Текст книги "Blood & Loyalties"

Автор книги: Ryan Michele

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Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

“Is that it?” I was seriously bored and a bit pissed off, counting down the minutes before my meeting with Vino and Sal. I had several questions for them.

“Did you not hear what I said? I want that territory. I want it now.” Remeo had some serious balls to demand this.

I quirked my brow in challenge, reaching behind me and pulling out my gun then setting it on the table in front of me. If he wanted to be disrespectful, I would show him real quick what that would get him.

“Why?”

There was always a reason for quick change in protocol. Nothing that involved product and money got done at the snap of a finger. Discussions happened before anything was even considered. Remeo should know that unless he had already talked to Vino and Sal fully, and they were on board with it.

“Zan’s a fuck-up.” He stood and walked over to the bar, grabbing a manila envelope and tossing it on the table. It slid across the flat surface, stopping right in front of me.

Anger rose inside, and it took every bit of control I could muster to keep it reined in.

“Read this shit. Take it. You’ll figure it out quick enough,” he dismissed.

“You’re accusing my uncle of some serious things here.” I grabbed the envelope and held it in the air. “You sure this will be enough to convince me not to put a bullet in your head?”

“You’ll see it.”

I rose from the chair, placing my gun in the back of my jeans and clutching the envelope. “Remeo,” I said, walking around the table and standing in front of him.

“Yeah?” he answered calmly.

I nailed him hard in the gut with my fist, causing all the air to leave him in a whoosh. He tumbled to the floor.

“Remember who the fuck you’re dealing with. If you act like that to me again, you’ll get much more.” I left his wheezing body on the floor, opened the door, and motioned for my men to follow me. I needed to get the hell away from Remeo before I really did put a bullet in his head.

The shock of the information lying at my feet was eating at me. I wanted to look in the envelope I was carrying. It couldn’t be fucking true. My uncle wouldn’t do shit, right?

In the car, I opened the envelope, and a DVD, pictures, and a stack of papers stapled together floated out into my hand. I sifted through the numbers on the papers and didn’t have to look hard to see the numbers weren’t adding up. From the looks of it, some other product was in the mix with ours, but it wasn’t clear what it was. The pictures were a bit grainy, but several were of Zan talking with another player in the field, Johnny. He had been a rival to the Lambardoni’s for years, trying to take over our claim, which would never happen, but that didn’t stop him from trying.

Entering the hotel room, I pulled out my laptop and plugged in the DVD. Sure enough, Zan, Johnny, and some guy I had never seen and couldn’t make out were in several different meetings. Fuck.

First thing’s first, I had to figure out if it was legit info. Then, uncle or not, I had to gut the motherfucker.

***

“Is this shit legit?” was the first question I asked my bosses at the meeting later that day. It had taken me a bit to come down from the seething anger that swept over me at having the hood pulled over my eyes.

How in the fuck did I not see this shit? With having our major distribution in California and then our sellers here, it gave us a lot of wiggle room to hide shit when necessary. A cross country sting by cops was much trickier, but with this new development, I might not be able to stay that far away.

“We had our computer guy, Techie whatever…” Vino waved his hand dismissively. He had never been a tech person; he was always more hands-on. “Unfortunately, yeah. This is why we called you here and didn’t discuss it over the phone. No idea if anything is bugged. We are having all offices, meeting rooms, and houses swept as we speak. This won’t be pretty.”

“Why not just talk to me instead of having that fuck-ass Capella?” Did they not fucking trust me?

When Vino and Sal laughed, I glared.

“Remeo wouldn’t get off our asses after he brought the information about your uncle to us, so we figured, if he saw you, it’d shut him up for a while. He didn’t summon you; we did.” Sal said.

That sounded so much better than that little half-wit calling me at his whim. I was still fucking irritated at the whole damn thing, though not as pissed.

“It was also best that you learned about Zan here and not in California.” I could see his point. “And truth be told, we didn’t want to be the ones to tell you.”

I seethed at the last comment. Why in the fuck did they not want to tell me?

I decided to let it go for now. “Do you have a plan?”

Vino’s face turned deadly in a flash. That man had been doing this shit for longer than I had been alive, and he knew it well. He also knew exactly what to do in all situations: big, small, and in-between. That was why he was the boss.

