"... there's nothing more dangerous

than a man with nothing to fear;

yet in the absence of fear, there is no more caution..."

"What happened to you? Were you in a fight with a bus? It looks like you lost."

Katya djd a number on me. She would have liked me if my bodyguards wouldn't have intervened. Katya is strong. She's formidable. Nothing less can be expected from a woman who has known only to be a soldier from childhood?

"Since when did you care about what my face looks like?" I asked him.

His visit is expected. I knew he would come once his precious grandson has been pressed enough. The timing is not perfect but close enough. I have been informed that Nick already confessed to murder. I almost have him where I want him even with the interference of someone I didn't expect in the scene. A man by the name Theo Sinclair.

"Contrary to what you believe, I have nothing against you figlio mio. What I'm against is a hat you're doing right now."

"And what would that be?"

"Nicko hasn't done anything wrong. We both know that this issue is between us and not between you and Nicko. You need to stop this!"

"Or what?" I raised my voice. "What will you do Don Giovanni? What?"

"Sit down. Don't raise your voice at me. Don't forget that I fathered you. I out you on that seat and you better not bite my hand bambino!"

I sat down. "You're right. You fathered me. But that is all you did. You brought me into this world and then you refused to have anything to do with me. All those years when I called another man father you were too busy with your daughter. Then after her, Nicko. You even raised that street rat Julio. You took care of everyone except me! And then as if that wasn't enough for you... you killed my father! The man who loved me unconditionally! And you didn't step after that! You walked away!"

"It's not that simple!"

"I was seven years old your heartless bastard!" I exploded. I willed my heart to calm down. "I was seven years old when you took that man away from me and then you walked away like I meant nothing! Pardon me if I'm not excited about you caring for a man you didn't father. Like I said, you take care of everyone except me!"

"And that must make you angry."

Why is he calm? Can't he feel the raw emotions I'm feeling?

"What do you want Don Giovanni? I don't want to have small talk with you." I spoke bitterly.

"Stop this game. I want Nicko released from jail. I want whatever you have on Keira gone. Stop this and you and I can start over. If you don't stop this, I will put you six feet under without batting an eyelash. You have 72 hours to fix this mess. If I have to come back here, you'll be sorry."

"How about I just shoot you?" I pointed a gun at him when he turned his back to leave.

He slowly turned around to face me, staring at the barrel of the gin with a crooked smile on his face. "Well... this just got interesting. Romano, it's either you shoot me or you don't. But when I point a gun at you, no. No. I won't shoot you. That will be too easy." He got closer to me, pushing my hand aside so that he is very close. "I'll wrap my fingers around your neck and I'll squeeze the life out of you. I'll watch until you take your last breath. Do you know how painful it is to suffocate? I dint know either. But I trust my heart and my spirit will be crushed for a period of time following your death. However, I operate by one principle. Obstacles need to be removed. Don't make yourself an obstacle figlio mio." He tapped my cheek.

He strolled off confidently with a whistle in his tune not caring that I'll shoot him in the back. Don Giovanni is fearless and many say it started after he lost Marianna and his wife was murdered. He stopped being afraid and that makes him a very dangerous man; the only man I fear.

I have 72 hours to get what I want.

Nick's POV

"The most interesting thing happened. Today, Keira was released. But that is not the interesting part. It is how she got released."

I don't care about the details. Kei is free. That is what counts.

"I bet you'll bore me with the details." I was moved from the police precinct to a prison after I confessed to murder. I got to speak to the prosecutor before I could wait on a response for Gio. She came in to speak to me and I told her what I have been telling Timmy.

"The details are not boring. There's a new player in the game. I'm talking about Theo Sinclair. He got her out. Whatever you've done has only deterred the prosecution from her but he gets most of the points."

"How did he get her out?"

"I knew you would be interested!" He chuckled. "Oh! Photos! I have photos!" He lay down some photographs of Keira and Sinclair outside a prison. They look happy. Seeing her like this makes me happy. But seeing her in his arms pisses me off! I pushed them away. "So... he took my daughters and my wife hostage and then went on to threaten me over a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon in a boujee bar on the Upper East Side. I called the prosecution and I told her that Keira wasn't the shooter."

"You were sitting on that information?" I questioned him.

