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There have been a few unpleasant times when I’ve had to come down on my own brothers. As Enforcer, it’s part of the job. But, like Gino, I have very little desire to carry out my duties on his fiancée. She’s a civilian, for one thing, although she knew the score when she agreed to get married. Or Ithinkshe did. Far as I know, she was involved in Gino’s jewelry hustle out in the Hills.
“Pull her into line,” I tell him. Then, “What’s she been doing, anyway?”
“Didn’t you hear Dad last week? She’s starring in that new movie the Castellanis put money into. Well, notstarring. But it’s a super important part, and she killed the audition. And she didn’t know the Castas were involved when she agreed. Now she doesn’t wanna pull out. Says it could be her big break, a star-making role. And the Castas only put in, like, five percent, anyhow.”
He goes on and on. I listen to Gino’s whining for a moment longer, feeling a twinge of irritation. I mean, what the fuck does he want me to do about his fiancée’s acting career? But he’s my little brother and I love him, and I know how much he and Roxy love each other, even if I don’t like her much.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I tell him. “But I’m telling you, Gino, you need to put your foot down. Remind your lady what happened to her friend.”
He looks miserable. “I’ll try, but she’s been upset about pulling back on the wedding costs, too. Roxy has a taste for the good life, and, well...”
I know what’s unsaid. The Bernardi Family are teetering on the edge right now. While we control the docks, life is still sweet. But without that source of income, we’re broke. And based on the disrespect even shitheads like PacSyn are showing us now, we might go broke a lot sooner than Dad assumes.
“Hey, sorry, man,” Gino says awkwardly.
I glance at him. “Huh?”
“Here I am bitching about wedding costs, when you…” He clears his throat. “I’m sorry, is all. Didn’t mean to rub it in.”
He misinterpreted my silence, and I really fucking wish he hadn’t. I have no idea how much Gino knows about my situation, but there are plenty of things I don’twanthim to know. Like where I live. Or my preference for dick. “You got nothing to be sorry about.”
“Yeah, but—“
“Drop it, Gino.”
He drops it. And then a few minutes later, he pulls up outside The Cellar, and I step out of the car, giving him a nod before shutting the door.
As I make my way around to the back entrance, my mind goes back to Julian Castellani. The manisa fucking psycho, official diagnosis or not, but I can’t help but be drawn to him. He’s dangerous, unpredictable, and he has a way of making the world his own playground.
And the thing that’s driving me craziest of all?
Itstilltook a while for him to recognize me today. When he walked into the bar at The Cellar for our meeting and looked around, his eyes went right over me and then moved on.
Ihad to chasehim. Again. Go up to the bar and fucking announce my presence.
I’m still not sure what that’s about. Maybe he’s playing me, maybe he thinks it’s funny to pretend that I’m not worth remembering. Maybe it was all part of leading up to telling me that he’s only interested in Romeo.
Not Leo.
But he certainlyseemsto be interested still, because when I come around the corner of the building, Julian fucking Castellani is right there, leaning up against my parked bike, twirling that brick of dope around in his hands again.
He smiles at me. “Took you long enough.”
CHAPTER15
JULIAN
There isa singular pleasure in watching the confusion, rage and admiration coalesce on Leo Bernardi’s face as he takes me in.
“You know I’ve killed people just for touching my bike?” he says at last.
I laugh. “Then come and kill me. Or give me my reward.”
“Reward?”
“I think I’ve earned a little time with Romeo. Don’t you?” I watch him closely. I think it really does sting him to hear me say that; to make it plain that my interest is in Romeo, not Leo Bernardi, Mob Enforcer.
Iwantit to sting. I want to keep him off-balance.
