his voice. “I heard the kid talking to York. Threw a message under his nose and asked for directions.”
Makes sense.
“Weird thing,” he continues. “Is that York didn’t actually give him directions. As soon as York recited the address, the kid was gone.”
My lips turn down. “Odd.”
“Mm-hm. I’ll keep digging.”
Moving to stand, he pauses as Camryn knocks on the door. “Knock, knock.”
“Hey, sweetheart.”
“Oh, good. You’re here too. I wanted to talk to you both.”
Tivoli looks at me uncertainly. Shrugging, I gesture back to the seat he was only moments ago sitting in.
He waits for Camryn to sit down before taking his seat once again and I clock the way he looks at her. A soft longing disguised by his impassive mask.
Truth is, Frank Tivoli has been infatuated with my eldest daughter for years. I don’t blame him, she’s beautiful.
He’s never told me, which means he values his job more than he does his feelings for Camryn. In my eyes, that means he doesn’t care for her enough.
“Dad, York and Tivoli are making me uncomfortable.”
“What?” he blusters out, his usual calm caught off-guard by the directness in her declaration.
“York made an unsavory comment about Rocco to me at your birthday party. Questioned why we’d welcomed him as family. I refrained by firing him on the spot, thinking you’d prefer the satisfaction.”
I manage to hide my smirk.
“And Tivoli?”
“He glared at me all judgy the other night when I was sitting with Rocco,” she adds haughtily.
“Sitting with him,” he spits. “You were sprawled over him like a cat on heat.”
“Frank,” I burr, clear warning in my tone.
“What I do with my boyfriend is none of your concern.”
“Shall you have me fire Tivoli too?” I ask, not in the slightest bit serious.
He moves to argue, but I hold a hand up, silently requesting he let my daughter speak.
She straightens her shoulders. “Well, no. He’s family. He just needs to closet his judgment.”
“I’m sitting right here, Camryn.”
Turning to him, she looks him dead in the eye. “Fine. Closet your fucking judgment. Rocco makes me happy. That’s all that should matter to this family, you included.”
I’m pleased by the look of remorse that crosses his face. “That’s all I want for you,” he tells her. “Truly. If he’s the one that can give it to you.” He pauses, maybe praying she’ll interrupt, which she doesn’t. “Then I’m happy for you. But just for future reference, I’d get judgy eyes looking at Codi and Parker sucking face too.”
A lie. One she happily accepts.
“Perfect.” She stands. “I’ll leave York in yo—”
Her words cut off like the edge of a cliff. Brutal and final. Moving closer to my desk, she looks at the photo I had blown up of our mystery man’s face.
“Why do you have a photo of Jonathan Waith?”
Fear is something I’m used to seeing in people. It doesn’t bother me, in fact, I can stare it straight in the eye and take joy in the emotion.
Not in my daughter’s though.
“You know him?”
She swallows, stepping back so she can no longer see his face. “Jonathan Waith was my college boyfriend.”
“Waith as in Waith Industries.”
“Yes,” she answers Tivoli’s questions. “I don’t even know why he was at college. His trust fund alone could feed the world’s starving populations many times over. I assume his father just needed him to occupy himself for a few years.”
She goes silent.
“I’m gonna go,” she announces abruptly, visibly shaken. “Don’t forget to fire Dork.”
“It’s York,” I call after her.
“I’m gonna kill that motherfucker.” Tivoli grinds his teeth, gesturing to the photo.
No explanation needed. My daughter feared this asshole, which means he has to die. I’m not one for getting my hands dirty, our line of work can stain your hands for longer than you’ll likely live. But this cunt thinks he can build fear in my daughter, he’s gonna learn first hand I’ll happily live with that stain on my conscience for the rest of my days.
“You’ll have to wait in line. Firstly, let’s find out why the fuck he was meeting with Jesse.”
I never questioned my offer in allowing Jesse and Blake to stay in my home. They were family of Rocco and Parker, which meant they were family to Codi and in turn me. You never turn your back on family. Not the ones that haven’t given you good reason.
I also don’t question myself often. I’m a leader. A doer. A man with a focus to protect his family and build his business. One hundred percent in that order.
Now I’m questioning my