“I don’t want to be who I am,” Lorenzo continued. “I was born into this. My father is Anthony De Luca. I rejected this life for a long time until shit went bad with Rosalie. My hand was forced. I haven’t been able to step back since. I’m intent on protecting her, no matter what I have to do. I suspect you don’t want to run things exactly like your old man either.”
Fox shifted and turned away, his Adam’s apple bobbing. I frowned. They had some inner turmoil going on, that was for sure.
“We’d have peace, and each own a chunk of the city. I’m not interested in fighting, De Santis. Not with you, at least. I know you’re a decent man. Fucked up and twisted, but at the end of the day, you’re a man like I am. Born into a life that makes you sick instead of happy. I can appreciate that sort of feeling.”
“At the first sign of you fucking me or my crew over, Iwillkill you,” Dom said in a soft, fierce voice. “And I’ll take out everyone you’ve ever loved.”
“And I you, De Santis,” Lorenzo vowed solemnly.
Dom stepped forward and held out his hand. “Then we have a deal, Lorenzo.”
Lorenzo grasped Dom’s hand. “My friends call me Enzo. I’m sure I already told you that during our last meeting.”
Dom nodded. “Enzo.”
They parted, and Enzo nodded at Ethan. Ethan dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out a bag of sugar which he handed off to him.
Enzo offered it to Dom.
“This is some of our product. E makes it. It’s non-addictive and easy on the body. It’s pretty organic. It’s for you and your crew to enjoy.”
“What’s it made from?” Levin asked.
“I don’t want to give away all the secrets, but I use psilocybin extract. I concentrate it with a few other things. I’m still perfecting my injectables,” Ethan said.
“Yeah, they definitely need work,” Fallon muttered.
“E is a drug genius,” Cole mumbled. “He can make all sorts of crazy shit.”
“Really?” Dom cocked his head as he took the bag from Enzo and stared at the white powder.
“I’ve been an addict since I was a child,” Ethan said, his voice shaky. “It’s almost killed me several times. I know I’ll never fucking beat it, so I figured I’d join it but on my own terms. I came up with sugar one night with Macy.”
“I didn’t want her to die. I’m sorry I couldn’t save her.”
Ethan nodded, his eyes glistening, before he looked away quickly.
“Was she your sister?” Dom asked, glancing at Fallon, clearly thinking of Natalia, who was still tucked away at the safe house.
“No,” Ethan said. “She was just. . . special to me. That’s all.”
Fox cleared his throat. “She changed everything. She mattered to us. And now she’s gone.”
“And that’s just one of the many reasons your old man has to die,” Enzo concluded, his eyes darkening.
“He wanted to rape my wife. He’s made me do a lot of shitty things to stay alive. When he goes, I want to be the one to do it. I owe him,” Dom said fiercely. “For Bianca. For Macy. For the countless others.”
“Agreeable,” Enzo said.
“Who’s your inside man with the lords?” Fallon asked.
Enzo smirked at him. “Who said it was a man?”
Dom blinked as I ran through all the chicks in my mind around Hail.Stella?Stella was our inside woman.Who the fuck else?
“Celeste,”Dom whispered.
“You’re clever,” Enzo said, grinning.