Page 79 of Wrapped in Silver

Arosso

The fuck is my cousin doing here?

I push out of my chair on set, watching as everyone scrambles to get out of the room. Some cameramen even leave their equipment rolling.

“Did I fucking stutter?Move.” Donny snaps his fingers.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I walk up to him.

“Me?” Donny looks over his shoulder to make sure no one else is watching, then eyes the director, who dares stand still as if he’s going to say something.

His sense kicks in, and he stomps angrily off of his own set.

“Are you fucking nuts, Ghost?” He grabs me by the collar.

I slap his hand off me and push him back. Sizing him up, I remember rolling with this fucker growing up. It was easy when we were younger—there was no size advantage. But now? He’s a goddamn truck.

“The captain’sfucking daughter?” He points a finger in my face. “I knew you were up to something bad. But this?”

“How’d you know?” I straighten my jacket and match his pacing, circling one another.

“You’re on a fucking TV set, genius. You getting dementia in your old age, Aro?” His nostrils flair, fists clenching and unclenching.

I remain calm.

“One of my informants snapped a picture—”

“Oh, the family employs rats now?” I lift my chin.

“Shut the fuck up.” His finger is still up. “Took me two minutes to figure out who this bitch is—”

I’m not calm anymore.

I shove him and holdmyfinger up this time. “You watch your fucking mouth, Donny.”

One glance at Quinn, and I see her uncomfortably grabbing the arm of her chair.

“Lock her in the bathroom or something. We have a whole fucking mess to unravel.”

“She stays,” I command. “And next time you have an issue, act like a fucking boss and handle it off set. This is fucking business.”

He bares his teeth and runs at me. When I dash back with my fists up, he throws a powerful left hook. I duck it and punch his ribcage and swiftly backhand him in the mouth.

I’ve always been faster.

Whack!

A hard right hook connects with my jaw, and the next thing I know, my back is crashing through the set table.

“Silver!”Quinn shouts.

“Stay out of this!” I kick Donny off of me and onto the other side of the broken table. Utensils fly everywhere as the Stallion rolls to his feet and leaps to strangle me.

We trade blow for blow on the floor—the smell of roasted turkey and cologne mashing in the worst way.

“The fuck are you thinking?You’re going to start a war, Aros.” Donny knocks me in the kidney, takes me by the collar, and with a show of force, whips me upright as he gets to his feet.

I block his next punch and jab him in the throat. Stupid big fuck. Then I elbow him in the temple. Any normal man would’ve gone down, but he’s still standing, albeit a bit dazed.

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