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“Cast, I don’t get it. They’re all dime pieces. What’s wrong with them?”
They’re not Gia.
“Enjoy the night, Marco. This old sack of gold needs to get to bed.” I turn my back before he can blurt something else. And as I raise my hand to wave the others goodnight, a piercing voice shoots through the music.
“The fuck.”
Glass shatters, and I’m forced to turn to find Marco out of his seat. The women are all leaning away from him, one with her hands over her mouth.
“You know I hand-picked these girls to celebrate Ace’s big win, and yours.” His gestures are wide and fast. “Now you’re going to tell me what the fuck is going on with you. Glued to your phone, distant, not interested in partying or fucking. What? You turn gay overnight?”
He stomps over to me, and I’m in no mood.
This has been a long time coming.
He sticks his face nose-to-nose with mine. And it’s in this coke-rushed moment he’s going to remember which one of us is bigger.
I grab his collar and twist so hard he’s immediately choking. He flails, and I block a frantic right fist and pull down on his collar harder. My teeth are gritted. All eyes are on me. Maybe they need to see this.
“You’re my fucking brother, Marco. That’s the only reason your face is red right now, and not blue. Capito?”
His eyes are wide, and I can see he wants so badly to draw his gun and put it to my head. But he’d be dead before he could pull the trigger. I let him go, grab his blazer, and wipe the wrinkles out for him.
“I’m going through something. I don’t know what it is, and I sure as hell don’t have to tell anyone about it,” my voice is low so only he can hear. “Stop acting out, and lay off the fucking coke, it’s making you nuts.” I point two fingers to his temple.
“I didn’t deserve that, Cast.” His eyes are still wide, left one starting to twitch, head tilted.
“Think first the next time you want to make a scene.”
He comes back to himself, if only a little bit, casting a wild glance at all the eyes on us, the broken glass and spilled champagne. He knows that was all him, no matter what he tells himself to justify it.
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” I say, further smoothing things over. “The girls are beautiful. Enjoy them all for me.” I slap him twice.
Chapter 9
Castor
I can’t think, I can’t enjoy women, and the worst part? My best friend is fucking onto me. The drive back from Atlantic City is fast in the middle of the night. I left my entire crew to enjoy the after party without me. Hell, I don’t even give a shit that I’m not seeing the Russian off in the morning.
There’s only one thing on my mind.
Gia.
Now’s the perfect opportunity to see her. Marco’s waist-deep in coke and strippers, and there’s nothing left that my crew needs me for tonight or tomorrow. I pick up my burner, considering whether to text her, but think it’ll be better if I show up in person.
I’m running through logistics in my mind on the way back to New York – whether to call a meeting with Ronny the Shadow and Don Stallion at the same time to hash out the plan, or just hit up the Stallion alone. He’s the true Don, after all. The Shadow just pulls whatever strings he can from jail. Soon, my crew will be the top dogs right under them. We’re already the best earners by a mile. All that’s left is some big connections that the mob can’t do without.
I’m a hustler and a businessman first and foremost.
Or at least, I was.
My thoughts jumble again to my twenty-third birthday. We were at Splitinos on Cross Bay Boulevard with a bunch of friends. Drinks were flowing, food to die for, and then Marco showed up. His mom made him bring Gia along – God knows why. But that’s when I really noticed her for the first time. Eighteen years old and blossoming into the beautiful woman she is today. Braces off, nice set of Bs, backside carved by the Italian sculptors. Thanks, Mrs. Castellano.
There was a spark all the way back then. She gave me eyes as soon as she walked through the door. Except there was no way in hell I’d give them back. Me and Marco were tighter then. We had a bond that couldn’t be broken, and we were both working toward the same thing – building our crew to one day be rich and respected.
Now things have changed. He’s been to jail six times since. Turned into a drug-slinging hothead I can barely trust except to put the fear of God in our enemies. I still love him like a brother… but I no longer think of Gia as a sister. That little spark that had been almost easy to snuff out back then… it’s grown into a damn inferno I can’t stop myself from sinking into.
The highway lights zooming by overhead are hypnotic. I’m in and out of a daze filled with my past. The fraying relationship with Marco hanging on by a thread. I look at my fist scrunched over the steering wheel, the ring on my middle finger that he bought me that day. It’s a golden skull with a spatula and dough-roller crossed behind it. Means we’re Italian brothers who love crime and food. Makes it hard to look at when I’m on my way to see his sister.
