Page 143 of Deathless & Divided

Damian fiddled with the tip of the barrel on his gun. “Wondered what?”

“Ben’s unfortunate death seemed a little too suspicious for me. He was nearly cleared after being put into the coma. The way he died … something felt off. Was it?”

“Completely,” Damian admitted.

“Why?”

“I owed someone something.”

Terrance stared at Damian, but never once did he give the gun and silencer any attention. An understanding dawned on the older man’s features as he said, “Dino DeLuca.”

“Dino doesn’t have much to do with this,” Damian said.

“He might say that, but I can assure you it is far from the truth,” Terrance replied, still unbothered. “That man plays his part well. He makes everyone believe his loyalties are entirely wrapped up with the Outfit, but he lies as well as he breathes. He gets that from his father. Dino never forgave me for killing his parents.”

“Maybe so. I wouldn’t blame him if that were the truth. He was left to raise two younger siblings and he never even got the chance to have his own life because of it. Nonetheless, I am not here because he sent me or asked for it. And you gave me the perfect opportunity to get this finished when you admitted your grandchildren would remain at the wedding reception and you came home alone. Their parents always stay to keep an eye on them despite the fact they’re grown adults. Predictable. Which makes this a hell of a lot easier.”

Terrance’s jaw ticked. “Damian—”

“Why me?” Damian asked, interrupting Terrance before the man could say anything.

“I beg your pardon?”

Standing from the chair, Damian tapped his gun to the top of the desk. “What is it about me that you liked enough to begin inserting me into your position?”

Terrance sucked in a sharp breath. “My position?”

“Neither one of us are parrots here. Pay attention and listen. Wasn’t that what you always used to tell me?”

“When you were a boy I said that. You needed some kind of structure. Moving from place to place like you Rossi kids did wasn’t good for any of you. You can’t expect children to grow up into well-behaved adults when they have no routine and structure.”

“I wasn’t your child to raise,” Damian said.

“I didn’t raise you, I simply helped whenever you were around. Just the same as I did for Tommas and his sisters.”

True enough.

Damian chewed over his thoughts, wishing the hurricane inside his head would calm. “I thought you liked me because of the man I was, not because of what I could do for the Outfit.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The Commission, the calls from the men, the private consultations about business and the information you’ve shoveled on me over the years. Are you saying that was all innocent in nature? That you had no other motives for bringing me into your closer circles?”

Terrance raised a single brow. “Of course, I had other motives.”

“And I don’t want it!” Damian barked.

The boss barely flinched at Damian’s show of rage.

“I don’t want it,” Damian repeated quieter. “I like the place where I am currently at. I have no desire to move higher in the Outfit or be someone else’s puppet, Terrance. I never have. I don’t want to be the one controlling these greedy, spoiled bastards you call family.”

“Is that what you think I was doing?” Terrance asked.

“It’s kind of obvious, isn’t it? Why else would you put me closer to your side if you didn’t mean for me to eventually match you, hmm?”

Terrance eyed Damian with a little more curiosity than before. “You’re wrong.”

Damian scoffed, disgusted. “I don’t think I am.”