Page 59 of Wicked Tricks

“Want me to check?” Dimitri offered.

He was charming, confident, and managed to blend in and get in anywhere he wanted. When he didn’t go unnoticed, his talented smart-mouth came in handy as he could talk his way out of any situation.

“He’s probably long gone anyway,” Dimitri pouted, squinting up at the windows of the building. I scanned the streets surrounding us, and saw a hanging sign for a pub just down the road from his home.

“Ten bucks he’s there,” I pointed to the bar.

The drunken fuck would’ve been too worried about his next drink rather than doing the smart thing - like leaving town.

“You’re on,” Dimitri smiled, rubbing his hands together as we drove up the street, parking right next to the entrance.

We all entered the musty bar, which was barely lit and furnished with dark wooden furniture, mounted animals, and fish skeletons on the walls. Country music rang from an old fashioned jukebox, and the few patrons scattered around the pool table paused to look at us. A few of them must have recognised us, their eyes dropping to the ground quickly.

I noticed a familiar figure hunched over a schooner at the bar and I smirked, elbowing Dimitri in the ribs and pointing.

“Fuck,” he groaned as I held out my hand, and he hesitantly slapped ten dollars into it.

Luca was only half conscious, not noticing us approaching him.

I sat on the stool next to him, and Dimitri sat on the other side.

Angel hung behind us, watching. He was surrounded, and the bartender gave us all a wary look, before deciding not to get involved and busied himself at the other end of the bar.

Dimitri smacked the elbow of the arm that Luca had his head barely held up with, and his face fell forward without the support. He was shaken awake, his head shooting up and looking around.

His eyes widened as he saw me, falling backwards.

Dimitri caught him, “woah,” he chuckled, “good morning sunshine!”

Luca stumbled up from his stool, backing away from us.

“Don Antoni, please,” he put his hands up in front of him, and I cocked my head to the side, “I’m sorry,” he begged, falling to his knees and clasping his hands in front of him.

“I love her, I didn’t know what to do,” he cried, “I’m sorry.”

I scoffed, “you love her?” I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him to his feet. I was reminded of my injury with the pain that jolted down my arm, “you busted her fucking lip, Luca.”

“We fight a lot, please, you don’t know what she’s like,” he rambled.

“I don’t give a shit,” I said, gesturing to Angel and Dimitri.

They grabbed him by the arms, dragging him out of the pub. People watched us from the corners of their eyes, being careful not to draw attention to themselves.

No one dared get involved.

“Thank you,” I nodded politely to the bartender on my way out, and he forced a smile in return.

Dimitri shoved Luca into the backseat of the car, keeping his knife trained on him at all times. We drove off, out of the city and into the winding hills of the Hinterlands.

“Where are we going?” he panted, thrashing in the back seat.

“Shush,” Dimitri said, smacking him in the mouth with the blunt end of his knife.

I wondered how far Rome and Grace had gotten by now.

All I could think about was getting all of this over and done with so I could get back to her. I wanted to be around her, all the time.

I felt pulled to this woman, and I had no interest in fighting it - no matter what anyone thought. Though my mother had been pushing me to date, to find a wife and settle down, ever since I became the head of The Family - I never had any real interest.

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