“Why now, you don’t like it when friends pay you a visit, Furore? I thought the South was much friendlier than that.”
“Friends don’t ask other friends for favors by threatening them or their family. They also don’t touch shit that ain’t theirs or sniff around it. You got awelcome to H-townand a beerbecauseyou’re in the South. Anywhere else, you know what you’d be getting.”
He leaned back in his seat and uncrossed his legs. “It looks like we got off on the wrong foot. Allow me to change that.” He stood and unbuttoned his suit jacket. “You, your son andyour old ladyare invited to my son’s birthday party two weeks from now. I’m doing it here inH-town.My wife would love to meet signorina Meneceo.” He stuck his hand out, thorns and skulls wrapping around the wrist. “How about that for renewing our hopefully long friendship?”
Fuck that weasel bastard. He still suspected Jo was Madeline’s daughter, almost convinced she was, and he was tricking me to deliver my own girl to them myself, knowing if I refused to go to the party, I’d be confirming his suspicions for him. Fuck. I gripped at the surface of the desk and slowly got my ass off the chair. Then my glance dropped to his hand. “Sounds fancy. Not my thing, though. But I’ll ask my family if they’re up for it. See, I’d do anything to be with them, make them happy, and most importantly, keep them safe. If they say okay, I’ll be there with them. Either way, we’ll send a present for sure.”
“Generous, but I expect you to be there, Furore, with signorina Meneceo…at least. My wife will be very disappointed if your old lady doesn’t show up, and I hate nothing more than to disappoint my wife. It puts me in a very dark mood, makes me do things that aren’t pleasant. It also makes my mind wander to other dark places, ask questions that I might have been willing to ignore, like,” he flexed his jaw, withdrawing his hand, “why would a guy I put on a job, not only fail to get it done but also obstruct the other guy I send to finish it? Don’t you think that’s suspicious as fuck?”
“You’re talking to me about suspicious? I was supposed to make who you assumed was Jocasta Larvin trust me enough to spill her secrets. I had a plan going and your guy came pissing all over it. When I saw Maverick, I knew the deal was off, and I wouldn’t stand by watching a pathetic piece of shit hit a woman, no matter who she was. That’s not how I do business. So here’s how I see it. You didn’t trust my way, and you didn’t even bother to give me a heads up I was off the job. Then you pull this shit on me. How’s that for suspicious?”
“Ahh, I see. Va bene. It was a misunderstanding apparently. Bygones?”
“Doesn’t look like it to me when you’re here bringing this up again and after I told you she’s off-limits now? Jo Meneceo isn’t the Larvin’s kid. I saw it, your guy saw it, the whole prison saw it. Punto. And now she’s mine and under my protection.”
“Oh, I must have misspoken again. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today.” He placed a hand on his heart. “I believe you, Furore. I mean, why would you ever lie to me when everybody knows how much I fucking hate liars? We’re supposed to be friends, vero? And I totally respect the boundaries you’re setting for your woman.
“It’s just that if you turn down my invitation,bless your heart, I’ll start thinking you don’t want to be friends, which will make me really sad, or worse, I’ll start having those darn questions again like, do you have something to hide from me? Does your old lady? Is she afraid of something? Or have I been lied to by someone I thought I could trust? I don’t know, my friend.” His voice took a harsh turn. “When those questions find no answers, I can’t sleep until I find them myself. Il Tagliatore way.”
Fuck.
His smirk reappeared on his bony ass face. “I’ll see you, Furore. Hopefully, two weeks from now, or even earlier if you feel like stopping by any time, you know for a chat over a glass of the Lanzas’ famous wine, when you can tell me all about your little vacation you spent in my town, share some juicy hot for teacher,who’s not Jocasta Larvin, secrets, get them off your chest, if you know what I mean. I promise our friendly talks will be very rewarding.”
FUCKKK. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Sure. Just so you know, I’ll understand if you’re busy. It’ll be your loss, though.”
When he took his goons and left, Molar and Fort took the seats across from me, their stares bustling with questions.
“What the fuck just happened, Furore?” VP demanded. “That sounded like an open fucking threat.”
It was. Enzio Lanza didn’t believe Jo was just Jo Meneceo, the innocent English teacher. He was threatening me to come clean about her or it’d bemy loss.
“Is there something we should know, Prez?” Fort asked warily.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Molar darted a glance between us. “Are you keeping something from us, bro?”
When I didn’t say anything, he rolled his eyes and cursed. “She is Madeline’s daughter, ain’t she? Jesus Christ.”
And now I had two options according to Enzio Lanza. Go to him and tell him the truth myself to save my ass and the club from whatever revenge his Tagliatore ass had in mind. Or go with Jo to his party, to his own lair, where he’d have invited the Larvins for sure, to lie to him and them in the face and convince them she wasn’t the lost daughter.
If I did either, the woman I loved would be as good as dead. If I didn’t, I’d get us all fucked. How the fuck could I make that choice?
CHAPTER 5
Jo
Footsteps and key rattles echoed from outside. My heart thudded in my chest, but I stood still.
Tirone’s gaze that had been settled on me all the time we were waiting in here intensified. “That moment of truth is nearest than your fate…and mine.”
I swallowed, shifting my eyes to the door, as if that would bring my anxiety and distress down. Could Laius do that to me? Give me up? I’d be sad, but it wouldn’t anger me. I didn’t know how powerful the Night Skulls were. I was aware they ruled Houston, but I couldn’t imagine they were a match for the mob. The Mafia wasn’t to be trifled with. By coming here in that fashion, the Lanzas’ boss must have threatened Laius. Laius had no choice but to save his family and club. Someone like me wasn’t worth the sacrifice. In fact, if he chose any differently, that would anger me.
I didn’t wait for the door to open. I marched toward it, ready for what was to come.
When the old metal squeaked, and Laius appeared, his face dark with burden, tears clogged the back of my throat. Nodding, I stretched my lips with a smile so that the tears wouldn’t fall. “Is he still here?”
He shook his head once. “It’s safe.”
