Page 53 of Duty

He didn’t fucking know what everybody was worried about where John was concerned. All the men of their family kept voicing their opinions about watching John, and making sure his mafia business was on the up and up as a Capo, but it was un-fucking-needed. John knew what he was doing, and he was damn good at it, too.

Like tonight.

Andino had to be here.

He had to watch his cousin.

He had to hover.

It wasn’t necessary at all. John had this meeting covered, and handled. It was going to go off without a hitch whether Andino was there to supervise, or not. John didn’t need someone babysitting his ass, regardless of what Dante and the rest of them thought.

At the same time … well, Andino didn’t want to upset his cousin, either, so he didn’t bring any of that up, or his own issues that he had going on. John probably didn’t need that shit piled onto all the rest of the crap he was already trying to handle.

No one did.

“You’re quiet,” John noted.

Andino shrugged. “I can’t be quiet?”

“You usually aren’t.”

“Fair,” he murmured.

“Is it this meeting?”

Andino passed his cousin a look. “When I say this meeting and how you choose to handle it is the last thing on my mind, that’s exactly what I mean. I’m not worried about it, and you shouldn’t be, either.”

“You’re the only one who isn’t worried about me.”

He did worry about John.

Just not for this.

There was a difference.

“Dante still riding your ass?” John asked.

“Don’t be worrying about—”

“Shut up and answer the question.”

Andino let out a dark laugh. “Fuck you, man.”

John grinned. “What—hit the nail on the head, did I? I knew there was a reason you were quiet.”

Yeah, he did.

John had a way like that … or, at least when it came to Andino. Maybe it was because the two had been looking out for one another since they were kids. Maybe it was the fact they could be brothers if not for the whole different mothers and fathers thing. Maybe it was just their life that made them this way.

Who fucking knew what it was, really?

Who cared?

As long as they were tight, nothing else mattered.

Not for him.

He’d look out for John.