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“Che cazzo[41], Salvatore?” He barked with hostility.
“It’s too early for your moods. Get out.”
Grazia had a hard night and she didn’t need anyone else to add to that.
“You should get out of the bed, cousin. There are seven bullets out there waiting to get in the back of your head. I would have told you as much on the phone if you’d have bothered to answer.”
“I can handle her brothers. Later.” I stressed the last word in hopes he’d get his face out of my fucking bedroom.
“No,Don Fiori, it doesn’t work like that. You don’t get to stir shit up, send us into a war with another crime family, and not talk to me about it. I’m not leaving.”
“The only reason you’re still here standing at the end of my bed is that Grazia isn’t naked. Otherwise, I would have kicked you out through the fucking wall.” I looked at my side to see Grazi trying to make herself small under the covers. “You didn’t say hello to her, Pietro.”
His jaw locked. “I know I didn’t.”
“Pietro.”
“Sheshouldn’tbe here. You two fucking things out in secret for years is one thing, but playing with everyone’s lives because princess is bored is very –very– different.”
It took a split second for me to turn into an animal. I saw red and charged Pietro before he even saw me getting out of bed.
“What did I tell you before, cousin?” The growl came out through my teeth. “Back on the docks, what did I tell you?”
He wasn’t scared – we wrestled every time we had something to settle, sometimes until our noses got bloody – but he knew he crossed a line.
“Not to talk about Grazia like this.”
“Yes.”
“Get the fuck off me.” He pushed back. “Grazia, I’m sorry.”
“It’s ok.” Her answer didn’t please me because I saw a flash of sadness on her face. “Pietro is right, Salvatore.”
“Yes, I’m right. There was a shooting last night. Gaspino sent people out looking for you, they run into some of our guys and it turned ugly. Grazia, you two need to break this off before we have a massacre in our back yard.” Pietro got closer to the bed to look down on Grazia. “Are you willing to risk that? One of your brothers getting hurt? Or Salvatore?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then leave this house and never come back. I like you,piccino[42], but you’re the enemy.”
I felt my blood freezing. Pietro was on my side. He lived his life being on my side and if there was one thing he had problems with, it was sharing. Especially with a Caputo. He had problems sharing his sister with Goliath, he was always a little bothered with how high the pedestal I’ve put Grazia on was, and I let it slide for most of our lives because he was still green. Still had things to learn. But now he jumped the fence and I wasn’t going to give him a chance to do it again.
“Pietro Leon.” The sound of his name echoed. “Don’tmakeme cut off your tongue. You’re my brother, Pietro, and my second in command, and the only motherfucker that can get away with this bullshit you’re throwing at me and still live to talk about it. I’ll always listen to your opinion and I respect your advice, but when it comes to Grazia, you really need to learn to keep your fucking mouth shut.”
“Salvatore…”
“Don’t interrupt me. She’s not leaving this house. I don’t care how many Mafiosi armies I have to fight. The damage is done, Pietro. Our decision is made.”She said she’ll marry me. “Fight by my side or walk away.”
“Yeah, sure, I can leave. I can pack my bags, move somewhere in the mainland, maybe open a fucking bed and breakfast.” He punched my shoulder. “We don’t leave family behind, motherfucker, but I still don’t like this. You don’t need this now. You just stepped in asDon, you have a lot in the works. And I don’t like the idea of having to shoot her brothers, man. I used to like them,
I don’t want to be the one to kill them. Maybe just Goliath.”
His mood lightened, but in the corner of my eye I saw every ounce of color drain from Grazia’s face.
“Easy, Pietro. We’re keeping the guns cold.”
“You took Grazia. They’re going to want retribution.”
I was sure about that. My hope was that Giovani would prefer fists over pistols, because I could never aim at someone Grazia loved, but I wasn’t sure they had a problem aiming at me.
