Page 56 of Naz & Roz

He knew better.

And he hated this just as much as his father did.

Cross likely knew it, too.

Not that it would change this whole meeting, or what his father had to do because of Nazio’s mistakes. It wouldn’t. Nazio couldn’t be treated any differently than any other man trying to get his button for the family. He certainly had the privilege of being the son of a boss, but that didn’t extend him very many special allowances at the end of the day.

And Naz didn’t want it to.

“But why?” his father asked again. “Why the distraction? What happened? This isn’t like you at all.”

Roz.

Or … mostly her.

Two weeks had been spent with him trying to get as much time with her as he could. In his bed, and out of it. She was like a hungry little kitten. All claws, and softness waiting for him day after day. It was fucking addictive. Naz hadn’t really considered some of the shit he was letting fall to the wayside because his brain wasn’t the type to fail him in that kind of way. He kept up on everything. Distracted or not.

Apparently, not this time.

“I got caught up in other things,” he offered to his father instead of outing the name of the daughter of the man sitting right beside Cross. Zeke wouldn’t appreciate that, and frankly, Naz hadn’t even had a decent conversation with the man since he started dating Zeke’s daughter. He figured today was not the day Zeke wanted to hear this kind of shit, or have that conversation. It was the respect of the matter. “I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again, boss.”

Cross’s jaw tightened. A sure sign his father was irritated that he wasn’t getting the answers he wanted from his son. But that was the thing about Naz, and his father knew it all too well.

Twins, right?

They were too alike for their own good.

Naz was stubborn as fuck. A brick wall when it came right down to it. If he didn’t want to say something, not even a gun to his temple was going to make those words come out. That’s just how it worked for him.

His father was the same.

Cross cleared his throat, and straightened a bit in his seat. “Fine, then. Since you know you set us back a bit this week, then you won’t mind picking up the slack for the other Capos’ men who have helped you this week to correct your mistakes. You’re to take on a duty from each of them, and handle it until the wedding, Nazio.”

He blinked, and did the math in his head.

That was ten guys, at least.

And the wedding—his sister’s—was a month and a half away.

Not impossible, as Naz could make anything work if he put his mind to it. Or rather, like in this case, he wasn’t given much of a fucking choice. But that meant he was going to get a hell of a lot less time with Roz, and he really didn’t know how to tell her that. None of this had been her fault. It was his screw up, and he should have remedied it before it got this far.

“Okay,” Naz said.

Cross eyed his son for another few seconds like he was trying to figure something out before he flicked a hand. A silent dismissal if Naz had ever seen one. He knew better than to linger after his father did something like that.

Outside the restaurant, Naz found a comfortable spot leaning against the brick and patted the pockets of his jacket until he found what he wanted. It wasn’t often that he smoked, but sometimes, shit just called for smoke and nicotine.

Today was one of those days.

He’d just lit up the cigarette and took a heavy drag when his father slid in beside him against the brick wall. For a time, Cross said nothing, and allowed Naz his silence and peace while he smoked. He was grateful.

It didn’t last too long.

“You’re distracted by her, aren’t you?” his father asked. “That’s what it is, and what you didn’t want to say. Rosalynn.”

Naz coughed, and took another drag from the smoke before shrugging. “Her father’s sitting right there. What, you want me to discuss private matters about her in public with Zeke sitting right there, or …?”

“No, not particularly.”