“Trap him. Make one hundred goddamn percent sure Zan’s a disloyal piece of shit, and then dismantle his distribution and wipe him out.”

“You want me to set it up?” Even though Zan was my blood uncle, he was bringing the family down, and that shit would not be tolerated.

“No. We have it in play as we speak. The three of us along with Val and Matteo will come back to the table and evaluate the evidence. We’ll have to fix that whole line, and Remeo is giving us that out.”

Retaliation on my uncle and Johnny would be a fucking bitch, but no worse than anyone else. Handing everything to Remeo on a silver platter was not something I would take lightly, but like Vino had said, we would reevaluate.

“Are we bringing Zan in?” I asked.

“Not yet. We don’t want to tip him off,” Sal said, steepling his fingers and placing his index fingers to his lips.

I nodded in understanding. We would need to catch him in the act before taking retribution.

“We have eyes on Johnny, but so far, it just looks like he wants a dig with us and is using Zan to do it. I’ll have some guys on him and get it taken care of,” Sal concluded.

“That’s enough of this shit. We can’t do anything else until we get the proof, and I’ve got a team on it. You coming tonight?” Vino asked, pointing his finger in my direction, the personable gleam coming back to his eyes.

“Yep, I’ll be there.”

Vino was having some high-priced party for his business associates while I was in town. He wanted me to meet them personally, which I didn’t balk at. I was even putting a suit on for that shit.

“Jag, I want to thank you for taking care of the Antonio situation.” Sal sighed deeply in exasperation. “I told my Catarina that he was no good, but she is stubborn like all of us Lambardoni’s.” A small smile played on his lips. “She’s a good girl—a good woman. Smart, so damn smart. That’s why I don’t know why she picks these men who are not fit for her. She needs a good, solid man.”

I nodded at Sal, not quite knowing what to say. Yes, she had picked a dick, but the fire in her was like nothing I’d seen before. The way she stood toe-to-toe with her brother and didn’t back down was admirable. It showed her grit and strength, that she wouldn’t take anyone’s shit, but growing up in this life, I would expect nothing less.

 

Chapter 3

I WOKE TO the penetrating, annoying ring of my damn phone singing the same song, over and over again. Only for the assault to stop and start up all over again a few seconds later. I moaned and rolled to my back. Even with my eyes still closed, the brightness of the room came through my lids.

The place I shared with Kiera was anything but small. Our fathers had the bright idea to put two four-bedroom, full-sized houses together and connect them in the middle with a large, open living area and kitchen that we shared. One of the things they had wanted was the big connection between the two to be full of light. In order to do that, windows were put on every possible surface of the living room, including some in the ceiling. The sad thing for me was I had crashed in it. It was beautiful, but when you had a hangover from hell, not so much.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved the house and so did Kiera, but it was a bit much. Overindulgent. Our fathers wanted us to be together yet have our own space. We both knew they loved us and were protecting us in their own way, so we didn’t put up any resistance.

I cracked my left eye open and tried to adjust it to the light before opening the other. I squeezed the bridge of my nose as the throbbing in my head kicked up a thousand notches. I should have drunk water before I fell asleep and taken some damn medicine.

I rolled my body until I was sitting up on the couch and searched for my phone, finding it on the coffee table in front of me. Reaching for it, I glanced down at the screen, seeing six missed calls: two from Val, one from D, and three from Mom. Shit. That was never a good combination. It meant they were searching for me, and the fact that I hadn’t answered was probably sending my mother into a fit.

In my family, there really wasn’t a safe route to follow when everyone was looking for you, but I went to Mom first. She answered on the first ring like she was sitting by her phone, willing it to ring.

“Where have you been, young lady?” she scolded, just like when I was a child.

I stood up slowly and headed to the kitchen. I needed a Gatorade, food and pills. I didn’t give a shit in what order.

Opening the fridge door, I grabbed the lone bottle of purple liquid and cracked it open, gulping it down. The coolness floated down my insides.

“Asleep. What’s going on?” I grabbed the bottle of ibuprofen from the cabinet above the sink and gulped four tablets down with the Gatorade.

“You have a meeting with your dad and brothers.”

I groaned. Why so fast? What was the rush? It was definitely common for my family to pull together when something happened, but they usually gave me a day or two before putting me up against the firing squad.

“Is this about last night?” Stupid question, considering I knew the answer. I guess part of me simply wanted that slight confirmation.

