Page 5 of Driftwood Daffodil

It should be Cesare up there, not my brother. If he controlled his family, then none of this would be happening.

“This is all your fault.”

I didn’t realize I’d said that out loud until the last one stopped and cocked a brow.

“What was that?”

The deep baritone of that growl reverberated through my ears as my eyes rolled over a black suit jacket to a pair of the most piercing green eyes I’d ever seen.

This guy was tall, well over my brother’s six foot frame. And if that wasn’t enough of a reason to hate him, he had a head of thick black hair and a five o’clock shadow that made him look older than he was.

The guy couldn’t be much older than me, yet he looked like an adult. Know how old I looked? Fifteen, and I still had to argue my age with some people.

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

“Really,” a dark cloud moved across his gaze as he leaned in closer, “because I could sworn you said something?”

My father used to get that same expression. Kato called it the thousand yard stare. I didn’t remember much about our father – he was in the military and died overseas when I was six. But I remembered that cold emotionless look.

I was convinced my father was a robot. I’d feel a cold shiver for hours after he tucked me in. Then he was gone and that look in his eyes was all I could remember.

“Now,” one of his hands grabbed the back of the bench while the other flattened on the banister on the other side of me. “Why don’t you repeat what you said.”

A voice in the back of my mind told me to duck my head and keep quiet. My mouth didn’t get that memo.

“I said, this is all his fault,” my head tipped towards Cesare. More specifically Atlas’s fault, but he wasn’t here to receive my wrath.

“Is that right?” His eyes narrowed. “You should be careful how you talk to people like us.”

People like us? I didn’t know who this guy was but fuck him and his fancy suit with his holier than thou attitude.

“I’ll…” was all I got out before Kato cut me off.

“Take a seat, Mancini.”

Mancini? Did that mean…

“Get lost Gio,” Kato growled when he didn’t move.

This man wasn’t just any Mancini, he was Atlas’s younger brother. Well that explained the look of death. It also explained why I didn’t recognize him. We didn’t go to the same school, or run in the same circles.

“I said fuck off.” Kato snarled with more authority.

Still Gio didn’t move.

He didn’t so much as glance in Kato’s direction. His sole focus was on me. It was disturbing how intrusive his stare was.

“You should sit down.” I suggested. “You’re holding up court.”

I was much more concerned with the bailiffs preparing to move in on my brother.

Gio tipped his head. “And you’re sitting on the wrong side of the room.”

Kato immediately shot out of his chair, causing the bailiffs to move closer.

They weren’t the only ones on edge. The fanning in the crowd had stopped. Everyone was too busy watching with their mouths open to care about the heat. I could hear them all holding their breath in anticipation.

The only one who wasn’t phased in the least was Gio Mancini. Or maybe he was? I couldn’t tell. There was nothing but coldness on his face.

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