Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
“So, you’ve decided to be that person, and I don’t get a choice.”
He stroked his thumb over my cheekbone. “Do you really want a choice?”
I tried to remember how to breathe as I looked into his eyes. I couldn’t do anything but shake my head. “No.”
“That’s what I thought,” he kissed me softly, said goodbye to Six, then left. I sat there awkwardly, staring at the man who was apparently going to be sitting in my living room with me until Vito came back.
15
VITO
Inodded to Muffin as I exited the building. He and Six were exactly who I would have chosen for this job. I’d told Val I needed our best guys, and he’d come through for me. It didn’t matter that there had been tension between us for the last few months. It didn’t matter that I’d been feeling neglected by him. When it counted the most, Val knew what I needed, and he took care of it. I was lucky to have my family behind me. We might fight and argue, we might threaten to kill each other, but I loved them, and I knew they loved me. I wondered if Zeke had ever had that kind of security.
As soon as I was back in my SUV, I called Val. I didn’t even have a chance to say hello before he was yelling at me.
“Vito, I told you to stay away from him.”
“You knew that wasn’t going to happen. Those men would’ve hurt him, maybe killed him. If I hadn’t been there, he would’ve walked right into their trap.”
“And why are they after him?”
“He owes money to some guys in Vegas.”
“What guys in Vegas?”
“He didn’t get names, but Loony and Benito were there. Zeke recognized Benito, even from a distance.”
“Why the fuck would anyone hire that psycho for a simple debt collection?”
I nearly rear-ended a taxi that slammed on its brakes. I needed to focus on driving at least a little. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Something doesn’t add up, and we need to get to the bottom of it. Zeke’s life is on the line. My first priority is his safety, but we also need to know what Benito’s up to. He shouldn’t be in Boston at all.”
“Pops isn’t going to like me telling him to put Zeke first and worry about an enemy of ours second, and Lucien will hate it even more.”
“Devil and Angelo damn well better be on my side. It’s their fault I ever started going to hockey games.”
Val snorted. “I don’t think Pops is going to care about that.”
“Me either. How much does he know?”
“He knows you got arrested for punching a security guard, but as far as I know, he doesn’t know why.”
I was going to have to tell him, and he was going to hate it. “And he doesn’t know Six and Muffin have been reassigned?”
“I can’t be sure. I haven’t talked to him since I sent them your way, but it won’t be long before he figures it out.”
“I know. It’s time I faced him and confessed it all.”
“Stop by here and we’ll go together.”
“I don’t always have to have you backing me up. I can do this.”
“I don’t care if you need me or not, I’m going to be there. I’m going to have your back just like you’ve always had mine.”
Pops answered his door wearing an old-fashioned silk dressing gown over striped pajamas. It was bad enough I’d pissed him off, but now I’d gotten him out of bed too. This wasn’t going to go well.
He glared at me. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”
“I know. I’ve also got information you need.”
He snorted but gestured for us to follow him. We settled in his living room, and he offered us a drink. I sure as hell needed one. It was all I could do not to throw the whole thing back in one go.
“Punching security guards is for children, Vito. I don’t employee children in this business. I thought you knew how to act with decorum like a real Marchesi.”
His words felt like a slap. He’d only learned we were his sons after our mother died, and when he had taken us in, he’d only had only her word and no real proof that we were his children. The family resemblance was striking, but we still hadn’t ever had a paternity test, and it had taken a while for me to feel like anyone accepted me as a Marchesi.
I wasn’t going to sugar-coat this. “I fucked up.”
“You sure did. One of our rules is that we don’t draw attention to the family unless it’s in a positive light.”
“I let my anger get the best of me. It won’t happen again.”
My father huffed. “I wish I could believe that. What were you doing at the arena? And what had you so unable to control yourself?”