Page 28 of Reaper & Ruin
He snorted, rolling his dark eyes. “Yeah, well, I doubt the rest of the family would see it that way. They probably think I’m a pussy for working for a woman.”
“That’s because they’re all stupid.” I grinned. “Every last one of them.”
“True,” he laughed. “But honestly? I like it here. The CSG—they’re good people. Ivy’s good people. I know I didn’t come here under good circumstances, but I’m really glad I did.”
“Ivy?” I asked, unsure who he was on about when I didn’t make a habit of getting to know gangsters in other countries.
I didn’t have the energy to care about other criminals doing criminal things. It was hard enough just pretending to care about my own gang.
“Ivanna Quinn. She’s in charge of the CSG now. Has been for the last three months,” Caro said casually, but there was a flush creeping into his cheeks that he couldn’t quite hide. “Smart as hell, tougher than anyone I’ve ever met. She knows what she’s doing.”
I noticed the way his fingers tightened slightly around his glass, the faint flicker of something soft in his expression as he said her name. But I didn’t comment.
Instead, I leaned back, letting the moment hang between us. “Sounds like you landed on your feet,” I said finally.
“Better than I thought I would,” he admitted, the corner of his mouth twitching into a faint smile. “What about you, Gio? Still dealing with the old man’s messes?”
“Something like that,” I snarked, my tone dry.
He laughed, shaking his head. “Some things never change. Daddy De Luca always did cause shit. Just like my father—the pair of ‘em are wankers.”
Before I could respond, Atlas cleared his throat. We both turned to see him standing by the table, his laptop closed and tucked under one arm.
“I’m in,” he said simply. “I got what I needed.”
“That’s good news,” I said, standing and clapping him on the shoulder. “Nice work,fantasma.”
“Couldn’t have done it without help,” Atlas said, glancing at my cousin with a nod. “We appreciate the assistance.”
Caro shrugged, finishing the last of his drink. “Don’t mention it. Not to anyone. Seriously.”
“Trust me,” Atlas grinned without humor. “I’m not about to tell anyone where I got this information.”
Caro stood, pulling on his jacket. “Speaking of things I’m not about to mention, I should get back. I’ve got kids to protect.”
I blinked, caught off guard. “Kids? Since when did you have kids?”
He smirked, tossing some cash onto the table for his bill, refusing to let me pay. “Not mine. Sapphire asked me and a few of my guys to keep an eye on them. Some kids and their dad. Apparently, John O’Malley’s after them, and I guess Ivy owed Sapphire a favor and I’m seeing it out. Just lackey duties.”
Atlas straightened abruptly, his expression sharpening hard enough for Heather to notice from her seat and glance back. “Why does O’Malley care about random children?” he asked.
Caro shrugged, slipping his hands into his jacket pockets. “All I know is he wants the girl. Sapphire thinks she’s his kid.Apparently, when O’Malley killed his first wife, the baby didn’t die with her. His older sister took the baby and ran. They’ve been hiding out in England ever since. Or… theywerehiding until yesterday. Now the sister’s a little bit… dead.”
Atlas froze, his jaw tightening. “What? John’s sister was here? With his daughter?”
Caro nodded. “Yeah. The girl’s like twelve or something. Sapphire says O’Malley’s trying to get his hands on her for his crazy bitch plans. I didn’t really ask much after that. I just did the job.”
I watched Atlas closely, noting the way his entire posture had shifted. His usual calm, calculating demeanor had been replaced with something more urgent, something almost… personal.
“Atlas,” I said slowly, narrowing my eyes. “What’s going on?”
“That’s what they were doing yesterday. In that house.” He shook his head slightly, his expression unreadable. “It’s… nothing. I’ll explain later.”
Caro raised an eyebrow but didn’t press. “Well, good luck with all your drama,” he said, clapping me on the shoulder. “I’ve got to get back. Let me know if you need anything else.” He turned to Heather, blowing her a kiss. “It was a pleasure to meet you, beautiful. Call me if you ever want to bitch about Gio.”
Heather laughed, and a second later we were watching as Caro disappeared out the door and into the rain.
Heather wandered over to our table after saying goodbye to her new friend, pulling her jacket tighter around her as she glanced between me and Atlas. “You ready to go?” she asked, tilting her head as I grabbed the cash so I could go and pay.
