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My brother isn't a bad person.
I know this, no matter how many times Vito tries to tell me otherwise.
But something about the way he's staring at me with a bullshit smile on his face... well it tells me that he's definitely up to something that’snotgood.
I school my features, not giving anything away as I stare at him. "My new guard?" I ask, glancing at the man standing just beside Maximo.
He's a mess.
To say the least.
His jacket has holes in it, his hair is greasy and hangs into his face, his beard is wild and ungroomed. And he's looking as if he's prepared to fight his way out of my office.
I’ve seen wild animals look more tame.
I look at Vito, finding his hand on his gun. "Hold, Vito," I tell him, before looking back at Maximo, waiting for an explanation.
My brother moves closer, stopping when he's shoulder to shoulder with Vito. A muscle twitches in Vito’s jaw. He takes a step back, angling his body so he can see Maximo and the new straggler as well.
"Aberto took one to the head yesterday," he says casually of our fallen cousin. "And he's been your pathetic personal guard for the last couple months. You need to find a replacement and frankly, no one on hand is trained well enough to protect you, other than Lucia, and you know she doesn't remain in one place long. She's better in the field."
I purse my lips, not liking where this is going. It all sounds too well thought out, and Maximo thinking before acting is a dangerous thing.
He isn't a bad person, he just does bad things.
"And you propose that this man is his new guard," Vito gestures at said man who stares back at him with hard eyes.
"Yes," Maximo says, plopping down in the now vacant seat across from me. He props his feet up on my desk, nearly kicking my papers off. "He's qualified."
"And how is he qualified?" Vito asks, continuing to level looks at the man. He doesn't trust Maximo much these days and trusts outsiders even less, which says something. So, I know he's ready to jump out of his skin just at Maximo's proposition.
"Yeah, he's former military," Maximo continues. "Marines, to be specific and you know those motherfuckers are good to lay a threat out." He runs down the man's military experience, including his tours overseas, but there's still something so calculated about it that I can't ignore.
He's not a bad person.
His eyes meet mine when he's done and that little smirk is still on his face, the one that promises trouble.
But he does a lot of bad things.
And by bad, I don't mean killing people. If you're a part of the family, you have a high body count. It comes with the job. But Maximo does far too many things out of the interest of the family. Things that would get other family members killed. Things thathavegotten others killed.
There has to be something that possessed him to bring me this man and propose I make him my own personal guard.
"How do you know this..." Vito's brows scrunch together and he turns to look at the man, "what's your name?"
The stranger only stares at him for a few moments before he glances briefly at Maximo. The look is quick, but it's enough for me to make a mental note of it.
Is he looking to Maximo for direction?
He looks back at Vito. "Enzo."
"How do you know Enzo?" Vito looks back at Maximo.
Maximo shrugs his shoulders. "I know him from here and there."
"Maximo," I cut in. I know my brother and if I let him, he'll continue to bullshit until Vito loses his composure. Something that he does far more often lately.
"Met him on the streets.” Maximo gives another one of those fucking casual shrugs.
