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Who cares?
What happened to men’s business, and the women looking the other way when they saw too much? Was this seeing too much? It had to be. Someone was freaking dead. Did I just pretend to be heavily invested in that spot on the carpet? Did I sidle out of the room almost comically obviously?
Who cares?
I cared. Very much.
This seemed like a serious breaking of protocols, and I didn’t much care for that. No one had actually said there were consequences to the women finding out about the men’s business, but I understood they were implied. Just because I didn’t know what they were, didn’t mean I couldn’t be afraid of them.
Valen sighed as he scrubbed a hand over the stubble on his jaw. “The Rossanos paid him off and he turned. Battista put him down before he could do much damage, and took a bullet for his troubles.”
“I knew taking Machette in was a fucking bad idea. Dad wouldn’t fucking listen,” Apollo muttered.
“Vinnie’s threatening worse than a couple of bullets if you don’t show your face.”
“It’s a fucking Tuesday,” Apollo huffed. “I do have class tomorrow.”
Valen shrugged. “No one cares if I miss class. I’d be more than happy to go show Vinnie just how inconvenient his timing is.”
“You can’t kill Vinnie Rossano.”
Valen’s eyebrow rose. “Can’t I?”
Apollo smirked at him. “You could. Easily. But I’m not giving that order.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and stretched his neck as he thought. Finally, he sighed, “Vinnie’s got a niece, yeah?”
Valen nodded. “She’s enrolled here.”
Apollo’s nod was terse. “Get the boys to pay her a visit. Give her some time in the boot of one of the cars until Vinnie starts to see sense–”
“You’re going to kidnap her?” burst out of me and they both turned to me like they’d forgotten I was there.
Apollo shrugged. “It’s just kidnapping.”
“Just kidnapping?” I repeated and he nodded. “Just kidnapping someone we go to school with?”
“You say that like it’s the first time.” Valen scoffed.
He was glad I was here. Glad I was seeing this side of them. A side he knew would shock me. If he thought that it would make me want him less…then he was right because I was totally over him.
Apollo shrugged. “We need her for leverage. Vinnie Rossano’s a piece of work and, if he’s turning Dad’s men, then I need to do something.”
“Turning? Like you’re playing at war?” I said.
“Our peace is tenuous, babe,” Apollo said, like that was supposed to appease me.
“Oh, and kidnapping his niece isn’t going to make him retaliate?”
Apollo pointed at Valen like he’d thought of something. “Get Fender to keep an eye on Harlow and tell the boys to watch their backs. Tell them why if you want. Sooner Vinnie knows we’ve got his niece, the quicker this will go.”
I frowned and crossed my arms. “I don’t need a babysitter. No one’s bothered me before.”
“No one’s got past one of us before,” Valen said snidely, and I didn’t want to think about what he was implying.
I ignored him, the blazing beacon that he was, and kept my gaze on Apollo. “Why don’t you just put me in the boot with Vinnie Rossano’s niece?” I suggested.
Apollo huffed. “Fuck’s sake!”
I glared at him. “Is this why the women aren’t allowed to know the men’s business? Because there’d be no kidnapping or torture or any of the ‘fun’ stuff?”
