Betrayed By The Don: Rising From Ashes

A5 Wagyu for our seven-year anniversary wh

the tuxedo I had bought for Dante three weeks

Mrs. Isabella Ga

woman who wrote the code that cleaned his dirty money. Yet, while I was here cookin

expensive scotch and another woma

tie. "You keep your allowance, your position.

of high-end furniture. When I told

na," he sneered, blocking the door. "If y

on the chessboard. He forgot that

cream. I d

rypted laptop, and dialed the numb

"And I'm bringing the ent

pte

ina Ca

seven-year anniversary dinner when the burner phone t

that shattered the illusion of the l

ice that sho

e hovered over the crimso

lip of the counter and peeled

p with a single,

and, resting on the lapel of a tuxedo I had per

nd ring. The platinum band was engraved on the

.

wn at my ow

t replica Dante gave me four years a

.I. stood fo

orning. The location was the Cathedral of Saint Mary, t

Mrs. Isabella Ga

sucked out of

Dante and I. It stood

money through shell shipping conglomerates I designed. I negotiated truces he was too hot-headed to manage. I was his

romised me that once the ol

o secure her father's territory, while I was here,

nt door

footsteps echoe

ning the tie of the tuxedo from the photo. The scent of expensive scot

said, coming up behind me.

remble. I felt my heart cal

r phone across t

oked at the phone.

looking less like a Don and more like a chi

rsuasive rumble that usually made my knees weak. "It's poli

voice sounded strange to m

nitial panic faded. "She is a Falcone. She breeds heirs and sits at galas. Yo

hing ch

o let breathe. "I did this for us. For the empire. You keep your apartment,

ieved that was

ce of high-end furniture that pla

nte," I said. "And I am

med his hand on the counter. "I am th

him. Really

as serving. I saw a man standing on a pedestal

ign,"

ng sound. "You can't resign from the

knife again, "is exactly why you

threat hung in the air,

looming over me with the menace that made gro

meeting his gaze dead-on. "I bought it all with

g in his fingers. But he knew. He knew that without my passwords, my routing numbers, and

. "Go cool off. You'll realize you

thouse, the elevator door

ce rushed

own at the

ed slicing it. I seared it to a

lone in the apartment

te. It tast

t was the first meal in seven ye