“I-I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“I’ve been busy.”
When he finally looked at her, she wished he hadn’t. It took only one look to know that the Amo she had once known … was dead and gone.
What happened to him?
“Hello.” Angel came over to stand beside her.
Thanking God, he had come over to save her. She started to introduce him, “Amo, this is Ange—”
“I know who he is.” Amo’s dead voice matched the deadly stare he gave the Luciano.
Angel didn’t take his eyes off him, returning the deadly stare.
“Adalyn, I think Lake needs you. She was asking for you.”
Swallowing hard, she nodded, knowing Lake hadn’t really asked for her
It felt wrong when she left Angel with Amo. There was clearly history between the two. What that was … she was too scared to ask.
Angel had come to this party for one reason and one reason only. All night, he had searched the eyes of every Caruso to find the man he was looking for, and now he was standing right in front of him.
The two stared each other down in silence, waiting for the other to speak while their eyes communicated their visible hatred.
His eyes didn’t waver from the dead ones he would remember for as long as he lived. This was for Drago.
“I know who you are.” Angel’s low voice came out like a cruel whisper.
Amo took the smallest step toward him, trying to intimidate him with his height alone. “Is that supposed to scare me?”
“It should.” Angel stood his ground, unafraid of Amo’s size. Angel was quite a few years older than him. He knew he was merely looking at a boy who had just become a man. The reason he knew that was because he, too, used to have that look in his eyes, back when he didn’t know the type of man he wanted to be or where he belonged. “Do you see Joey here? I’ll save you the time of looking around and tell you that he’s not. I’ve seen many Carusos come in and out of here all night to wish your consigliere a happy birthday, but I haven’t seen him. How about the third guy? Do you see him? I don’t know who he was, but I’m guessing you haven’t seen him in a while either.”
Amo kept his mouth shut, not saying a word.
“What do you think Lucca did with them?” As he smiled, an evil twist curved his lips. They both knew the games Lucca liked to play. “How much longer do you think you have before one of them breaks and tells him? What do you think the boogieman will do to you then?”
Amo squared his jaw; finally, there was a flash of something that wasn’t just dead behind his eyes. “Why don’t you tell him?”
“I wanted you for myself.” Angel looked him straight in the eyes, seeing the thin strand of fear he tried to hide. “But I’ve changed my mind. I’ll let Lucca have you.”
Amo took another step toward him, his chest almost touching Angel’s now as he gave his own threat. “You are and always will be just a pawn in a dangerous game of chess. You’re a piece on a board to Lucca, just like me. And when he’s through with you, he’ll only keep you around for his sick, fucked-up entertainment.”
“He did something to you, didn’t he, Amo?” Angel maintained the evil smile, knowing that whatever punishment Lucca had brought him was better than anything he himself could do, and the longer Angel waited for Lucca to come for Amo, the better. “Know that when the boogieman finally does come for you, it wasn’t me who told him he lost control of one his youngest, weakest men.” As he walked away, an evil laugh escaped. “He’ll find that out for himself.”
“You’re doing exactly what he wants,” Amo warned.
Angel stopped, turning back around to face him. “What did you just say?”
“He’s always five steps ahead of you, and he knows every move you’re going to make before you even make them, because it’s exactly the move he wanted you to make. He wants you here, and he wants you with her.” Amo’s gaze moved over to Adalyn, who was across the room. “She’s a distraction to keep you here willingly.” His dead eyes moved back to him. “You didn’t think he’d actually let you go, did you?”
Angel looked at Adalyn, then at the demon who was more capable and clever than anyone he knew.
“You’re slowly becoming less of a Luciano every day that you’re here, but I promise you this … you will never become a Caruso. You’ll just be nothing.”
“Nothing? Like you?” he asked, seeing the empty shell of a man. “You’re lost, Amo. You lost to him. But there’s a difference between us. I. Don’t. Lose.” Ever.