"To get you to confess."

I tried to move but I'm chained and cuffed to the table. The guard watching on moved but the detective waved him off. "Can we have the room?"

The guard stepped out.

"Do you have more secrets Timmy?"

"Is Sinclair blackmailing you?"

"Why would you think so?"

"I don't like you because you are devious. I don't like Theo Sinclair because he is dark. The kind of darkness that is an extension of his arm. Is he blackmailing you?"

"And why would Sinclair do that?"

"To get the girl. Isn't it all about the girl? Jason, you and now him?"

"I don't know Sinclair that well. I don't know what he wants but he seems to be looking out for Kei. That's fine with me."

"So it's not Theo who is blackmailing you. I'll make you a deal. Tell me who is behind this and I won't try to get you out of jail."

"Such information is the kind that gets you killed. Stay away from this." I warned him. "Guard! I'm done."

The guard came back in and as he uncuffed me, the detective gripped my wrist. "The Mafia."

My heart stilled and not in a good way. To deflect attention from my surprise I burst out laughing. "Dude! Just because I'm Italian doesn't mean I'm in the Mafia! That's just racist!" I pulled my hand free and I was accompanied out of the room.

For his sake, Timmy better stop poking around.

*

Gio says that the best place for a troubled man to be is in prison. It never made sense to me until now. The strangest thing, even after everything I have been through, is that I'm at peace.

There's forced sobriety. There's no Margaux to torment me. Most importantly, my reputation is tainted. There's nothing left to protect.

My only concern is Mancini's end game. I still don't know how it all ends. I don't even know what comes next. He's the only one with the script.

I can hear the sound of boots. It must be the guard patrolling. It's getting louder. It has stopped. I tilted my head to the side to see the silhouette of a man standing at the door of my cell. The sound of keys jiggling against each other and a clink later, he stepped into my cell.

My cell mate is a guy probably in his early twenties. "Get out!"

It's dark and I can't see his face clearly but I recognize the voice. He was with me earlier when I spoke to Timmy.

"You stay." He pushed me back against the wall.

"What is this shit?" I asked him.

"Prisoner 5935 should die by tomorrow evening." He slipped me a blade.

"Who are you working for?"

"We both serve the same boss." Shit! He heard what Timmy said.

"And if not tomorrow?"

"Fail and you'll know." I don't think even he knows that.

That's it then? I confessed to a murder i didn't commit so that I can be imprisoned to commit an actual murder? I don't like this.

Keira's POV

"You should be bathing in milk and honey. Some argan oil for your skin..." I tried to sink a little deeper into the bathtub but he is already in the bathroom. "Don't be shy. I have undressed you before. Have the bruises healed?"

"Yes they have." I answered.

I have been wondering what will happen next. Theo has gotten me out of deep deep problems. What will he want in exchange? Is he doing this out of the goodness of his heart?

He looks a little dull.

He came to kneel beside me. "Keira... you asked DME to find your parents."

"Yes! Did you find them? Do they know what I have been through?"

"I found them. I made several calls, got a P.I to look into it too."

"A P.I? What is wrong?" I sat up straighter. "Theo! What is wrong? Tell me!"

"When your parents were coming from the airport, the car they were in got into an accident. A truck rammed into them. I'm sorry ma chérie but they did not make it."

I started hearing w buzzing sound in my ears. Theo is talking but I can't hear him. What did he say? I got confused at the point to where he said "the car they were in got into an accident..."

His hands on my face brought me back to reality. "Are you listening ma chérie?"

"W-what happened to their car?" I stood up,not caring that I'm naked and he struggled to keep his eyes from looking until he busied himself to grab a towel for me. He passed it without looking at me. "Theo..."

"They are dead ma chérie. I'm sorry but they are dead."

"No Theo. No. It can't be so. No." I shook my head in absolute denial. "No Theo. No."

"Keira, it is so. I'm sorry but they are no more."

"No!" I screamed. "No! Life cannot keep taking from me! No!"

"Keira-"

"No!" I avoided his arms walking around in circles, absolutely confused by this news. "No... No. No."

I eventually broke down, full of choking tears and I let myself fall into his arms, wailing painfully at the string of losses I seem to be having.

How much more am I to lose? How much more?