I’ve wanted dogs for years, but I worked like a madman, traveling around the world too much. I’d just settled down in my new home when the police came with a warrant. I’d love to get a pair now and watch them tear off his flesh. That memory cemented my will to never be like either of them. For the next ten years, I never spoke a word to them unless I was asked a question. I had nothing and wanted nothing more than the basics to survive. My mother, on the other hand, gave me the love I needed to keep me human. Her love for me made me the better man and allowed me to grow up semi-normal.
I can’t say that my mother loves him, but she’s stayed all these years. I’m betting that she stayed to protect me. I’m sure if she would have tried to leave him, they would have taken the first opportunity to end my life.
Needing to read all the information in the files, I move on to the next envelope, which is about my brother’s illegitimate son, Fabrizio. As I read on, I learn something valuable that I can hang over their heads as I take my time destroying them before they die. I move on through the file and see the report taken by the police from the real killer, and how I’d been set up. There are no names of the conspirators, but the fact that they knew where I was and when made it obvious it was the family.
I reach the end, and one person I don’t see anything on is the new Mrs. Marchetti. There’s nothing in here about Rafael’s wife. They’ve kept her existence practically non-existent. There’s not even a wedding photo. My people haven’t even gotten a picture of her coming and going. She didn’t have an online presence, and apparently she’d been homeschooled. She’s either a total troll or insanely beautiful. Knowing Rafael, she had to be stunning because anything less would be unacceptable. I find it strange that there’s not a picture of her anywhere, though. Maybe she’s a bigger target than I know, but I doubt it. My guy says it’s rumored he won’t let her out because he’s afraid she’ll hoe around on him.
I can’t see him letting her fuck around despite the fact he’s with his mistress more than he’s at home. I’ve seen his side piece several times over the years before I was locked up. Marie’s only twenty-five with a two-year-old and has been mixed up with Rafael since she was seventeen.
I set the documents down with the rest of my things because it’s time for my daily exercise. I start with fifty push-ups and then move on to bench-pressing my bed before finishing within an hour with a bit of yoga. I’ve done everything I can inside my cell when the bell rings.
It’s time for lunch, so I’m let out of my cage. Since I’ve been locked up, I put on thirty pounds full of muscle—most won’t even look at me. At first, they believed I was a killer. In the last twenty-four hours, they learned that although I might not have killed anyone, I sent four people to the hospital for fucking with me and mine. You make friends and enemies in this place, even when you keep to yourself.
“Hey, fellas, it’s the innocent man in the house!” one of the inmates shouts. They all cheer because respect is respect.
“Thanks. I’m ready to get the fuck out of here,” I muttered, walking over to my table. I’m not hungry, but I do snag an apple from the pile. My mind hasn’t stopped turning since I got the news. There’s so much to do that I’m not sure what needs my attention first.
As I take a bite of my apple, I can feel someone sit next to me. “So, how much did the family pay that guy to take the blame?” Diego, the toughest fucker in this place, says. He’s under the impression that I’m a fucking killer at heart. As a part of a mob family, everyone thought I was a murderer no matter who confessed in my place.
“Nothing. I guess the guilt was eating at that motherfucker.” I know that he doesn’t believe me, but that’s not my problem. I take another bite, wondering if he’s going to get the point.
“Yeah, so much guilt the fucker took a swan dive off a building. Ha!” He looks around and laughs. Trouble—I can feel it in my bones. “Bullshit. This son of a bitch here got the connects. So do I.” His words are laced with bravado. Diego lunges at me, nearly taking me out with a blade. A real knife, but my ass was ready. He only nicks my skin before I slam his head onto the table while my other hand breaks the knife-wielding hand.
“You’re a stupid motherfucker,” I whisper in his ear through a clenched jaw. “Who paid you?” He doesn’t answer, which I expect. Instead, he fights to break the hold even more aggressively, so I break his arm. The guards watch, but don’t say shit. I shouldn’t even be in this place. “Ready to talk?” I keep my voice down because I’m only concerned about the answer. People do a lot of fucked things to their friends if it gets them a ticket out of here.
“Your brother,” he grunts out.
