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He paused and let out a soft sigh “Your list aligns with my boss’ timeline,” he said flatly

“You didn’t tell him—”

“No I went to Roman I reported in, and he decided it was time I left that team behind for surveillance on Marco They called in, said Carloni was down in Texas”

I stuht my hand

“Carloni ht’ve done it behind my back, I don’t know Maybe Carloni found out I’ for Roain I don’t know, but Root the order to take Bronski and Carloni out” He was quiet “You gotta pack everything you want because e leave this house, it’s going to get torched Everything is going to change”

He tossed theaside the frame There was another safe in the floorboards, this one un

We were going to war, and he had an entire arsenal for us

33

Ash

I’d never been in a mafia war before That’s the stuff you see inone of the foot soldiers, I didn’t knohat to expect I thought we’d kill Bronski right away, but that didn’t happen We were five weeks in, and my experience was as folloe’d set up soo off—sometimes he took Cavers, sometimes Jake, and a few times me

Then he’d coe locations

Repeat

Basically, Raize got his orders and then he gave us orders We followed them

What had changed was that our shit was out in the air—not that any of us talked about it And the it was Cavers’ first boss, Jake being under Carloni’s control, and the relationship between Raize and me But nevertheless, there seemed to be an easier camaraderie between all of us

Raize no longer cared if I rode alone in a vehicle with Cavers

Cavers said more than a feords here and there

Jake went back to telling jokes every now and then

And so

The only one that hadn’t changed was Gus He got pets from everyone He’d plop his head in anyone’s lap, and that huated to rub his ears

34

Raize