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Silence.

Lorenzo uncrosses his arms.

He walks to the window.

Stares out at the city.

"I know why you were there," he says finally. "I've known since the first time I saw you look at her."

Of course he has.

"Then you know I didn't have a choice."

"There's always a choice." He turns to face me. "You chose her. Over protocol. Over safety. Over your own life."

"Yes."

No point denying it.

"And now she's in the middle of a cartel war because of that choice."

"Tell me what happened," I say. "Tell me how bad it is."

Lorenzo's jaw tightens.

He walks to the bar cart in the corner of the room. Pours two glasses of whiskey. Brings one to me.

I take it.

Don't drink.

Lorenzo sits in the chair across from me.

Takes a long sip of his own glass.

Sets it down.

"Things are bad," he says.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Dante

Lorenzo sets his glass down.

The crystal clicks against the table.

"Bruno has ordered me not to tell you anything."

The words hang in the air.

I stare at him.

Bruno.

The Don.

My Don.