Page 58 of Skating Towards Danger

“Last week if it helps Dante,” he says. I look at him and see he’s telling the truth, and everything in me relaxes knowing it wasn’t years ago.

Gio is six years younger than me, making him twenty, meaning he’s had nine years free of this world, and I have to admit, that makes me feel fucking better.

“Combat, guns?” I confirm, and he nods once and admits, “I’ve been training in the gym and at the range since I was fourteen, but my first kill wasn’t until last week. Dad asked when I’d like to begin, and my condition was no killing until I was ready.”

I eye Dad as he speaks to Roman before I look at my little brother and ask, “And you were ready last week?”

His eyes burn with anger as he admits, “A professor was trying to rape Callie.”

I nod because, yeah, that would do it.

Callie is his best friend, and they have been since 7th grade. There’re no romantic feelings between them, he sees her as a little sister, and I’m pretty sure she’s into women, but catching someone trying to rape her, yeah, I don’t blame him.

“I’m proud of you,” I say, and my little brother blushes, making me chuckle, “Come on, little brother, let’s unleash the demon so I can get back to my wife.”

He nods and walks towards the warehouse, mumbling, “Fuck, it sounds weird hearing wife come outta your mouth.”

I grin wide and follow, but as soon as we walk through the door, my face goes hard. I see Houlis standing in the middle of the warehouse in a three-piece suit, his white hair combed back.

I narrow my eyes at the fucker while my brother walks ahead of me.

“Houlis, Jose,” he says, then looks at Rafael and demands, “Where is my sister?”

I stop next to Gio, cross my arms over my chest, and watch as Raf sighs and runs his hand through his dark blonde short hair.

“She’s at home asleep,” he admits, and I chew the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing that he believes that.

She wanted to be here for this, the phone call Dad got twenty minutes ago on the way here is proof of that, and well, Roman decided to blame Raf for why she couldn’t be.

In her world, mafia is for all sexes, and we should stop being alpha-holes, but unfortunately for her, it doesn’t work that way.

Dad clears his throat to stop his chuckle, knowing full well his daughter will be spending shit loads on Rafael’s bank card in revenge.

He asked for her hand a few months ago, so it’s his own fault, really.

I love my sister, but she is hard work, which is why we never complained when she admitted to falling in love with a Cartel member after bumping into each other at a bar. If anyone can handle her, it’ll be him though I do feel sorry for the fucker.

He’s going to turn gray before he hits thirty-five.

“Can we get on with this?” Houlis growls, and his son tenses next to him before locking eyes with me, and his tension heightens seeing my demon at the surface.

“Houlis, the reason we’ve asked for this meeting,” my brother begins, but Houlis cuts him off and snaps, “Is to apologize and hand the girl over personally! She’ll go for a lot in my auction next week.”

Gio quickly grabs my arm when I take a step forward while Raf turns his body slightly, ready for my demon to come out so he doesn’t get shot.

“Actually,” Roman growls, “we’re here because you have started a war.”

Houlis’s eyes widen and he denies, “I have done no such thing!”

Roman tilts his head and asks, “So you didn’t have a sniper at the ice rink where my sister-in-law was training? You didn’t have my second’s, my blood brother’s, car shot at?”

I slowly grab my gun from the back of my pants without anyone noticing, including Houlis’ bodyguards, who do not agree with Jose or Rafael taking over as Houlis sneers, “She’s only his wife because Rocco begged for protection for the little bitch.”

I grit my teeth, and Dad moves next to me as Rocco growls, but Roman speaks over him, “Paige Marino is family, even before she married my brother. Peter declined your offer of an arranged marriage, and because you thought you could get away with it, you forced Peter’s car to crash after watching his eight-year-old little girl skate. Your men raped his dead wife and then tortured him before killing him – my father’s consigliere.”

Houlis looks around and then admits, “I was angry, and that was fifteen years ago, your father let it go.”

Dad speaks up from beside me and snaps, “So angry that you killed a family that was not a part of our world, breaking the oath that you took before taking over from your father.”

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