Chapter 52

Matteo pressed the knife further into Frankie’s shoulder, eliciting a low grunt from him.

“Is this some new kind of greeting I’m supposed to know about?” Frankie teased, glancing down at the knife’s hilt with a sly smile.

That smile was anything but harmless. Frankie was a dangerous man. Anyone who caught even a glimpse of Matteo’s right-hand man—his skin almost entirely covered in tattoos and scars from countless brawls—would instinctively turn and flee. It was a reaction ingrained in people’s minds. Matteo had seen mothers shield their children’s eyes as Frankie strode past. He’d witnessed police officers suddenly become fascinated by scratches on their patrol cars just to avoid locking eyes with him. Even Genevieve, who had once shared a bed with a mafia boss, was intimidated by Frankie.

And Frankie thrived on that fear. It was his fuel. But there was one thing that unsettled him—one person who could truly scare him. That person was Matteo.

“We both know you don’t learn unless there’s pain involved,” Matteo growled, his voice low and threatening.

Frankie’s grin widened. “So, what’s the lesson today, Accardi? If you barge in without knocking, I get a knife stuck in my shoulder?”

“Keep your nose out of my personal life,” Matteo warned sharply.