AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What if I’m his only spy?” Gino asked. This was the part that he didn’t want to admit to his partner. Bruno knew that what he was about to admit to Gino was only going to piss him off completely.
“I know that you aren’t his only spy because last night, I caught one of my father’s guys snooping around the outside of my house,” Bruno said. He hoped that was enough of an explanation to appease Gino, but from the dark look in his guy’s eyes, it wasn’t even close enough information to keep him from asking more questions.
“How about you tell me the rest of the story?” Gino asked.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” Bruno lied.
“Bullshit,” Gino growled, “you know exactly what I’m talking about. You did something and you’re hoping that you don’t have to tell me about it. But it’s obviously big enough news that you need to tell your father, and you’re worried about me getting involved. Do I have that right?” Gino asked. He had almost guessed the entire story on his own, but filling in the rest of it wasn’t something that Bruno wanted to do.
“Yeah,” Bruno grumbled. “That’s about right.”
“So, how about you tell me the rest, and then, I’m coming in with you and will have your back, like I do every damn day. You’re not going into that building without backup and protecting me isn’t your job. In fact, it’s the other way around. If you’re about to do something stupid and walk into a dangerous situation, I’m going in with you, Bruno.”
“Fuck,” Bruno growled. “Fine, I killed the mother fucker.”
“Wait—you killed one of your father’s guys?” Gino asked. Now he was getting it and maybe Bruno should have just kept the whole fucking mess to himself.
“Yeah, I caught him looking into my kitchen window and well, I had a knee-jerk reaction, pulled my gun from my shoulder holster and killed the fucker. I shot him through the fucking window, right between the eyes.”
“Shit,” Gino mumbled, “not good, man.”
“I know,” Bruno admitted. “I called in Louie and his guys to take care of the body and they agreed to keep things hush-hush until I could tell my father what happened. It was an honest mistake, but they guy fucked up, showing himself while I was home.”
“And you’re sure that he was there to spy on you for your father?” Gino asked.
“Yep,” Bruno said, “you know what he does for my father. He was there to spy on me, no question about it.” Louie was his father’s top goon for keeping tabs on the Gluttony Syndicate’s men when they got out of line and needed to be reminded who they were loyal to. Hell, if he hadn’t gotten the drop on Louie, he probably would have gotten the beating of his life, at the very least, and that wasn’t something he needed. His father liked to put everyone in their place, and Bruno would be no exception.
“Yeah—I’ve always hated that asshole. I know that you didn’t mean to kill the guy, but your father won’t see it that way. He’s going to want his pound of flesh, and I’m not willing to sit out here and let him take it from you. I’m going in with you still,” Gino insisted. Bruno knew that ordering him to stay in the fucking car would do him no good, so instead, he just nodded his agreement. Honestly, he was grateful for the backup, even if he worried that he was getting Gino into more hot water with his father and the Syndicate. It wouldn’t be the first time that his guy had his back when it came to dealing with his father’s bullshit. In fact, he couldn’t think of a single time his guy didn’t have his back.
“Thanks, babe,” Bruno breathed.
“We’re doing that now?” Gino asked.
“Doing what?” Bruno asked, even though he knew that Gino was referring to the little term of endearment that he used to refer to him.
“You calling me cute little pet names now,” Gino said.
“Was it okay?” Bruno asked.
“Honestly? Yeah, I kind of liked it. I just wanted to make sure that we were really doing this and that you haven’t changed your mind or anything.”
“I haven’t changed my mind, babe,” Bruno insisted. “I still want you and when we are finished here, I plan on taking you back to my place to show you just how much.”
“Can’t wait,” Bruno breathed. He reached across and put his hand on Bruno’s thigh, squeezing it in his big hand. Bruno knew that was as much as they could do while sitting outside his father’s office building, but he couldn’t wait to do so much more with Gino. Later—for now, he had to go in and talk to his father and hope like hell that there was a later to look forward to.
* * *
Bruno’s father kept them sitting in the waiting room for over thirty minutes before agreeing to see him. Gino didn’t leave his side the entire time that they were there, and he could tell that Bruno liked him having his back.
“Sorry for the wait, Bruno,” Connie said. She had been his father’s loyal secretary for over twenty years now and he knew better than to cross her. His father was very protective of Connie and Bruno always wondered the reasoning behind that, but he never cared enough to find out. His father had screwed most of the women in the building and none of them mattered to his father once he was done with them, but Connie was different. Maybe his dad hadn’t slept with her, and that was what made her so different from the other women.
“That’s okay, Connie,” Bruno said, laying on the charm. She smiled and patted his cheek, much as an elderly aunt might at a Christmas party. He used to hate it when she’d do that to him, but over the years, he learned to accept her little love taps and even find them comforting.
“You can go right in now,” she said. Bruno smiled and nodded, trying not to let on how nervous he was, but he felt as though his heart might beat out of his chest as he stood to go into his father’s office.
“Thanks, Connie,” he said. He walked back to his father’s office and gently knocked on the door. Every time he had to come into this building and walk into his father’s office, he felt like a child who was about to be scolded. Most of the time, that was the case, but lately, it had become more. Now, if he was called into his father’s office, the situation could escalate to downright deadly for him and everyone he cared about, and he knew that firsthand after everything that happened to his sister, Trisha, and her new husband, Victor Sloth. Her father had put out a hit on his own daughter because she had fallen in love with a Sloth. He knew that his father would do the same to him as soon as he realized that he was with Gino, that’s why it was so important that he never found out—at least until the other families could come up with a good plan to oust his father from the head of household seat. Then, Bruno would take over the Gluttony Syndicate and they’d all finally be safe. The seven families would work in harmony again and there would be peace—at least, that was the hope.
His father called for him to come in, and Bruno pushed the door open to find him standing behind his desk with his two bodyguards flanking his sides. “Father,” Bruno said. Gino followed him into the office and his father looked between the two of them.