“What do you think? I’m proud of you for kicking his ass, cara mia, but I think it has more to do with the conversation you had with your brother afterward.”

I grabbed some eggs and bacon, placing the bacon in the pan and scrambled up some eggs. Then I popped some bread in the toaster to sop up all the booze.

“Great. Mom, you know I’m right. They shield every move I make. That you know of, how many guys have they beat the hell out of when they showed the least bit of interest in me or paid off to leave me alone?”

“They are trying to keep you safe.” She completely ignored either question, which was her way. If she didn’t like where you were going with something, she steered the conversation in a different direction.

“I know that, but how am I ever going to meet someone? I’ll never give you grandkids. They won’t allow it.” Low blow, but Mom had groaned on and on about how she couldn’t wait for little babies running around again. I was so not ready for that, but using it just might help my case.

“That’s absurd. There just hasn’t been anyone good enough.” The seriousness in her voice didn’t soothe me. She was totally on their side in this, even with the baby thrown in. Damn.

I scoffed. “What about the lawyer I met? He was a freaking lawyer! Great job, good family, and had a heart of gold. Don’t think I don’t know what happened.”

My blood pressure spiked merely thinking about Chris. He would have been perfect, but no. He was a prosecutor, and my family thought it would be horrible for me to get with him. Then there was the excuse that he wasn’t part of the family. Newsflash! I needed to find someone outside the family because I was related to everyone.

It didn’t matter anyway, because my brothers had scared him off. I wished he hadn’t been such a pussy to allow it to happen. It pissed me off, but I just kept telling myself that, one day, it would happen. One day, a man would have the balls to stand up to my father and brothers. I had to keep telling myself that, or I was going to lose my ever-loving mind. I sounded like such a fucking loser. I needed to knock this self-loathing crap off fast, or Kiera would definitely kick my ass.

“I know. Your brothers are just protective. They only have your best interest at heart. They see it as their job,” Mom said.

The need to laugh grew, but I held it in. How long was this job going to go on? That was what I wanted to ask.

“I know, Mom. I do. It’s just hard. I’m getting older. I can’t have Daddy and the boys taking out every potential man. You understand, don’t you?”

“Yes. Be here at eleven. We will talk then.” Mom was curt, which meant she was done with our conversation.

“Yeah, Mom, I’ll be there.”

Hanging up, I then piled food on a plate and dug in, each bite helping to soak up the rest of the booze. After eating, I headed upstairs and got ready for this meeting.

The drive to Mom and Dad’s house was less than a mile. If I wasn’t so damn hungover, I would have walked, but Scraper hated it when I did that. He said it was safer to drive, and he was right. I just liked to walk sometimes.

Driving up to the estate my father had built, I saw my brothers’ truck and jeep lined the driveway almost like a taunt. Scraper pulled up to the front door of the large, circular drive.

At three stories tall and the width of a football field, my parent’s home had always been huge and grand, but I didn’t see it that way. I saw it as home.

I didn’t bother knocking as I opened the door, and my mother greeted me immediately like the wonderful hostess she was as I entered the foyer.

“You’re here, cara mia.” She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed hard before pulling away to kiss both my cheeks. Affection and love flooded through me at my mother’s gentle touch.

“I’m here, entering into the firing range,” I joked—well, sort of.

“Nonsense. You’ve done nothing wrong, so stop worrying.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the living room. “Go in. I’ll get the espresso and croissants.”

I nodded, turning to the room where all conversation ceased as my family looked up and into my eyes. There was no anger or disapproval in them, only concern.

I breathed in deeply, never wanting to disappoint them, especially my father, though I always seemed to walk on that edge.

My dad was the first to rise and greet me. “Rina, I’m happy to see you. You did me proud last night.”

I blushed as he wrapped his arms around me, tightly hugging me. I always loved hearing Rina come out in his faint Italian accent. My father had salt and pepper hair and the most breathtaking blue eyes that stood out amongst his tan skin. I had seen pictures of when he was younger, and I swear he looked the same except for the hair. However, the thing I loved the most was his heart. He loved us kids with everything he had in him and never hid it.

“That little pissant will never hurt you again.” His words were tinged with venom and not something that I regularly heard, but I didn’t allow that to dig deeply.

“I know, Daddy. I won’t let him.”

