Page 17 of Devil's Deal

“Personal, you say?” Nico asked. “And you didn’t think I deserved to know you’re in town?”

“No, Nico. I didn’t.”

Vin moved closer, glaring at me. “It’s Don Buccelli now. Show some fuckin’ respect.”

Again, I ignored Vin and inclined my head at Nico. “My apologies, Don Buccelli.”

Rocco groaned with exasperation. “This is ridiculous. Romeo’s family. Familia.” He turned his palm up, gathering his stretched fingers in a point and shaking his hand. Good to know one of them thought this whole conversation was a waste of time.

“But he’s not Romeo today. Isn’t that right, Bosley?” Vin asked with a twist of his lips. “Romeo would show our Familia, our brother, respect, but apparently, Bosley can skate in and out of town without a care in the world.”

Sick of this already, I tsked. “We’re not family, anyway. I’m not a part of any Family. I’m my own man.”

Rocco slung a very unwelcome arm over my shoulders, but I held still. Alert. “Come on, Romeo. I don’t mean part of the Family at large. You’re part of our family.” He thumbed his hand on his chest over his heart. “You were like an older brother to me growing up.”

“No, he wasn’t. He didn’t have a choice but to be here. He didn’t care about us,” Vin said scathingly. “If he had, he’d have come here as soon as Nico was named. Or countless times before that, like when Vita needed him.”

Vita, Vittoria Buccelli, was Vin’s twin sister. She was younger than him, the only female, and the baby of the family until Rocco. Their old man never stopped treating Vita like the baby, but their mom had gotten her own little prince in Rocco. Family was messy. Especially when the family ran a crime Family. “She didn’t need me, Vincenzo. She had you.”

“She had us,” Rocco said.

Vin ignored us both. “Hell, if he had respect, cared about us, his first stop into Takoda would always be here. Personal business.” I could tell it took everything in him not to spit on the floor, and I was shaken. This amount of emotion…this wasn’t Vin.

A bad feeling slithered down my spine. The Buccellis weren’t trying to call me on the carpet or get me to do a personal hit for them for old-time’s sake. Something was wrong.

Rocco squeezed my shoulder, still friendly, but with enough pressure to know that the good-ol’-boy attitude he was displaying was nothing more than an act. “As much as I hate to agree with Vin, he’s got a point, Romeo.”

I clenched my teeth, irritated that they kept saying my name over and over. So many of the old-timers were gone, dead or in prison. I’d only recognized one face as I made my way into the house, and he’d keep his mouth shut. If for no other reason than respect for my uncle. I didn’t want the guards outside the door to overhear them.

Nico leaned forward in his chair. “Get out.”

Vin’s head whipped in his direction. “I’m not leaving you in here with him. There’s no way he’s here for no reason.”

“I said get out,” Nico bit out.

Vin glared daggers at his brother, then got in my face, pushing his index finger into my chest. “You better not try anything. You won’t make it through the front door if you lay one hand on my brother.”

I wanted to taunt him. Ask him if he was referring to Don Buccelli if we were going to act like I was the enemy instead of someone who merely wasn’t interested in dealing with the bullshit between the Takoda Families, but I resisted.

Rocco squeezed my shoulder, harder this time. “I hate to say it, but I got to agree with Vin again. Your blood will run like rain in a thunderstorm if you touch Nico.”

They were lucky that there was a part of me that remembered them with fondness. Generally, I didn’t kill unless it was for payment. But from time to time, I took matters into my own hands, and these motherfucker’s caging me in and threatening me would normally be one of those times. “Back off,” I growled.

Rocco snickered. “Sure, Romeo. It’s all good.” He looked at his oldest brother. Now his Boss. “Nico, you sure?”

Nico gave a curt nod of his head. “I’ll be fine.”

“All right, then. We’ll wait outside.” He clapped me once on the back and spun, calling behind him, “Get out here, Vin. Nico can take care of himself.”

Vin gave one final poke into my chest, then left without another word. Nico stood and moved around his desk toward me. “They’re right, Romeo. Don’t I deserve the respect of a visit telling me you’re here and your intentions? Even a phone call?”

“I hold no allegiances with the Families, Don Buccelli, and you know it. If anyone sees me here, it can be taken as a sign of me choosing sides. I’m not my uncle. I won’t swear allegiance. Not to you, not to anyone.”

He chuckled softly, mockingly. “A lone wolf surviving on his own, making his money, and moving on, huh?”

I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin higher. “It’s worked for me so far.”

He pointed to one of the chairs in front of his desk, motioning for me to have a seat. What I wanted to do was get the fuck out of here, but that wouldn’t fly. Acquiescing, I sat and crossed one leg over my knee, forcing myself to appear relaxed.

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