Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Colt looks at me strangely. All these men know how strange this sound coming from me, as if Vito could tell me to do anything, but Tony laughs and claps his hands. “Vito bullied you, did he, kid?”
“I don’t know if I’d use that word.” I grit my teeth. “But he didn’t make it an option. It was stay or fight, and I wasn’t looking for trouble. Hell, it was a date. None of my damn business anyway.”
“And you’re not Navy SEAL, are you, kid? You’re not wiping tapes.”
Luca glances at me, but I play dumb.
Tony sits back, shaking his head. “Then who did it? Who whacked my boy?”
“And where’s Mia?” Luca mutters.
Tony narrows his eyes, almost like he forgot about her. Then he smiles slowly. “Ah, yeah, and her.”
“I’ll have my police contacts keep me updated,” Elio says. “If Mia was kidnapped, I’m sure they’ll be in contact soon with a ransom.”
“Who’d make a play like this, though?” Tony grunts, giving me a look. “The Marinos run this town. We run the whole country.”
Luca and Elio exchange a look, both bristling a little like they don’t like the idea of Tony including himself in the “we” of the Marinos.
“What do we do?”
“We’ll find them,” Elio says. “Let me get to work.”
“All right, skipper,” Tony says, reaching over and patting Elio on the arm. It’s awkward how he paws at the sleeve of the other man. “Other men might resent that, calling their nephew skipper. But not you because you’re a damn fine leader, Elio.”
“Thanks, uncle,” Elio says awkwardly.
Tony stands up. “I’m going to make some calls of my own. Gentleman.”
He pauses as though waiting for us to tell him not to leave, and then he walks quickly from the room.
Luca follows him down the hallway, then returns, blowing out a whistle. “What the fuck, Dante?”
“You didn’t leave,” Colt mutters. “There’s no damn way. Big bad Vito scared you, did he?”
“I didn’t need the hassle,” I tell them. “I’ve been stressed with my ma. Fellas, we all make mistakes.”
“Do you want to swear on that, Dante?” Elio says, his tone getting serious. “On the Family?”
I swallow. If I agree to that and I’ve lied, they’re allowed to kill me. It’s an old tradition.
Elio sighs. “I didn’t think so. There’s something you’re not telling us.”
“Maybe we need to wait for the ransom note,” I say. “Maybe we can get Mia back, and nobody ever needs to know who the kidnapper was.”
Luca nods slowly. They all know it’s me. I can sense it, but for some reason they are trusting me and why I did what I did was the right move. Maybe this can work. They all know what I’m suggesting. We just need to go along with the charade.
“The last thing we need to do is piss Tony off, Elio,” Luca mutters.
Elio groans. “Who would we pin it on?”
“There are several groups,” Colt says. “We could make it seem like anybody we wanted.”
“All so we don’t upset big bad Tony Marino?” I growl. “Maybe we should just call him up, get him back in here, and I’ll put a bullet in his head.”
“Easy, Dante,” Colt says. “These Marinos take that talk seriously.”
“I’ve never liked him,” Elio grunts.
“Yeah, me neither,” Luca says. “He talks like he’s one of us. He talks like he’s earned his stripes. He’s only got that spot because his brother is Leonardo Marino.”
“We only got our spots because Dad is Dad,” Elio says.
“No, we earned it too,” Luca snaps, his eyes growing dark.
“Let’s say we go along with this.” Elio turns to me. “This kidnapper could obviously assure us that Mia is safe.”
“You don’t even have to ask him that,” Colt grunts. “This is Dante.”
The unexpected defense from Colt makes me smile even when I’m trying to keep my expression neutral.
“Then what the fuck?” Elio snaps.
I lower my gaze. I can’t explain why I took her. I can’t explain the deep primal pulsing in me. The messed up part is, they’d probably understand—these men, of all people. Elio with Scarlet. Colt with Lexi. Luca with Ruby. All of them felt it, but I can’t say it. I never wanted anybody, just to be alone and take care of Ma.
“Let’s just wait for the note,” Luca says. “The ransom will come. Colt will pin it on some group. We get to keep Uncle Asshole happy.”
I’m so pissed as I drive back from the meeting. Sitting face to face with Tony flooded me with that fierce protective instinct. Somehow, I sense he hurt her, and I hate him for it, and if he was anybody else… We all have to please him and tiptoe around him because why? Because it could cause a mafia war. More shootings, more bloodshed, more pain, more blah, blah, blah.
I check for tails, circle the block, and then go up to the apartment. Carter has left me a voicemail. “She’s still resting, Dante. I’ll keep you posted.”