Unraveled (Guzzi Duet Book 1)(77)

Gian pulled the makeshift rope tight, his emotions bleeding away as a blissful numbness took its place. Constantino fought back against the hold, clawing at Gian’s arms and hands, trying to topple over his chair, and even kicking at the table. The plates and bottles jumped with every hit and kick. Gian still held strong.

“I’m not sure if you killed my grandfather for yourself, or because you knew what would happen after his death. I don’t know if you meant to put yourself in a higher position because of me, but you clearly intended to use me for something.”

Constantino’s struggle continued, but Gian paid it no mind. His fighting would end forever soon enough.

“I put it together after Edmond sent me a box with info about the bomb set on my car and who put it there—you. You were stupid enough to try to play his side, too, just in case you needed to. I saw the pictures of you heading to Edmond’s place, going in and out on all days of the week, when you were trying to get me to act against him. That was your mistake. He’s a snake, too, like you. And if he thought I might get rid of a problem with you, then he was willing to take the risk of telling me.”

Gian sighed. “And I thought, why. Why would you do that to me, and what else would you do? What else had you done? You knew—despite how fucking ignorant you’ve been lately—that I would never look to you, Constantino, because you were my friend. And I trusted you. You took advantage of an already-volatile situation, and pushed us all over the edge, because you knew that no matter what, I would keep my friend on top.”

He pulled the rope tighter still, feeling the man’s fight finally begin to leave. “You taught me a lesson that Corrado never did. A lesson he couldn’t teach me. You have to be ready to kill absolutely anyone that stands at your side, because no one can be trusted.”

Gian still didn’t feel anything when Constantino’s body finally fell limp. He undid the rope, let the corpse fall forward, and then he covered the man’s head with the unraveled dish towel.

“Fuck you for being the one to teach me that lesson.”

He returned to his seat, popped open his beer, and ate his food.

Life went on.

It always did.





“Last chance to back out,” Chris said as Gian handed his gun over.

Outside the restaurant, the street was quiet. As though it—and the shops lining the streets—knew what was about to happen, and that it was better to be out of sight, safely hidden away.

“Why would I back out?” Gian asked.

The enforcer made a show of taking Gian’s jacket off, showing to whoever was watching inside the restaurant that he had no hidden weapons to bring to the meeting.

Chris handed Gian’s jacket back. “I didn’t think you would, I simply said the option is there.”

“Would you?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Legacy,” Chris said frankly. “The respect of it all.”

“Some might think that this is the ultimate disrespect,” Gian pointed out.

“Those people will never and could never make the choice you are making today.”

And that, at the end of it all, was exactly why Gian was doing what he was doing.

“Some men are made for this,” Chris added, “and some aren’t. Which one are you?”

“I’m tired of my ability being questioned.”

“Then good luck, boss. I will be waiting out here when it’s over.”

Gian gave the man a nod. “Don’t miss, Chris.”

“I never do.”

Gian waited as the enforcer crossed the street, and jumped into his vehicle. Then, he turned and entered the restaurant. This was the most dangerous part, he knew. Simply entering the place with no backup, no protection. It was a hostile environment, and he could easily become a target.

Inside, Gian was surprised to find the place mostly devoid of people. No patrons sat at tables, and no employees served the few men sitting at tables.

“Gian.” Edmond stood from his seat at a center table, facing the windows. Lucky. “I’m pleased to see you show up today.”

Gian crossed the space, ignoring the looks of the men waiting to see what he would do. Only a couple were men that Edmond had asked to come along, others were ones Gian told to be there because of the boss’s request. Apparently, Edmond thought having a few men witness their meeting would be better than a larger group.

Let word travel, Edmond had said.

Standing toe to toe with the man, Gian finally spoke. “I took care of the problem on my end, the one you let me know about.”

Edmond nodded, seeming pleased. “And come to your senses at the same time about the rest of this fighting and nonsense, I assume?”

No, not really.

He had decided enough was enough, though.

“Grudges tend to kill a lot of people in this business,” Gian said with a shrug of his shoulders. “I need to learn to let bygones be bygones.”

“Good, good.”

Then, Edmond held out his hand, the one with a ring that was all too familiar to Gian. It had belonged to his grandfather for years, and while Corrado should have been buried with it, someone had removed it from his home before it could be collected for the funeral home. Constantino might have been the one to pull the trigger where Corrado’s death was concerned, but Edmond had not been an honorable man in his intentions after the fact.