Page 58 of Wicked Tricks

“My job,” I said, slamming the safe shut.

“What happened?”

“Luca,” I said simply.

She cocked her head to the side, “what about him?”

“Grace showed up to Lilith’s with a busted lip and black eye, she wanted help leaving town. Luca tried to grab her. I stopped him, and he stabbed me,” I purposely left out Rome’s involvement.

She scoffed, “Luca has been nothing but loyal to you and this family. Why on earth would he do that?”

“You think I’m lying?” I snapped.

Angel left the room quickly, not wanting any part of it.

“You realise he probably would’ve killed Grace, right?”

She put her hands up, “that is not your business, Antoni.”

“I’m making it my business,” I said, pushing past her to the exit.

“This is about that girl, isn’t it?”

I stopped and didn’t say anything.

She laughed sarcastically, “I can’t believe it,” she shook her head, “she’s making you soft.”

“And what if she is?” I snapped back, over my shoulder.

“This isn’t you,” she said quietly.

“Ha!” I laughed out loud, “no, this isn’t the meyouwant me to be. This isn’t about Rome, this is about you wanting me to be like Dad. Maybe I don’t want to run things like him, god forbid, I have any compassion.”

“You’re making us look weak!” she boomed.

My eyes dropped to the floor as she scolded me.

“We show weakness and we’re dead. You need to step up and show them who’s in charge. You’re wasting your time involving yourself in issues as petty as this. What a man does with his woman is not your concern. Grace would have known what she was getting into when she decided to get involved with a man in a position such as Luca. This is nothing but a distraction. You need to focus on the real problems, the real enemies of The Family. You need to show them that we’re not to be messed with.”

I shook my head, “that’s exactly what I’m about to do.”

I left, before she had a chance to say another word. I did not have the time or patience for her dramatics right now. She was the one who told me constantly to be like my father, make them respect you - well I’d say that stabbing me in the shoulder and threatening my woman would be considered a pretty high level of disrespect.

If I was going to be in charge, I was going to run it my way.

Angel was already waiting out the front with the car running, and Dimitri in the back seat. I slipped into the front, grunting as I pulled the door closed. Angel sped off into the street.

Dimitri leaned forward from the back, “he fucked you up pretty good, huh Boss?” he smirked, his lollipop hanging out of the side of his mouth like a child.

I rolled my eyes.

“Where is this asshole?” I asked.

“We’ll try his house,” Angel shrugged, “it’s a place to start.”

I nodded and we drove without speaking, Dimitri gently drummed on the seat along to the music. We drove past his house, and parked a little ways up the street, looking up to the window which was his apartment.

“No lights on,” Angel shrugged.

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