MICHAEL


    I needed Crash dead.


    It was only a matter of time before Carm got pregnant. Once that happened, I’d never sleep without one eye open. My tireless efforts to find the guy had gone nowhere, so I zipped back to Ignacio’s house. Alessio’s Lexus was still parked in Ignacio’s driveway.


    Good.


    I was due for a talk with my new inw. Watching them through that window gave me a nasty shock. I trusted my wife, but I couldn’t ignore that they had a history, however brief and loveless.


    My fist bashed the door.


    Ignacio answered in track pants and a knit shirt, nursing a cocktail. He didn’t seem to give a shit that his captor stood on his doorstep.


    “What do you want?”


    “Just a chat.”


    Ignacio grunted in annoyance and backed into his mansion, his insolent gaze sliding from me like I was a pesky stray cat. He didn’t look to see if I followed. He strolled in, beckoning to his wife.


    She beamed at me. “Hi, Michael!”


    Maria had Carm’s shape, but Mia’s wide-eyed innocence. She kissed my cheeks. Clearly, she had no idea I’d tortured her husband. Ignacio had fed her a bullshit story to exin his disappearance. I was there when he called her. I’d thought he was an idiot for wasting a phone call.


    Now I understood.


    He loved her. He’d do anything to keep her safe, even offer his home to the likes of me. If he hadn’t murdered my brother, I would’ve admired this man. Carm had inherited his courage. I hoped she’d pass it on to my future sons.


    Ignacio slid an arm around my shoulders and smiled. “Maria, can you bring us something to eat?”


    I waved a no-thanks. “Don’t go through any trouble.”


    “It’s no problem.”


    Maria flitted from the cupboards to the fridge, fetching this and that while her husband steered me into the dining room. She was just like my mom, gracious with guests and pushy with offers of food.


    “What is it?” Ignacio drank, settling in his chair. “Come to break my balls about my other useless son-inw?”


    “I’m not useless.”


    “What have you done except try to make my life miserable?”


    “I gave you a vacation at my Tuscan vi instead of a permanent one with Jesus.”


    Heughed bitterly.


    “I’m here to talk about Crash.”


    Ignacio’s expression darkened to midnight-ck as Maria set down appetizers. “Why?”


    “I want to know everything about him.”


    “Again. Why?”


    “I’m taking care of him.”


    Ignacio snorted. “You expect me to believe that?”


    “I don’t care if you do. That’s what I’m doing.”


    He sank into his wicker-backed chair, offering a vague smile at Maria, who disappeared into the kitchen. “Kill him, and you’ll be my favorite son-inw. All will be forgiven.”


    “I’m doing this for her, not you. She deserves justice.”


    “Huh.” Ignacio ate from the charcuterie board, smiling. “Maybe you’re not a worthless asshole.”


    “You have a fucking mouth, Naz.”


    “I’m not afraid of you.”


    No shit. “Why is that?”


    “Because you’re all bark.”


    “How many times did I beat you?”


    Ignacio offered me prosciutto, which I declined. “If you wanted me dead, I’d be in a hole. Instead you sent me to Italy to get fat and drunk.”


    Ignacio chuckled, and it engulfed my body in fire. He grasped my wrist and yanked before I stood. “I’m breaking your balls, Mike.”


    “Don’t call me Mike.” That was what my brother called me, and I couldn’t stand it from him. “I’m here to talk about Crash.”


    “I’ll text all the information I have. It’s not much. The PIs I hired got nothing useful, and Carm made me drop them.”


    I could’ve screamed.


    All he had to do was put a tail on Carm, and they would’ve found Crash months ago. It saddened me to think about how she’d suffered, putting on a brave smile for everyone while that dickhead terrorized her.


    Ignacio raised his brow when I waved off a coto.


    “No thanks. I’m not eating here for the next decade.” I gathered my coat. “Let me know if anything elsees to mind.”


    On the way out, Maria osted me with leftovers. I turned them down five times before she shoved ziti into my hands. The woman was pushy. Alessio’s broad frame slid into the hall. He gave me a meaningful look and gestured outside. We said goodbye to the Ris. Maria shouted down Alessio’s refusal of ziti. Then we stood in the crisp air, cradling our Tupperware containers.


    Alessio faced me, his stony features hardening. He was like a dark cloud. His gaze shot lightning bolts as though I’d showed him my dick.


    “Are you mad that I married your ex?”


    He was silent for so long that my skin crawled. “I’m pissed that you’re fucking with my family. Carm deserves better.”


    “I’m better than you.”


    I winked at him and strolled to my car, grinning when his footsteps scraped the pavement behind me.


    “Michael, why did you marry her?”


    “I don’t owe you an exnation.” Iughed when I opened the car door, and he mmed it shut. “What are you going to do? Punch me? You’re not in a position to do anything except what I want, so fuck off.”


    He grabbed my shoulder. “Let her go.”


    “Carm’s no longer your concern.” I shook from his grasp and dumped the ziti into a curbside trash. “She’s mine.”


    “You forced her into this marriage. She’s been through enough horror.”


    “Whose fault is that?”


    Alessio’s eyes shuttered like blinds on windows. “I never hurt her.”


    “You didn’t care about her. You left her for dead.”


    I was hoping he’d deny it, but Alessio stuck his hand in his hair, which he did whenever he was overwhelmed.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    “You abandoned her with that biker piece of shit.”


    “She wanted to stay with him, Mike.”


    I couldn’t look at him the same ever again, not after falling in love with Carm. “You left her alone in a clubhouse. What did you think would happen?”


    “I had no idea he was dangerous.”


    “Stop lying.” I shoved his chest, knocking him several steps backward. “You wanted the younger one.”


    “Careful, Mike. You don’t want to say something you’ll regret.”


    “Why, you’ll take off again?”


    He pped the Tupperware on my car hood. “She doesn’t hold it against me, so why do you?”


    “Because you took a backseat while that nutcase was raping her! He’s be a big problem because you failed to act. Jesus Christ, you’re not the guy I thought you were.”


    “Neither are you. You’ve lost your way.”


    “Meaning what?”


    “You have no clue what the hell you’re talking about.” Alessio raised his chin, sounding dead. “It’s best you don’te around anymore.”


    A jagged edge cut into me, but I couldn’t forgive Alessio.


    I looked at him and saw a coward.


    Good riddance. “You and I are done, but I’ll be visiting my father-inw.”


    I flung open the door and sank into the seat. Alessio hadn’t moved from his spot. He stared ahead, his features frozen.


    “Watch your toes, asshole.”


    I started the car and drove off. The stic container flew off the roof and smashed, spilling ziti over the road.


    Fuck him.


    My wife’s psychotic ex prowled the streets because Alessio had dropped the ball. He should’ve ended Crash’s life. Instead he ran off with the sister and imed it was love. Unbelievable.


    My phone rang as I approached our driveway. “Yeah?”


    Vinn’s frantic voice boomed through the speaker. “Anthony’s been kidnapped.”