He kissed me on the cheek before pulling away. Then my brothers greeted me in the same manner, and I laughed, letting the happiness seep through me.

“Sit,” my father commanded, and I immediately took an open spot as Mom came in with a tray of goodies. I reached for mine, and then she moved on to my brothers and father.

I sat there quietly, waiting ... wondering…

Finally, my father reclined in his chair, setting his espresso to the side of him on the table, then interlaced his fingers and rested them on his chest. His eyes were warm, helping that knot that had grown deep inside me to loosen a bit. He was relaxed and not angry in the slightest.

“Some of what you said to Val last night is true. We do guard you, but we didn’t get rid of Antonio, now did we?”

I shook my head, feeling the guilt of my bad decision weighing on my shoulders. I knew they hadn’t liked him from the start, but I had always thought Antonio would one day fit in. He belonged to a well-respected Italian family, and he was respectful to my family, never giving me any inclination he was a douche.

“I knew what a pissant he was. Did I know he was a cheater? No, because I would have never allowed that.” His tone turned harsh and determined in the blink of an eye.

“I know, Daddy,” I tried to reassure him. I’m not sure why I felt the urge to do that, but I did. I knew he wouldn’t have allowed Antonio to cheat if he had known.

“What did you learn from that little shit?” My father asked while my brothers stared at me like I was a freaking science experiment waiting to blow up. My mom sat quietly, drinking her espresso next to Dad, every once in a while looking up at me reassuringly yet not saying anything, surprisingly.

“Not to trust,” I grumbled under my breath because seeing Antonio’s dick in that skank had fully showed me a reason never to trust anyone.

“No,” my father said curtly, clipping off my thoughts and making me jump slightly. “Trusting someone is a very special gift that you share with another human being. It is when they break it that they are completely unworthy. Try again.”

I racked my brain, pondering for a few moments. It was so damn quiet you could have heard a pin drop in the room, everyone waiting to hear my answer. I hated being on display, and it unnerved me a bit. I had gotten better with it over the years because of my job, but with my family, it still bothered me.

When it hit me, it struck like a raging bull, knocking me dead on my ass. When I spoke, my voice was quiet and subdued, completely embarrassed. “Don’t settle. Just because I’m ready, it doesn’t mean I need to jump into anything. I have time. Even though it doesn’t feel like it, I do.”

I was almost thirty years old. I was not, nor ever would I be, a fucking moron. However, I felt like one in that moment because it was true. I was ready to settle down, ready to have a family of my own. Too bad all that had gone to shit. I had merely picked the wrong guy for it.

“Good girl. I know your brothers and I have kept an eye on you, and we have made some mistakes along the way, but we have always had your best interest at heart. Never forget that.” My father tipped his head at me with a small smile on his face.

I knew he was right. I might not have agreed with what they had done, but when thinking rationally about it, I knew they hadn’t intended to hurt me.

Guilt washed through my soul, the anger dissipating in a flash. “I’m sorry,” I said to my father then turned to Val. “I’m really sorry. I was pissed and flew off the handle. I love you.”

“You always know I have your back. We all have it. No. Matter. What. Also, know that, if I would have known that fucker was hitting it behind your back, he wouldn’t have been able to walk. You could’ve been pissed all you want, but it is what it is.” He reached over and squeezed my hand, pulling it to his lips and giving me a soft kiss.

“I know, but you guys have got to let me spread my wings. I may get them clipped a few times like with Antonio, but if you keep guarding me, I’ll never find out.” I shook my head. I was grateful they didn’t get in my business when it came to Antonio, but that was the first time. I really needed them to let me live my life.

My father spoke directly to me, not moving an inch. “Rina, I get you, but get me. If there is something I can do to stop you from having pain, I will do it.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he shushed me with a raised hand, palm up, at me. “We will try to not be so”—he pondered a word for a long moment, and I had a few I could have thrown in yet refrained—“concerned with your… with the guys you choose to date.”

An exasperated breath left me, and for a moment in time, I felt relieved, but I knew he and my brothers giving up that easily wasn’t going to happen.

“I appreciate that.” A huge smile filled my face in the hopes that I could have just a small bit of freedom when it came to my love life.

“One question.” I pointed my stare at Val, who nodded for me to continue, crossing his legs from ankle to knee. “Why did you tell Jag I was off limits? If you are free to let me learn, why?”

