“I thought being a Crow was honorable.” His words are short, sharp as he spits them across the table at me. “Thought that honor came above all else. But apparently, I was wrong.”
Behind him, Vincent’s eyes drop to his charge. He starts to move forward, face set in lines of fury, but I hold up my hand to stop him.
Paul looks down, but he’s not finished. “Everyone is talking about the Fusco girl. They say we butchered her. Carved her up and left her in pieces on their lawn. Where is thehonorin that?”
Jaw firming, he looks up at me. “Why is my brotherdead,if none of it matters?”
Eyes move to me. Waiting, Judging.
Paul is not the only angry one. It’s in the tight lines of their mouths, the hunched position of their shoulders. And I sit back, assessing.
In our world, where violence and death is so common, having a code of honor is the same as having solid ground. It keeps us in check, reminds us that there are limits to power. Reassurance. Safety. An understanding that no matter how bad things get, there are always lines that we will not cross.
My father has ripped that safety apart. Left me here to pick up the jagged pieces.
And I have no idea what to say to Paul. To any of them.
Not when I agree with them.
“It is not our place to judge when we don’t have all of the information.” I look around, making sure to meet theireyes. Most of them drop away. “And we don’t have all of the information because it is not ourplaceto know.”
A few nods. Faces turning away.
But Paul isn’t ready to let it drop. “Did you know? Did you agree with it?”
A dozen responses form on my tongue. In the end, I choose the truth. “No. I didn’t know.”
It doesn’t absolve me, not as the heir. My father’s choices are mine to bear. It also makes me look weak. But a relieved look comes over Paul’s face, and I can’t bring myself to regret the words.
“Believe me when I say that I regret the loss of Nicoletta Fusco more than you know,” I say quietly. “In the days to come, our honor will be more important than ever, Paul. Do not let that line slip away. Hold onto it with everything you have. Humanity is not so easy to reclaim, once it’s gone.”
He nods, the anger fading into grief as he sits back. But a new rash of whispers breaks out. Dom slips into the seat next to me. “Drawing a line, Cat?”
“An accidental one.” Frowning, I push my chair back. I gave away more than I should have in my response to Paul. If I’m not careful, the Crows could split down the middle, at the exact time when I need us to be stronger than ever.
The wall splits, everyone heading off to start their day. Four of the Crows peel off, forming a loose circle around Dom and I as we leave the hall. I glance behind me, wondering if Amie will come to speak to me, but I don’t see her in the crowd.
Thankfully, there are only a handful of Fuscos present, and no Giovanni, Leo or Rosa. They glare but stay seated as we walk out. One cocky fucker clicks back an imaginary gun and aims it at me. Smirking, I slide the knife from my sleeve, twirling it over in my fingers, my skin dancing dangerously close to the sharp blade.
He drops his hand and fucking fast.
“Quiet so far,” Dom murmurs, and I poke him in the stomach as we head out. “Don’t get used to it.”
They will come.Il bacio della morteis not to be rushed. It’s to be savored, until the victim is worn down by fear and terror just as much as the actual attempts on their life.
It’s a mental execution, just as much as a physical one.
I will not allow that to happen.
Checking my phone, I scan the schedule for the day. It’s surprisingly full, and I groan. “Law,again. God, that tutor is an ass.”
Dom grins. “Can’t break the law if we don’t know the law.”
Semantics. He stays next to me as I walk through the door, and I glance at him as I slide into a seat in the middle of the room. He only raises his eyebrows before he drops into the seat next to me.
“Seriously?” Shaking my head, I pull out my laptop. “Biggest regret of your life. Just wait.”
“I regret nothing where you’re concerned.”
