Page 41 of Blood on Ice

“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?”

I took a deep breath. It had been humiliating enough to admit I’d made a mistake. But at least my father wasn’t continuing to yell at me about it. He’d have plenty more reasons to be angry once I explained about Zeke. “I’ve been watching the Badgers practice. You know Devil and Angelo have gotten me into hockey.”

“What’s there to get that angry about at practice? They weren’t even playing another team, much less those assholes from New York.”

Pops hated the New York team with every fiber of his being, and it made me smile. If only he could joke around with us more often. I wondered if he was less serious before the attack that had left him with minimal use of his left arm and plenty of scars. “There’s a particular player I am interested in.”

I felt Val stiffen beside me, and I knew he was trying not to laugh. I wanted to smack him, but I shoved my hands in my pockets instead. “I had a client meeting, and when the client walked in, it was that same player.”

Pops’ eyebrows rose. “And you had no idea? You didn’t invite him to see you?”

“No, sir. He used a fake name when he made the appointment, and I had no idea.”

“And he signed a contract with us?”

“Not initially. He was concerned about borrowing from someone who had a connection with the team.”

Pops narrowed his eyes. “That’s bullshit, and you know it. Tell me what you’ve done.”

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