“He’s only here for a short time, so no sense in starting something that won’t go anywhere.” Val shrugged, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

As I turned to Dad, his eyes glazed over, and I couldn’t read what emotion was floating behind them.

“Just know that I hear you, Val, but anything I do or don’t do with Jag is none of your business. Besides, considering we just met, I wouldn’t be too worried in the first place.” I stood. “Daddy, I really need to go. I have to get home and get cleaned up for tonight.”

That evening, Uncle Vino was having one of the huge parties he had once a month for his associates, including the ones I dealt with at work on a daily basis. It was work, not pleasure, and I had to be spot-on. Both Kiera and I did.

“Yes, you are coming with Kiera, no?” Dad’s eyebrow cocked in question.

I had initially wanted to bring Antonio, and getting Dad to say yes had been a bit of an arm twist, but he had reluctantly. At that moment, I kicked myself for even trying. It had only been another waste of my time.

“Yes, Kiera and I will be each other’s dates.” Then I remembered Kiera had asked Mark to come with her, and her dad had actually approved it. I kept that to myself, though. No doubt, Daddy would find out soon enough and wouldn’t care in the long run.

“Good, good. We will all see you tonight.” Dad pushed his legs down, retracting the chair. Standing he gave me a hug, followed by my brothers and Mom.

It actually astonished me that my brothers kept quiet pretty much during the entire meeting. Dad must have told them ahead of time that he was the only one to speak because, Lord knew, Val didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut, but he did listen to our father.

Leaving Mom and Dad’s, I called Kiera and had Scraper pick her up since we had some serious shopping to do. I needed a new dress and shoes, hot and sexy ones.

Dune got in the front seat with Scraper, and the other guards followed behind. In total, we had five guys with us. It seemed a bit like overkill, but it was our lives.

***

Pulling up to Uncle Vino’s home, I saw lights shining at every angle of the extravagant place, flaunting its beauty. The home was actually built a mile or so from mine and Kiera’s, on the opposite end from my parents’, forming a large plus sign on the compound that spread quite a distance.

Yes, I was surrounded. It was nice to have family around, though not so nice when they were being overbearing. Hopefully, that would change now that we’d talked.

Scraper stopped the car in front of the large water fountain in the circular drive, and I breathed in deeply. Show time. Time to put on my professional hat and reel more clients in or, with the ones I had, see if they would like to invest more. I had this.

I stepped out of the car in my teal, floor-length gown that crisscrossed in the front and had a high back. The slit up the side was modest but still sexy. The neck of the dress was lined in Swarovski crystals, making me feel like a damn princess. I had chosen five-inch, crystal-studded heels that matched my dress perfectly.

As I stepped out of the car and onto the cobblestone driveway, I rethought my decision about the shoes. My ankle wobbled on the second step I took as I hit the curve of one of the stones, and I knew instantly I was going down. I tried to catch myself, reaching out for the car, but somehow my heel caught on the dress. I completely lost my balance, stumbling toward the ground, instead.

I reached my hands down to bear the brunt of the fall, not wanting my shoulders or head to hit. Closing my eyes, I waited for impact, knowing there was no way to stop it from happening.

Strong arms gripped my body, pulling me away from the stony ground. My back was against a hard chest as my eyes flashed open. I breathed in deeply, smelling the most enticing cologne I had ever had the pleasure of inhaling. Hot breath tickled my ear, setting my arousal aflame.

“I’ve got you, beautiful.” It was the same deep voice that had sent chills down my spine the previous night. Jag.

Having the sudden urge to face him, I turned in his arms, and my hands reached for his strong, broad shoulders. I held on tight while I gained my footing. The denim eyes that penetrated me for only moments the night before were melting me. My knees gave out as his strong arm wrapped around my back and tugged me firmly against him, our bodies pressing together deliciously. It felt like hours, but was probably only minutes, but his eyes never wavered from mine. The moment was so intense I forgot I was supposed to breathe. The connection between us crackled like a live wire. Something was definitely happening between us.

I blinked, disconnecting from his penetrating stare, and somehow regained the use of my legs again. Our faces were so close all it would take was the barest movement, and our mouths would be on each other’s. I could smell the mint on his lips and wondered what it would taste like on my tongue. I bit my lip to muffle the small groan that tried to escape me.

