The only reason he walked free was because the Mafia protected its own. I had handpicked him myself. Tonight, I would rid the world of his existence, and maybe rid myself of the demon that had taken root in me.
I stripped down to my workout shorts and turned to Maxim, who stood pale with worry. “What’s with the look? You think I can’t take him? You think I’m weak?”
“It’s not that. You’re not yourself right now, Carlo. Your head’s not in the right place.”
“This is the mostmeI’ve ever been. Rage. Pain. Power. Isn’t that what’s made me who I am? Haven’t I painted the streets red with the blood of my enemies, even when everything was stacked against me? I’m going into that cage tonight to butcher that bastard. I’ll show all of Italy who I really am. And when the bombshell drops, not a single soul will dare stand in my way.”
Maxim’s gaze wavered between disbelief and exhaustion. He didn’t speak right away, he didn’t have to. The silence said it all. Finally, he muttered, “Just don’t die on me, alright?”
I smirked at him and left the locker room. The roar of the crowd was raw, electric, vibrating through the walls. But the second I stepped into view, silence fell like a curtain. Hundreds of eyes were on me, wide with fear, awe, and anticipation.
Then Maxim’s voice rang out. “Is this how you welcome your Capo? The invincible Don Carlo?”
The invincible Don Carlo?I shot him a look sharp enough to kill, but he grinned like he hadn’t handed me the cheesiest title known to man a second ago.
He turned back to the crowd and yelled again, this time, they answered. The arena erupted in a frenzy, chants of“The invincible Don Carlo!”rolling like thunder through the dome.
The second this fight was over, Maxim was getting punched for that shit. I stepped into the cage. Adrenaline shot through me like lightning. The noise, the heat, the bloodlust in the air, it drowned everything else out. And then, like a demon called up from hell, the Ugly Beast made his entrance.
He really was both a beast and ugly as hell. His face was a wreck: scarred, swollen, like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it a dozen times and called it done.
His nose was shattered beyond repair, and his eyes glinted with the madness of a man who’d killed more times than he could count. His body was a map of violence, scars, burns, stitches. He was grotesque. Inhuman.
As the announcer called his name, he unleashed a guttural roar, shaking the entire cage. Good. I wanted him angry and I wanted him wild, because I was going to kill him. He’d better enjoy that mouth of his while he still could, because in a few minutes, I planned to shut it for good.
The fight was savage. We went three full rounds, trading punches that cracked through the cage like thunder. Blood flew. Muscles burned. Bones snapped. The Beast was strong, fucking relentless, but I was fueled by something deeper. Something darker. Guilt.
When the moment came, I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed with everything I had. His fists beat against my ribs, his legs thrashed, but I didn’t loosen my grip. Not once. With every passing second, his strength faded. His eyes lost their fire. And with one final breath, I felt his body go limp in my arms.
The cage door flew open.Maxim burst in like he’d just won a jackpot, eyes blazing.
“The invincible Carlo!” he shouted, voice booming across the arena.
The crowd erupted. Chants of“Don Carlo! Don Carlo!”thundered like a war cry. I pushed to my feet, and scanned the stands. As my gaze swept over the crowd, it caught on a familiar face. My eyes kept moving for a second, then my head snapped back, locking on him. Brando.
He stood at the back of the crowd, staring at me with quiet pride. When our eyes met, a faint smile curved his lips. He gave me a small nod before turning his back and disappearing into the crowd. It was the first time I’d seen him in five months. I told myself he’d come to watch me fall. But deep down, I knew that wasn’t the case.
Afterward, Maxim, Lorenzo, and I headed to the strip club to celebrate. Word of the match had spread fast. My phone hadn’t stopped buzzing with calls from the underbosses, each one offering congratulations. Good. They needed the reminder. My ruthlessness hadn’t faded. Not even a little.
What caught me off guard, though, was Tony’s silence about Lucia’s pregnancy. He hadn’t used it to come at me. That wasn’t like him. Tony never stayed quiet without a reason. Whatever he was planning, it wouldn’t stay buried for long.
The door to the VIP suite swung open, and ten strippers strutted in, heels tapping on the marble. Maxim and Lorenzo whistled like schoolboys, already spreading their legs as the women draped themselves over them like hungry cats. A few of them headed toward me, but one look at my face was enough. They paused, then wisely turned away. Smart girls.
Maxim peeked out from between a pair of thighs, grinning. “Come on, Carlo. You’re scaring off the chicks.”
Lorenzo was in his element, hands down the panties of two women while tongue-wrestling a third.
I drained the rest of my drink and set the glass down with a click. “I’m heading home.”
The second the words left my mouth, Maxim and Lorenzo were on their feet, sending the mess of girls toppling to the floor in a flurry of giggles and curses. It didn’t matter if they were caught in the middle of pleasure or war, when I spoke, they moved.
Maxim adjusted himself, tucking his shirt back in. “Let’s go, boss.”
I waved them off. “You two stay. Enjoy yourselves. I can get home on my own.”
Before I could stop him, Lorenzo was already at the door. “Sorry, boss. Not happening.”
Maxim shrugged and followed him, silently agreeing that I wasn’t going anywhere on my own.
