in love for him, and I gave him the perfect weapon to use against me.
Before Deanna, there was only me and my revenge.
Now there’s her.
I have a reason to keep going.
“You have a deal, Mr. Fontana.” I push back from the table and stand. Carbone’s gun remains on Deanna. “I don’t think we need to shake on it.”
“Good man!” Fontana claps again, looking like a joyous little boy. “God, Marco, I love it when a plan comes together.”
“Well done, sir.”
“I’ll be seeing you shortly, Prime. This was so fun! And Deanna, it was a pleasure. My wife will be sad you left early, but I’m sure she’ll get over it.”
“Go to hell,” Deanna says.
“Maybe one day, but not anytime soon.”
I take Deanna’s hand and hold it tightly. I pull her from the room. Carbone follows, gun aimed, until I help my wife into the back of the car. Once the doors are shut, the driver begins back toward the city, still not in the talkative mood.
Deanna drapes herself against me, hugging tight, and there’s a deep emptiness in the core of me, a stunned horror so profound I can’t name it. I wrap an arm around her, trying to find her warmth, but everything’s cold, it’s fucking midnight dark, and I don’t see another way through.
CHAPTER 29
DEANNA
It’s like watching him bleed without the mess.