The line went dead.
Dante set down the phone and moved to the window of his study, looking out at Rome spread below him.
His legs carried him with perfect balance. His body was strong. His mind was clear. His motivation was absolute.
Dimitri had killed Salvatore. That debt remained unpaid, and paying it had become Dante's entire reason for existing. Every breath, every heartbeat, every action was directed toward that single goal: making Dimitri understand what it meant to come against Dante Romano.
And now he had The Covenant backing him. Federal resources. Government protection. Intelligence that rivaled any agency. The kind of support that made the difference between winning and losing.
***
LATER THAT EVENING
Dante was in his office when Luca appeared in the doorway.
Luca had been beside him from the beginning, had extracted him from dangerous situations, had stayed loyal when loyalty was the most dangerous choice available. Luca was the only person Dante truly trusted.
