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“I’m going out. I’m not sure if I’ll be home tonight,” he tells me.
“Dad, you’re old enough to do whatever you want. You don’t have to tell me. Just make sure you’re back here by eleven tomorrow morning. You promised Anthony you’d take him to the soft play.”
He smiles as he reaches for his jacket. “I’m looking forward to it. I won’t be late. Have a good night, Gabs. I’ll see you in the morning.” He presses a kiss against my cheek, and I watch him leave. He’s got an extra pep in his step. I love that he’s so happy, and I really hope Christina doesn’t find out about Hazel. I can only imagine what will happen if she does.
Christina is losing everything. Her status as dad’s wife, the money, the house, and everything else that goes along with being married to the boss. She’s going to be angry, and anger can cause people to do stupid shit. I just pray that when she finds out, she doesn’t do anything rash.
Chapter 14
Alessio
“Remind me again,” I growl as I climb into the car. “Why am I having to go to this chick party?”
“You’re an ass, Ales,” Makenna snaps. “You’re going because I said.”
I glance at Dante and see that he’s chuckling to himself. “Babe, ignore him. He doesn’t do well with family.”
He’s right, I don’t. The only family I want is those that I trust. Dante, Romero, Makenna, and Holly. Everyone else can fuck off for all I care. I’ve lived the life of being beaten and tormented by those who are supposedly family. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
“Well, this is my family and, in turn, yours. You’ve been with us for so long now, Ales. You should really know better.”
I sit back against the seat as Makenna drives us toward her cousin's house. No matter what I say, they are not going to listen to me. They want what’s best for their family. I get it. I just wish it didn’t include me.
We arrived in Indianapolis last night. Makenna has managed to find a couple of houses to lease, so we’re all under one roof with Romero and Holly, Finn, and Destiny. Then Holly’sbrothers are staying with their dad in another, along with their wives. Denis’ wife Callie is friends with Hayden’s wife. The two of them spend a lot of time on the phone talking about business, as Adelina runs Hayden’s bar.
“Remember, Ales,” Dante says. “This is a family gathering. No need for the snarl.”
I roll my eyes. He thinks he’s fucking hilarious, whereas he’s not. “I know, which is why I left my gun at home.”
Makenna laughs. “You may have left one of them there, but you’re not unarmed.”
Hell fucking no. Of course I’m not. I’m not stupid. I know better than to leave the house without a weapon on me.
“No one is going to be shooting,” she says, and I’m sure I hear a little disappointment in her voice. The woman loves violence. I’m sure she suffers from bloodlust, just as my brothers and I do. It’s one of the very many reasons that my brother, Dante, is completely besotted with her.
As much shit as they both give me and I give them, they’re family, and I respect and cherish them. Just as I would with Romero and Holly. Sometimes I see the way my brothers are with their wives and want the same thing. Other times, I’m grateful that I don’t. If I were to have what they have, I know that the only woman I’d want it with is Gabriella. The woman is someone I want, someone I crave. I've been obsessed with her since I woke up in her bed.
“Who else is going to be here?” I ask, hoping like fuck Hayden’s grandmother will be. That woman is a riot and gives her daughter-in-law, Edwina, shit on a daily basis, while her son sits back and tries not to laugh.
“All the family and a friend of Ade’s. I’m not sure who, but someone who owns an art gallery next to the bar,” Makenna says. “She’s helped Ade a lot since Vivianna died, and I know the girl means a lot to Ade, just as Annamarie does.”
I press my lips together so as not to laugh at the distaste in Makenna’s voice as she mentions her cousin's wife. I’m not really sure what actually went down between the women in the Gallagher family and Hayes’ wife, Anna-Marie, but I do know there was a fuck of a lot not told to them and the woman suffered multiple miscarriages that had the Gallagher family constantly asking her when she and Hayes would have another child. The woman apparently snapped and became bitchy—not that anyone could blame her—and that began the dislike.
“You can’t kill a pregnant woman,” Dante tells his wife.
Makenna sighs. “That’s not what I want to do at all.”
My brother chuckles. “You’re pissed because you have to be nice to her.”
Silence descends between them, and I chuckle. My sister-in-law despises being wrong and she hates making nice with people. She either likes you or hates you, there’s no in between with her, and the fact that she’s hated her cousin’s wife for so long and now has to be nice, pisses her the fuck off.
Makenna and Dante start talking about work and what their plans are as they continue to make waves throughout the US. They want to break into the south of the country, along with moving further west. But instead of just having the Gallagher’s break into those states and take over, they’re talking about having the Bianchi’s do the same. Something my brother is on board with. Having our alliance so tightly with the Gallagher’s has meant we’ve had a lot more Italian men sign up to be our soldiers. Since my brothers married into the Gallagher family, our men have tripled in size—something that could also be attributed to Dante taking the helm. We’ve slowly but surely taken over other states in the west, joining the ever-growing Gallagher family.
Dante has moved into Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Maine, Ohio, and West Virginia. Making some of his moretrusted men, Underbosses, and having even more soldiers in our ranks. We’ve grown, our Famiglia has expanded, and the men are happy. There’s no longer unrest at having Dante marry the Irish woman. Those who were against it are dead and we will continue to eradicate anyone who dislikes what we now stand for. Dante isn’t our father; he’s the furthest thing from it. He’s worked his fucking ass off without harming innocents to grow the Famiglia into something my father could only ever dream of. Dante is a better boss than my father ever was, and now everyone knows it.
We pull up to the house and I see we’re one of the last people to arrive. Good, last in, first out. It’s the best way to be. Also, with me arriving with Makenna and Dante, I can grab a beer and not have to be welcomed by the fucking entire Clann.
“You’re here,” I hear cried, and turn to see Edwina Gallagher walk out of the house with a smile on her face.
