Matteo nods his head. “It all makes sense now.”
“What?”
“Why you’re a lunatic. I always wondered.”
“You wondered why I was a lunatic?” I narrow my eyes at him.
“Yeah,” He shrugs. “We all did, but now knowing what you had to deal with…yeah. I get it. But now that I know…Wefinish this,” Matteo says. “Thenwetell everyone.”
“Okay.”
He studies me for another long moment. “Anything else you’re not telling me?”
I hesitate.
Then—fuck it. Might as well drop the rest of the bomb on his lap.
“You’re an uncle.” While technically Matteo isn’t my brother, he is.
I’m met with silence. Then a smile.
“Fuck. I’m an uncle.”
And for the first time in a long time, I feel hope.
Tonight, we end it.
67
Lorenzo
Tonight feels different.
Matteo walks beside me, hands in his coat pockets, eyes locked forward.
I haven’t seen this version of him since he retired, and I took over. But here he is, the scary motherfucker I need him to be.
“This is fun. We should do this more often.”
I glance over, letting my mouth twitch without committing to a smile. “Pretty sure your wife would be pissed if you came out of retirement.”
Matteo’s gaze drags over the dark corners, and he sees my men gathering in the corners to back us up. “Cute. You even brought bodyguards. What happened to the man who insisted on doing everything alone?” Low blow. He’s still pissed I didn’t tell him. He’ll get over it.
“We have kids.” I step to the door, ready to bust it down and end this for good. “They’re here so we don’t do anything stupid. Like die.”
“‘Bout time you finally got a head on your shoulders.” He winks.
I push open the door to the house and silently creep inside.
Hope Jax is right about this spot because it feels abandoned. When I turn the corner, I know he was. There, in an oversized recliner, is a man, and by the way he watches me, he’s the man I want.
He’s not panicking.
He lifts his chin as I stop in front of him, like he’s greeting a business partner instead of the end of his life.
Matteo drifts to my right, snagging a second chair and turning it backward before sitting. He folds his arms across the back, posture casual, expression anything but.
“Alright.” Matteo gestures to the man. “Let’s meet the last asshole on the list.”
