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He’s right. Until Dimitri murders a man in cold blood, he won’t be regarded with respect.
I was also eighteen when I killed my first target.
I remember the night vividly. The dark alley, the weight of the pistol heavy in my hand. My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears, my palms slick with sweat. I had always wondered about this moment, imagined how I would feel, but nothing could prepare me for the reality. I didn’t want to do it. Every fiber of my being screamed to run, to throw the gun away. But I couldn’t. Ignatius was watching, and I wanted his respect more than anything. I wanted to be a part of his family.
I glanced at him, his eyes piercing through the darkness, urging me on silently. He believed in me and had chosen me for this. I wanted to show him I was worthy. Evander had done it a year before, and he hadn’t changed much. At least, not on the surface. But Evan was different. He was being groomed to be a Godfather, destined for greatness.
I was just trying to survive, to prove my worth.
The man in front of me trembles, his eyes wide with fear and pleading for mercy. I hesitate, finger hovering over the trigger. My heart pounding in my chest.
Ignatius’s gaze burns into my back, a reminder of what the consequences will be if I fail. I close my eyes, take a deep breath…and pull.
The sound is deafening, and the recoil jolts my arm. I open my eyes and see the man crumple to the ground. My stomach churns and I fight the urge to vomit. I feel numb, detached from my body, as if I’m watching someone else kill a man.
Ignatius steps forward and places a hand on my shoulder. His grip is firm, reassuring.
“You did well,” he says, his voice calm and steady.
I nod, unable to speak, my throat tight.
I did it. I made him proud.
But as we walk away, the reality of what I’ve done begins to sink in. The image of the man’s lifeless body is seared into my mind. I wonder if I will ever be able to forget it, if I will ever be the same. Evander seems fine, but maybe he is just better at hiding it. Maybe this is what it takes to survive, to earn respect.
My life changed forever that night. I crossed a line, but I don’t regret it. Not anymore.
I clasp Dimitri on the shoulder. “There’s no going back if you initiate.”
“I know. But it has to be done. To save my family. To help Aria,” he replies, sounding so sure of himself despite the nerves clear on his face. He’s ready.
I see a lot of myself in Dimitri.
He’s got that same fire, that same drive to prove himself, and maybe a bit of the same stubbornness I had at his age. I recognize the struggles he’s facing, the doubts he’s trying to hide, and the determination to help his family that keeps him going despite it all.
I remember how it felt to be in his shoes. He needs someone who understands, someone who can see past the bravado and help him channel his energy in the right direction.
“Here’s what we’ll do. Xander and I will keep digging for info on the Galanis family. If your father is giving his estate and control over to Andrew, he must’ve involved his lawyer, so we’ll look for him too. Once we find him, we’ll pay the fucker a little visit and make sure he annuls those documents and reinstates you as the heir.”
Dimitri nods, his jaw set.
“In the meantime, you keep doing what you’re told and what’s expected of you and try to pick up on as much information as you can from your meetings,” I add, now pumped that we have a direction.
“What about Aria?” Dimitri asks, and my heart skips a beat at the mention of her name.
“I’ll tell her our plan at the engagement party. If we reverse Philip’s scheme, his plan becomes null and void, and she won’t have to get married.”
Dimitri goes to say something before his brows furrow, as if remembering something. “We might have a small problem.” I pause, waiting for him to continue. He looks up, meeting my gaze. “The agreement was sealed in blood.”
My stomach sinks.
Gamoto.
A bond forged in blood. An old tradition in the mob where a contract can’t be breached unless both parties die or back out.
We’re never going to get Andrew and Philip to retract their deal.
I lean my head back, casting my eyes up to the sky.
