Page 18 of Deathless & Divided

Damian decided to let it go. He had enough of his own problems as it was.

Like Lily and what Dino wanted him to do for her.

Damian’s gaze found Terrance Trentini in the middle of the room engaged in conversation with his grandson Joel, Ben DeLuca, and a Capo for the Outfit. Business never ended when it came to the family.

Dino wanted Lily to be safe and he earned Damian’s loyalty a long time ago—Damian needed to pay up. Men like them were nothing without their word and too many men in the Outfit seemed to forget about that. Damian followed through on his word every single time. Lily DeLuca would be no exception, even if that meant she hated him for it.

Lily and Damian didn’t have to like one another to be married, apparently. People around them proved that fact all the time.

“What do you think of the Outfit?” Damian asked. “Inside, I mean. Not business, but what does it make you think of?”

Tommas hummed. “It’s family, man.”

“Really, that’s all you’ve got to give me? Family?”

“The only family we know.”

True.

“Sometimes family hurts,” Damian said.

Tommas nodded. “Ours certainly does.”

“Someone’s been watching you for the last half hour, Lily.”

Damian hid his smile with his glass of cognac as Lily shot him a piercing look over her shoulder. Oh yeah, the girl was still pissed. He pretended not to notice she had caught him watching her and instead, surveyed the room while keeping her in his peripherals.

Lily was three sheets to the wind if her fifth glass of red wine was any indication. She hid her buzz well. Damian gave her credit for that.

“Yes, I’m aware,” Lily grumbled under her breath.

Evelina laughed lightly as Lily’s gaze left Damian as quickly as it found him. “He’s very handsome and since he’s my cousin, that’s all I’m willing to give on the topic.”

“Shut up, Eve.”

“He is, Lily.” Evelina shrugged. “Hey, at least Dino picked someone for you that looks decent, can take care of you, and likes your brothers.”

“Yeah, because that’s everything that matters right there.”

“Just saying. You could be me.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Lily asked.

Evelina scoffed. “It means, I’m just waiting for the highest bid to come in, Lily. That’s what happens when your father is the front boss for the Outfit and you’re his only daughter. Think about it, he needs to compete with Ben and whoever the hell else Terrance likes. Men like my father only want to go up and that’s all they give a damn about. If they can’t get up there by their own hand, they’ll use somebody else’s to get there. My hand happens to be the one he’s going to use, maybe even for another family.”

“Which one?”

“Who knows? New York, Boston, maybe the fucking Vegas crew. He might as well slap a few stamps on my forehead and send me through the mail.”

Lily’s head turned just enough to give Damian a glimpse of her profile. Her frown and crumpled brow spoke of worry and disgust.

Why did she care so much about what happened to someone else?

“That sucks,” Lily said.

“Yeah, it does,” Evelina agreed. “And I was kind of liking on somebody, too. Daddy would have a righteous fit if he found out.”

“Oh, who?”