The pale light from the overhead lamps showed every hard line of his face.

“It is true,” Damiano said.

The words felt like cold water pouring over my head.

“You helped him,” I said.

“I helped his father,” Damiano said, his voice flat and quiet. “Five years ago.”

“It’s the same thing,” I said.

“No,” Damiano said, taking a step toward me. “It was a business transaction.”

Marcus took a step back, his smile widening as he watched us.

“He needed the deep-water access for his shipping lanes,” Marcus said. “My father had the zoning board in his pocket.”

“I signed the trusts,” Damiano said, ignoring Marcus and looking only at me. “I put the money in his family’s name to bypass the city audit.”

“And now you’re trying to kill me to hide it,” Marcus said.

“I am trying to destroy you because you are a cancer,” Damiano said.

His voice did not rise, but it had a dangerous, heavy edge to it.

“You took her,” Damiano said, pointing a finger at Marcus. “You used my money and my influence to build your little kingdom of misery.”