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I shrugged. “I thought you liked the unpredictable ones.”
His eyes shot fire as he slid off the stool. “Sorry about this. I’ll kick her out.”
Romeo marched toward the woman, who’d drifted back into view. Becky, Violet’s friend, picked through a plate of appetizers. Romeo stopped in front of her. They exchanged tense words. Romeo made wild hand gestures. Then he grabbed her wrist and pulled her through the restaurant. She slipped out of his grasp and ran into the ladies’ room.
Romeo stood outside, glowering at the door.
A white-hot grip cinched my throat.
He was dating Violet’s friend?
THIRTY-THREE
VIOLET
Santino towered above me.
Unlike Achille, he was all hard edges, his jawline razor-sharp. A deep navy suit wrapped his broad frame, the jacket open to a creamy shirt. Two rings flashed on his fingers. His espresso-brown gaze flicked to me. Did he see an addition to the family? Or a woman out of her depth?
I felt like both.
Santino’s mouth eased into a smile. “Relax. I’m not here to scare my little brother’s fiancée. I want to talk.”
“About what?”
He didn’t answer immediately. “Did Achille ever tell you he started working for the Family when he was fourteen?”
Wow. “That’s young.”
He nodded. “That’s how it goes. You’re born into it, and your path is set from the start. Achille had a ruthless instinct, even as a child. The Family sharpened that instinct and turned him into a weapon. He’s done a lot for us.”
A hint of a warning marred the pride in his voice.
“Sounds like he’s important.”
“He is,” Santino affirmed. “I’ve tried to keep him content, but he’s been out of sorts lately. Disconnected. Been saying all kinds of shit like he’s bored. He wants to do something else.”
“Why can’t he?”
“My job is making sure everybody stays in line.” He crossed his arms. “He made that very difficult for me until you came into the picture. Since you and Jack moved in, he doesn’t complain about jobs. He does them like he’s supposed to.”
I frowned. “Why?”
He shrugged. “He’s happy. You and the kid are the missing pieces in his life.”
“I don’t buy that.”
“Because you don’t know him that well. He wasn’t always like this. He’s changed a lot. None of us have seen him this…alive in years. As a kid, he was just like any other, but with time, something in him shifted. He became withdrawn. Dark. But now? There’s a lightness to him. It’s in his stride, in his voice.” A smile broke through his stoic expression. “You’ve played a part in pulling him out of that. For that, I owe you thanks.”
I tensed. “But?”
He smiled. “But I expect you to be a positive influence. I won’t tolerate you messing with my brother’s heart.”
“My relationship with Achille is none of your business.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not true. The Family needs him whole and undamaged.”
Frowning, I took a step back. “You talk about him like he’s a robot. Like he’ll do whatever I want.”
