Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80503 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80503 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
“Typical,” Nico says. “Those kids are always getting into trouble.”
“Well, is she cute or what?” Karah asks, pressing with a grin.
“Enough,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s a business deal. I told her she’d sign something to make sure she doesn’t talk, but it’s not necessary. She’s committed to this. I saved her damn life from Benedict just last night.”
The room goes quiet. I hadn’t told them this part yet. Once I have all their attention, I give them the short version: followed her home, bashed Benedict in the head, dragged her away.
“Are you sure he didn’t see you?” Casso asks, sounding on edge. “You know what’ll happen if Malcolm knows it was you that nearly killed his favorite enforcer and advisor.”
“Positive. And even if he did, I hit him hard enough that he won’t remember much from the last week, let alone from that night.”
“You’re lucky he’s not dead,” Karah scolds.
I wave her off. “He’s lucky he’s not dead. I should’ve killed him.”
“Would’ve deserved it,” Nico grunts and Fynn nods in agreement.
“Fuck,” Casso says, rubbing his face. “You fucking bastards. All of you. I’m trying to turn this family in the right direction and all you people can do is act like the gangster thugs we were raised to be. Don’t you all want to be better?”
“By better he means legal.” Fynn rolls his eyes and gives me a meaningful look. Of everyone in the family, he’s the most sympathetic to my feelings.
“We are gangster thugs,” Nico points out. “At least I am. I don’t know about you boys.”
“You’re all a bunch of soft little babies these days,” I grumble and Karah grins at me, nudging me with her shoulder.
“God, when did you get so tough, Gav?”
“We’re doing this deal,” Casso says, slamming his palm onto his desk. “We’re slowly shifting our income stream from dark money to legal. We’re not looking over our shoulders anymore, waiting for someone to come up and shoot us in the damn head. I want to leave a better family for our children. I don’t want to be my fucking father.” Casso’s voice is thick with emotion and the room goes silent.
I let that sink in. It’s a nice speech. I even agree with some of it. We should work hard to make the Famiglia strong and better for the children to inherit one day.
But we’ve done them a disservice. We haven’t trained them like we were trained. They don’t need to be abused and beaten, but they do need to learn how the Famiglia works. They need to know how to defend themselves and how to lead men. Dominic is going to be the Don one day, but he’s still soft, even at sixteen.
When I was his age, I’d been in a dozen fights and seen men die.
Which is probably not a good thing, but still.
There’s a happy medium, Casso just hasn’t tried to find it yet.
I don’t speak up. I keep my mouth shut. I tried to reason with them over the years, but they’re parents now. They don’t want to be our father, and for good reason. That man was a monster and a real piece of shit. Nobody misses him.
But the kids will suffer for it when it’s their turn to lead.
Love makes my family weak.
That’s why I’ve avoided it.
“You’re not Dad,” Karah says and Fynn grunts his agreement.
“You’re not,” I say, nodding to him. “And we’re not abandoning Jeanie.”
Casso sighs and rubs his face. “Put it to a vote. I say no.”
“Yes,” I say.
“Yes,” Fynn echoes.
“No,” Nico says with a shrug. “Sorry, Gavino. I don’t like outsiders around the house.”
Everyone looks at Karah. She bats her eyelashes. “What, I get a vote now?”
“Stop acting like it’s a new thing,” Casso grumbles. “You’re a damn blood member of the Famiglia, and if your husband gets a say, you do too.”
“How progressive.” She yawns and looks at me. “You’ve been so goddamn grumpy the last couple years, maybe this will cheer you up. Go ahead and keep your toy.”
Casso groans and I nod to her. “Thanks,” I say.
“Don’t thank me. Just make sure she doesn’t fuck this up somehow.” Karah waves, kisses Nico again, and heads to the door. “Now, I’m going to find our children and make sure they’re not doing something stupid.” She disappears out into the hall. Fynn gets up and follows without a word, pausing only to nod in my general direction.
Nico sighs. “We’re fucked,” he says quietly. “No offense, Gavino.”
“Asshole.”
He exits as well, leaving me alone with Casso.
“I’ll draw up a contract,” he says, sounding resigned. “But the first sign of trouble and she’s gone. Understand me?”
“Yes, oh great and mighty Don.”
“Prick.”
Chapter 11
Gavino
Jeanie sits in front of Casso’s desk looking small.
I lean off to the side while Casso puffs on a cigar. I hate that damn habit. He picked it up in the last few years from hanging around country clubs and elite invite-only bars and restaurants. He thinks it makes him look sophisticated like the bankers and the hedge fund managers, but I think it makes him look like what he is—a jumped-up mafioso gangster.