Page 43 of Mob Princess

I gathered his lapels in my fist. “Get out.”

“Don’t bring her if you don’t want to kill Dad at his own anniversary party.” He just wasn’t giving up. “Because if you do bring her, he’ll challenge you for the seat. Mark my words. And then, you’ll actually have to make a ballsy decision. Think you’re ready for it?”

My nostrils flared. “Security!”

My office door burst open, and there stood three burly men, ready to whisk my brother away and throw him into whatever dumpster he’d climbed out of.

He shrugged me off before I could toss him their way. “Iz, I get you’re under some serious pressure right now, but you have no idea the kind of evil you’ve invited into your own damn home. All Mom and Dad want is a strong front at their anniversary party to show other families that we won’t be shaken by this nonsense. This is the kind of thing that will—quite literally—save us from future attacks because people view us as weak. And you want to decimate all of that for what? A girl you who was supposed to kill you per her uncle’s orders?”

“She didn’t, Gio.”

He scoffed. “And that’s what you’re basis is?”

My security guard spoke. “Boss?”

I held up my hand. “My basis for what?”

Gio took a step toward me. “For ruining everything this family has worked so fucking hard for. The respect. The fear. The resentment. The friends. You’re willing to throw our one chance to prove we’re stronger than ever into the garbage disposal to be chewed up and spat out because you want to bring Bonnie? Because of some girl?”

I made eye contact with one of the guards. “You can take him away now.”

My brother’s jaw fell open. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

I returned to my desk and made a dismissing gesture with my hand. “Take him away.”

My guard’s voice filled the room. “Of course, boss.”

Giovanni started yelling. “You’re going to ruin this. You’re going to ruin us!”

Did he think he could handle this seat? “Whatever.”

“You’re going to ruin this family forever, Israel.”

“Sir?”

I turned around at the sound of my secretary’s voice. “Yes, Miss Caswell?”

She held out a Manilla envelope. “This just came. Got it scanned and tested. It’s clean.”

I motioned for her to come in. “Just set it on my desk.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Mark my words, Israel,” Giovanni roared down the hallway.

I looked at my secretary. “Close the door on the way out, please. And make sure that man isn’t allowed back in here.”

“For today?”

I paused. “For good.”

If my brother thought he could waltz in here and talk to me like that, he was mistaken. Clearly, he didn’t see me as the head of this family yet. That meant I had to teach him a lesson. Even though he was my brother, I cut his paychecks. I gave him his jobs. I made sure he was comfortable and had everything he needed. But he was still operating off the idea that Dad wielded some sort of power in this family.

When really, he only wielded the power we gave him ourselves.

I picked up the manilla envelope and flipped it over. On the front was stamped ‘urgent,’ in bold, black letters. I quickly tore it open as I leaned against the edge of my desk. My eyes scanned the documents before I raked my hand through my hair.

More fires to put out. More people to fire. More hires to be made, and another undercover operation to plan.

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