His fist slams down on the table. “Don’t you lecture me. I’m doing what’s best for us, for our family. If we supply the Cantanellis, we’re valuable.”
I let out a disbelieving laugh. “No, Dad. If we supply the Cantanellis, we’re their bitches. Plus, we piss off the Cartel, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want anything to do with that. We’re doing just fine in our own little corner of the world.” I press my hand into the table until it aches. “Not to mention I don’t even have the capacity to produce enough for that level of distribution.”
“We’ll bring on more people.”
“Fuck. That.” I blow out a frustrated breath. “Look… we’ve got enough problems as it is. Remember I caught Liam’s piece of shit cousin cutting our drugs and keeping the profit? Who knows what other little shit is doing the same.”
Irritation wells inside of me, bubbling like a cauldron about to overflow. I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes.
Ten. Nine. Eight…
Once I’m back under control, I open them again. “The point is, you’re making a mistake. And on the off chance the Cantanellis do take you up on this offer, you’re asking me to do the impossible.”
He shrugs. “Then I suggest you figure it out.”
“Nessa would have never done this,” I snap.
His eyes flash as he puffs on his cigar, watching me. He brings the Black & Mild down, tapping his front two fingertips on the table. “Maybe if she had, then we wouldn’t be little fish in a big fucking pond.”
My fingernails dig into my palms to keep from lashing out and doing something I’ll regret. “She was cautious.”
“She was stupid,” he hits back. “And a laughingstock. You know how much work it took to get our name in good standing after the shit she did? The mistakes she made?”
My veins heat, fury rushing through them and I shoot up from my chair. “Shut up.”
“Excuse me?” He rises just as fast, leaning over the table and gripping my face tightly in his hands. I wince at the pain. “Watch the way you fucking speak to me.”
“You don’t know her,” I grit out through clenched teeth. My voice wobbles as emotion sprouts up and bleeds into my tone. “You never knew her.”
He laughs, tossing my face away from him. “Quit being dramatic. The best thing your sister ever did was take care of you. I’m sorry if that hurts your feelings, Bug, and I know you loved her. I know you miss her. But she wasn’t the hero you have her painted as in your head.”
My nostrils flare, a burn searing through my throat.
There’s no place like home and there’s nothing like family. Stick together.
My vision grows hazy in the corners, the urge to lash out and make him feel a tenth of the pain I do fills up my stomach and expands to my chest. But a knock on the door holds me in place. He goes to answer it and I’m standing stock-still, my fingernails still piercing into my palms, and my chair knocked on its side behind me. My jaw aches from where I’m sure red fingerprints are left behind.
Voices filter in through the hall and get closer as they come toward the center of the room, but I don’t look. I can’t move, my body frozen with the rage I’m trying like hell to stuff back down and hide.
“What’s wrong with you?” Dorothy says, stepping close and waving her hand in front of my face.
I look up.
My father’s staring at me, Zeke isn’t paying me any attention at all, and Brayden is scanning the room, a frown pulling at his features. My stomach flips when our eyes meet and he quirks a brow. He drops his gaze to my cheeks and his body stiffens.
It disgusts me how badly I want to walk over and wrap myself around him. Let him comfort me through the pain my dad just wrought from the darkest parts of my soul. I’ve been nothing but loyal to this family, yet this is how he repays me?
“Everything okay?” Brayden asks, his gaze never leaving mine.
“Everything’s fine,” my father replies, walking over and slinging an arm across my shoulders.
My body tenses, not liking the touch. I shrug out from under his grip.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” Dorothy sighs.
“Plans changed.” I grin at her, trying to find enjoyment in her distaste for me being here.
“Where have you been?” Dad snaps at her.
Her eyes grow wide. “I went down to the hotel spa and got a massage. I didn’t think you’d need me.”
He grunts, and I tilt my head, watching the way her fingers latch together and twist as though she’s nervous.
Brayden moves across the room while the attention isn’t on us until he’s standing close. He looks at me from his peripheral vision. “You alright?”
It’s such a small question. Inconsequential, really. Still, my heart flutters at the fact he’s asking.
“No,” I answer. “But I will be.”
28
NICHOLAS
S: She’s safe. At my place and asking to see you.
Relief flows through me and gratitude filters into the cracks for Seth. I’ve been a shitty partner but more than that I’ve been an awful friend, taking out my personal issues on him when out of everyone in my life he’s the only one who has my back.
He’s never done me dirty and I’m repaying him by exploding in fits of anger and going behind his back, hooking up with the one girl I promised him wasn’t a problem.
She is a problem. And that’s never been as clear as an hour ago when I walked into her father’s hotel room and saw marks on her skin.
My vision bled red, and it took everything inside of me not to cause a scene. I know she can take care of herself, but it doesn’t mean she should have to.
I turn to Zeke just as he flips the key in the ignition, the rumble of his car coming to life. We’re making a quick run to the store, grabbing some food and more cigars for Farrell.
“I need you to take me somewhere.”
He glares at me, his hand pausing on the gearshift. “Sorry?”
“It’s been a minute since I’ve checked in with my guys, so I need you to take me there,” I repeat.
His cheeks grow ruddy as he looks at me incredulously. “The fuck I am.”
Impatience wrings my muscles. “It’s not a suggestion.”
Ever since my failed attempt, the need to see Rose in person has only grown stronger. To see with my own two eyes that she’s thriving without me.
That she’s still sober.
Grabbing the phone, I call Seth who picks up on the second ring.
“Yo.”
“I’m coming over.”
“Hey, buddy. Nice to hear from you. I’m good, thanks.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Shit, sorry. I’m in a bit of a time crunch, but I need to… I need to see her.”
The line grows silent. “You sure that’s a good idea?”
“No,” I reply. “But you said to tell you if shit was getting real. Shit’s getting real and I need to talk to her.”
“Alright, man. We’ll be here.”
Nodding, I blow out a breath. “Thank you.”
Ten minutes later, I have Zeke pull into a gas station three blocks from Seth’s house. He may be working for us, but that doesn’t mean I trust him with knowledge of where a federal agent lives. “You can wait here. I’ll be quick.”