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I step into his penthouse, off the elevator. No, I’m not invited and at this point, I don’t care. I’m still a boss in this family and Gio has some answering to do as one of my captains.
Music and moans fill the air as I move through the apartment. I follow the sounds, stopping short as my brother comes into view. I’m so stunned, I stand staring with my mouth open. In my shock, I don’t register the gun Jace has pulled on me.
“Jesus, Dario, I almost blew your head off,” Jace breathes.
Nyla jerks away from the passionate kiss she’s locked in with Gio and covers her naked breasts Jace had been sucking and kneading. I don’t know what to think or say.
“You need something?” Gio asks as he cuts off the music and crosses his arms over his bare chest.
“We need to talk,” I reply.
He leans over to grab a dress shirt from the accent chair and covers Ny with it. She climbs from Jace’s lap and turns to look up at Gio. He palms her neck and tugs her into a kiss.
Jace stands with a clear hard-on in his pants and shields Ny with his body as he pushes her gently forward and guides her from the room.
I pull a hand down my face. My brother is a lot more complicated than I thought. I stare after Jace and Nyla wondering what the fuck I just walked in on.
“Do we have a problem?” Gio asks, pulling my attention.
I shake my head clear. “What’s that about?” I nod toward the direction Jace and Nyla went in.
“Nothing you need to be concerned with and I’m sure that’s not what you came here for.”
“You want to explain to me how Peter Hall ended up working for Dante in the first place? And Lizzy shocked the fuck out of me. Nyla is a sniper for fuck’s sake. You had her and some other board around Carleen while I was gone, and I know it wasn’t for Car to have new friends. What are you up to, Gio?”
“Stugots.”
“Bullshit. I don’t believe for a second you don’t have anything to do with all this. You know something.”
“It’s better you walk out that door and act like you know nothing. I’m not ready for this conversation and neither are you,” he barks.
“Mama, she’s still alive, isn’t she? You’ve known where she is all this time.”
He closes the gap between us and gets in my face. His chest heaves as he cracks his knuckles at his sides. I hold my head high and glare back at him.
“Always with the questions. I told you it’s not time. I’m aware of everything. What belongs to me is never in danger. I’m controlling everything and in the right timing, everyone will be where I need them and then, you will have answers.”
“Were the feds ever on my ass or was that more of your manipulative bullshit?”
“The feds were looking for the wrong twin and had your name in their mouth. You’re higher on the totem pole. You were going to take the fall for Dante. All his illegal shit was about to land in your lap and he would have walked away clean. I had a choice to make, and I chose to make sure both my brothers remained free.”
“I knew it. You ended all his side business. At first, I didn’t catch on, but it all fit together as I sat and thought about it tonight.”
“I removed any living ties that could land him or you in a cell. I told you, I’m in control here. When Toni came to me for a favor about a year ago, I told her she could have whatever she wanted if she kept an eye on anything coming our way.
“She and Talon ran into this shit around the same time. Toni was able to slow it down until I cleaned things up. Now say thank you and get the fuck out.”
I ran a hand through my hair. I know Dante had ties to drug dealings as an endgame for more legit shit, but I always thought we had enough distance from it. If the feds had a RICO case against me for the shit he’s tied to, I was going down in flames.
We’re identical. I could be fingered for any of his crimes with no one being the wiser if prints aren’t involved. Our personalities are what sets us apart.
“Thanks, but Gio, she’s my ma too. I deserve to know.”
He grabs the back of my neck. “What you deserve to know is that everything, and I mean everything, I do is to protect my family. It won’t be much longer. I’m making things right, trust me.” He tugs my head down to kiss my forehead and squeezes the back of my neck.
