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I eyed my friend. “I told him that I was going to insist that Renzo make it right.”
He just shook his head before taking a drinkof his bourbon. There was an art to manipulation, and I was a fucking artist. Aurelio knew this, and even if Kasen ever did find out the truth, we both knew that I could handle it just like I handled everything else that went wrong.
“You just better hope that Mano doesn’t get greedy,” he said pointedly. “He’s already gone through the whole five-million, Nero.”
My brows rose at that. “In six months?”
Aurelio nodded. “In six months.”
Granted, it wasn’t hard to spend five-million dollars in six months when youhad expensive tastes, and I could easily see a guard getting a taste of the high life, then losing control. While our guards and soldiers were paid well, they weren’t paid millions every two weeks.
After taking a drink of my bourbon, I asked, “What did hespend it on?”
“To his credit, he did spend some of it on expensive jewelry for Fia. However, most of it went to the casinos,” he answered. “There were two ‘unexpected’ trips to Vegas recently.”
“And Renzo let him go?” While I didn’t doubt Aurelio’s account of the facts, I was still surprised to hear that Renzo had allowed Fia to go unguarded.
“When I visited with your dad last week, Mrs. Milano had been chatting up a storm, saying how Fia had been too sick to leave her bedroom a few weeks ago. My guess isthat Mano must have fed Fia a story to help get him out of guarding her for his trip to Vegas.”
Finishing off my drink, I shrugged. “Well, if he’s stupid enough to try to blackmail me for some more money, he’ll just end up eating the end of my gun. I’m notworried.”
Aurelio finished his drink before asking, “What time are weleaving?”
“Six,” I answered. “I don’t want the priest out too late.”
My best friend smirked. “You’re a goddamn saint, Nero. Really.”
Chapter 4
Kasen~
Dinner was to be served at six, something that hadn’t changed since moving out on my own. Though my father hadn’t always been able to make it, that hadn’t ever prevented my mother from serving dinner on time in this household.
Because I was a little bit early, I went in search of my sisterbefore looking for my parents. I wanted to talk to Fia about what I’d seen, and I also wanted to find out what her plan was. If she was really in love with Mano, then that could pose a serious problem for both the families involved.
When I finally came upon her room, I knocked but not out of politeness, not really. I just really didn’t want to walk in on something that I didn’t need to see again. If Fia didn’t have a problem getting it on with Mano in the damn library, then there was no telling what went on in her bedroom.
Knocking, I called for her. “Fia?”
“Comein,” she called back.
I opened the door, then walked in to see my sister sitting at her vanity table, touching up her makeup, though she really didn’t need to. Fia was always dressed and done up toperfection. Her blonde hair never had a hair out of place, and she knew how to apply her makeup to make the most of her blue eyes. She knew how to do that whole contouring thing, and good for her if it made her feel beautiful.
“Hey,” I greeted as I leanedup against her dresser. “How have you been?”
Fia ignored me, touching up her makeup a bit more aggressively, and that was her answer. Even though we were four years apart, and I’d already been out of the house when she had entered high school, Fia didn’t have much of a poker face. Having been spoiled all her life, her emotions showed in her face and her mannerisms.
“Want to talk about it?” I asked, even though I already knew that I was going tospeak to her about what I saw. Our mother was starting to talk about making wedding plans, so time was running out.
Placing her powder brush back in its spot, she turned to look at me, and I could see everything that she was doing and feeling on her face. She also looked defiant, and that wasn’t good.
“I’m not marrying Nero Sartori,” she announced. “I refuse to.”
I let out a slow breath, choosing my words carefully. “Does this have anything to do with Mano?”
Herblue eyes widened. “What?”
I let out a disappointing sigh. “I know about you and Mano, Fia.”
