The roar of engines still echoed at the villa’s entrance when Dante stepped out of the car, his strides furious and deliberate. The sun was dying on the horizon, setting the Aspromonte sky ablaze with hues of fire and blood. A warm breeze rustled the cypress treetops, and the distant chirping of crickets began to fill the air with its monotonous hum. But Dante heard none of it.

His head was a storm of dark thoughts, his pulse thudding violently in his temples, his jaw clenched so tightly it ach