“Catarina!” Scraper yelled, his heavy footsteps rapidly hitting the pavement behind me.

I sighed and turned away from the magic of Jag’s gaze long enough to speak, but when I did, my words came out breathless. “I’m fine, just a little slip.”

“You can let go of her now,” Scraper snapped at Jag.

I wanted to yell, No! Please don’t let go. To my surprise and excitement, Jag didn’t release me. He held me to him, ignoring Scraper altogether, making my blood pump harder.

“Are you okay, beautiful?” he asked, the rumble of his voice hitting me smack dab in my core.

I nodded because once again words didn’t seem to want to form in this man’s presence. It was as if I had just morphed back to some stupid teenager, lusting after the captain of the football team who was paying attention to me for the first time.

I mentally shook my head, pulling myself together, and then pulled slightly away. I was better than this. I knew that, and I owned it.

“Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for catching me.” I removed my hands and dropped them to my sides, instantly missing the heat from his body. He was like a damn oven—hot and ready.

“Anytime.” His grin could melt my underwear right off my body, leaving me in a big puddle on the ground. How could one man be that sexy?

My brother’s words rang in my head. He wasn’t staying and was only here for a short time. Stay away. Then another voice spoke up, He’s only here for a short time. Better make it count. I thought I might listen to the second one. What the hell; we only lived once, and if he wanted to play for a while, I wouldn’t be opposed.

“Maybe I’ll see ya in there.” I winked seductively as I picked up the bottom of my dress and walked into the party.

Jag moved faster, standing in front of me in a flash, and my eyes widened at his boldness. He looked absolutely delectable in his dark gray, tailored suit. With no tie and the top two buttons of his crisp lighter gray shirt underneath undone, it gave me a nice view of the dusting of his chest hair. He was sex on a stick. The scruff of his dark beard was calling to me, and I wondered what it would feel like on my skin. My lips parted as I sucked in a slow breath as thoughts of his lips overtook me.

“You will absolutely be seeing me again. A lot.” He reached for my hand, lifting it from my side and planting a soft kiss on the top.

The kiss had a direct link to my clit, setting it on fire. My entire body ached immediately just from his light touch and the softness of his kiss. I should be nervous, but really, it excited the shit out of me. His eyes were glowing in the light outside, making my insides quiver.

I nodded because that was the best I could do, once again at a loss of words. Scraper led me into the house, not saying anything about the encounter, but I knew he would tell my father. It wasn’t an issue, but having someone go back and tell my father everything all the time was another thing I needed to discuss with my family.

My eyes focused on Uncle Vino across the wide expanse of the decked-out room before I headed straight toward him. He looked so much like my father I swore they could have been twins instead of Vino being a year older. His salt and pepper hair was brushed back, and his tan skin radiated life. For a man in his late fifties, he was undoubtedly still as attractive as he had been in his twenties.

Uncle Vino and Aunt Marnie had been married for more than thirty years now, and I had never once seen a frown on that woman’s face. She always glowed, and Uncle Vino would do anything for her. That was the kind of love I wanted to have some day.

“Catarina!” Uncle Vino boomed loudly, cutting off my thoughts as heads turned from every direction. He set his drink down then opened his arms wide, and I walked to him and fell into them, wrapping mine around him. “You look beautiful tonight,” he whispered in my ear.

“Thank you,” I murmured into his shoulder.

With Uncle Vino and my father being so close in age and the fact that they had a great relationship, Uncle Vino was a second father to me. Meaning I not only had one set of father and brothers hounding me in life, but an entirely different set of them, as well. I was hoping my father would talk to Uncle Vino; however Vino was never easily persuaded.

“I am proud of you, my girl.” He pulled away and looked into my eyes, love and adoration pouring from them, and I blushed. Being his only niece, he had always made me feel unbelievably special.

“Yes, sir.” I smirked with an evil gleam to it. “He won’t mess with me again.”

“No, he will not.” His words turned icy, making me shake a bit.

That was the side of Uncle Vino that unnerved me. No one messed with him. No. One. Hell, I didn’t even think the president with all his secret service would if given the chance. He was ruthless and got what he wanted. To me, though, his love was what was important.

I nodded, knowing Antonio would be lucky if his ass wasn’t six-feet under when this was all said and done. Of course, I would be happy with only a slice through his dick since I had stupidly left it intact.