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I paused to pull in a breath and autolanced at the stairs Aleks had disappeared up Then my eyes were back on my brother and my friend “So yeah, I saw an opportunity and I took it I set Aleks free because I knew you’d want to use him You wouldn’t have just sent him home or found hi blind to everything in your desperation to find Gio that I couldn’t trust you to let Aleks go” I pointed at the stairs “His fa for Gio Aleks and his brother had a right to put their lives back together And the fact that you can’t see that…”

Luca’s mouth was set into a firm line and he didn’t evenflash in his eyes thehis son over Aleks’s freedom

I was surprised when he finally lowered his gaze and stared at his hands

“What would you have hn? Every second that passes, ht years of sick fucks hurting hi for me”

Con settled his hand on Luca’s shoulder, but Luca pulled away

He lifted his eyes to ony before he hardened his jaw “Yes, I would have taken advantage of having Aleks in my hands, but he would have been safe And I would have made sure he s in those early days when I was trying to find Gio, but I’ oddamned brother”

With that, Luca stood and headed for the front door I reached forhihts, but Con reached across the table and grabbed o anywhere and there’s no way for him to call anyone”

I sighed and lowered myself back down to ivable part when he first started looking for Gio?” I asked

Con shook his head “I don’t know You know he doesn’t talk about those first couple weeks where he tried to find Gio on his own Maybe he justus for help sooner”

I stared at the door ht, but I wasn’t so sure My brother wasn’t one elled on the mistakes of the past He put them behind him and moved on; he focused on the task at hand

But then again, Luca wasn’t so, no ood teacher when it had come time to instill that particular lesson

Covellos didn’t feel

Even fake Covellos like me

“We need to figure this shit out together, Vaughn,” Con said “Otherwise it will just be you and hi”

“We?” I asked “Do you actually expectinto put Gio first, no ht years now! I love Gio and I hear the same screams and pleas from that boy that Luca does But I will not use Aleks like that! Hell, it’s not even a sure thing… it never was!”

“King was able to confirm those were Stylianos’s men,” Con said quietly as he lowered his eyes

My sto it out loud just made it all the more real For whatever reason, the h there was no evidence he’d ever even otten into a contentious bidding war over Aleks when his previous owner had sold him, but there was no proof of that But if the bastard really had sent fivethat picture and giving away both the fact that he was alive and where he was in the US, it was pretty telling how desperate the et his hands on him

“Is King on his way here?” I asked

“No, he’s still cleaning up the mess you left behind,” Con said “You can’t leave five bodies in the et swept under the carpet… at least not without a little help”