Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 123153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
“I’m guessing you know Vito is a rat,” he starts.
“I know nothing, I just didn’t like the conversation.”
“He’s been moving strangely. I get the feeling the bastard is going to get us all knocked.”
“So how can I help you?”
“I’m here to help you. We all know Vito is a fuckup. His own father would have had him killed if he wasn’t his son, believe me. The crew and I see something coming and I’m trying to get ahead of it. Let me know how I can help you. All I ask is to run the crew when he’s gone.”
“How would I be able to do that for you?”
“You’re the guy. Everyone comes to you. I’m counting on you to figure that out.”
I nod. My plan already lining up in my mind. Remember, loyalty is everything to me, but a useful pawn is a useful pawn.
“Okay, I’ve got you, but remember, my favors have a cost. Call me,” I say and stand to leave.
Chapter 16
Where Is She?
Gio
I walk into the apartment and it’s too still. I place the bouquet of flowers down and release a heavy breath. It’s been a long day and all I wanted was to come in and find Ny here.
I look at my watch and growl. It’s after two in the morning. The elevator dings behind me and I spin to see who’s coming up. Jace steps off the elevator with an annoyed expression on his face.
“Where is she?”
He frowns and tosses a phone at me. I catch the phone against my chest with one hand. Looking down at it, I find a picture of a dead Vega sitting on the shitter. I snort.
“Thanks, but that’s not what I asked you about,” I say.
“I wouldn’t know where she is, I was handling that”—he points to the phone in my hand—“and seeing to the list of shit you gave me to handle. I thought you were going to meet her,” he says dryly.
“I couldn’t get away. You’re not the only one working on cleaning up this mess. I had to call Ming for a favor. She met her. Why don’t you call her again and find out what happened?”
He narrows his eyes at me. “I called her to let her know I was dropping my bike off for Ny. I knew you weren’t going to make it, and she was going to be pissed.”
“So you give her a way to get away from us?”
“I gave her a way to get out of her emotions. You know her. We’d be fighting with her right now instead of each other.”
“Fuck, at least I’d get makeup sex,” I snarl. My phone rings, cutting into our argument.
I take it out and answer. “How you doing, Dario? What do you need this time of night?”
“I was going to wait until the morning, but I think you should know that guy went into the restaurant asking if we’re hiring. Apollo said the guy had on fifteen-hundred-dollar loafers. He doesn’t need a job from me.”
“Forgot about it. I have it under control. Get some sleep, you sound exhausted.”
“You sound like you need some rest too.”
I rub at my tired eyes. “Yeah. You might be right.”
“Good night, Gio.”
“Good night, Dario.”
I hang up and stare at Jace sitting in the living room. This has to stop. Ny is one thing, but Jace and I can’t be at each other’s throats like this forever.
What I do doesn’t work without the relationship we have. I trust him with my life and he the same. Jace acts on my thoughts alone most of the time.
“Jace,” I call and start for the living room.
“What?”
“You do know I’m trying this time? I’m going to do the right thing. She’s so stubborn.
“I couldn’t get there today, but that doesn’t mean I’m not listening to you. I hear you. I know what I need to do. I just have other shit going on too.”
“I know all of this, but we should have figured out something for this one time. It’s been a year. You know how she thinks.
“Listen, G, you and I talk. We’ve been having the hard conversations, but she hasn’t and she’s the one we both want. She’s the one who makes this work.”
“I’ll fix it.”
“I hope so.” He falls back against the couch and crosses his arms over his chest with a pout.
“Now who’s acting like a baby?” I snort.
“Fuck off.”
“I love you too, pussy.”
He smiles and flicks his hand under his chin at me. “I’ve got your pussy, but yeah, I love you too.”
Chapter 17
My Boys
Frances
I walk into Sylvia’s to the sound of blustering voices. When I enter the dining room, I find all my sons and her nephews around the table having breakfast.
“Oh, Dad,” Jacob croons.
I smile, it’s not often I have my boys all under one roof. While I have cared for and loved Ava’s boys as if they were my own, these boys here are my heart, my blood.