him a couple hours ago.” Nico grabbed the bottle of wine, his hands trembling. “I wanted to get the full story. He said a lot of things that concerned me.”
Great. “So he’s underboss now?”
“I offered, but he doesn’t want the job anymore—”
“Which he made clear when he left town!”
“You ruined what I built.” His voice leapt from the low baritone to a thundering roar. “You destroyed our leadership, compromised our position in Boston, and you lost my son!”
Jesus. “I didn’t lose your dipshit son!”
Nico seized the handle of his Glock and pointed it at me. “What did you call Anthony?”
Was he drunk?
It wouldn’t be the first time Nico had one too many and shot someone. But I wasn’t in the mood to lie down and die.
“Nico, put it down. You’ve had too much to drink.”
“I’m not drunk.” He stabbed it in the air like a toddler. “You have a lot to answer for. Both of you.”
I rolled my eyes, meeting Michael’s slanted gaze.
He stood beside me, fists clenched. He looked ready to blow, and the sight of his lips pressed together winded me like a gut-punch.
“You fucking maniac. You bastard.” Michael’s words blazed like a wave of fire as he screamed at Nico. “You took me in front of my kids! While I was picking them up at daycare.”
A shock rippled through my limbs. Even I wasn’t that crazy.
I stared at Nico. “Seriously?”
Nico seemed unconcerned. “I needed a conversation with you both.”
“Where’s Alessio, then?”
“I’ve already dealt with him,” he snapped, wearing a sneer that reminded me of his douchey son. “You’re next.”
I opened my mouth to snarl an insult, and changed my mind. I bit the inside of my cheek. I fought the ribbon of anger working through my muscles.
Michael seized my arm, his grip biting. His pleading stare dug into my chest. He didn’t deserve to have his brain dashed out in Nico’s dated living room. People depended on him. Unlike me, he had a family who’d miss him.
So be it.
“Send Michael away,” I muttered, my stomach hardening. “You’ve made it clear you can get him wherever he is. If you need to put a bullet in my head, fine, but leave him alone. Anthony was my responsibility.”
Nico didn’t budge. “He stays.”
I had to save him.
I licked my dry lips. “Michael shouldn’t be here.”
“He. Stays.”
Let him go, damn it. “This is fucked up, Nico.”
“You know what’s fucked up? Sitting in a cell while your nephews destroy everything you’ve built. You’re a goddamned parasite, Vinn, and you.” He faced Michael, who went rigid. “What the hell were you thinking? You murdered the asshole who knew where Anthony was!”
“I gave the order,” I blurted. “Michael was just following orders. It’s my fault—not Michael’s.”
A total lie, but whatever.
Michael buried his head in his hand. The other clawed his leg. It probably killed him to say nothing. The idiot better stay quiet and let me take the fall.
“How could you do something so stupid?” Nico screamed, the sound blasting my ear. “You should’ve kept him alive for questioning.”
“No point. Crash was out of his mind. He didn’t want to negotiate. He wanted to torture, so I made a decision.”
“Yeah, a reckless one,” he replied in a low voice. “Alessio would’ve never pulled this shit. He would’ve run it by me.”
“How was I supposed to do that with you in jail?”
Nico pointed the gun at my face.
I waited for his judgment.
Images streamed in my head—waves lapping ashore, preening seagulls, gloomy skies and cold nights, tall glasses of beer and stacks of fried cod. A flicker of warmth shot into my chest.
The sting of metal on my cheek chased it away.
“You’re lucky I’m in a forgiving mood,” Nico sneered. “I’ll give you one last chance.”
Michael blew a sigh, but my insides roiled.
“Toe the line, because if I pull this trigger, you’re headed straight for hell.” He dipped his head, teeth flashing. “You cold snake.”
Nico backed off, stowing the piece in his robe. “We’re repairing the alliance you broke. The Legion president knows where my boy is, and all he wants is the girl.”
The president didn’t have Anthony. He was dangling him in front of Nico, hoping he’d bite.
“The girl is Michael’s sister, and it’s a scam.” I jigged my knee restlessly, eye-fucking him. “They’re playing you.”
“No, they’re not,” he muttered. “He’s on Leda, but I can’t get to him without their connections.”
“Well, that’s convenient.”
Leda was an island off the Caribbean owned by several billionaires. White-collar criminals, arms dealers, drug traffickers, and all manner of rich