Chapter 25 #2
"Gio didn't grow up in the mafia. They didn't know him," Lake mused, shifting his gaze to Beasty as he sat back.
"No." Books furrowed his brow.
"So, boys and girls. Let me educate you on how a crime family works.
" Parker smirked, his dark eyes glinting.
"Danny and Donnie—and I'm making assumptions because I don't know them, I just know how these bastards think—would feel like the mafia they grew up loving and serving was theirs.
The fact that their granddad would even consider leaving it to an outsider.
..That's insulting all on its own. Worse, there was a top spot to be had and no officially named heir.
Not one they would accept." Parker pulled his phone back to sit in front of him.
"When they should have banded together to take care of the actual threat to their power, they decided to fight each other. That was their downfall."
"They didn't even care about Gio." Beasty rubbed her temples, and her gaze swung left to right without seeing.
"Everything I've learned about them said they didn't consider him when fighting with each other.
Not when Stevo"—I curled my fingers on the counter. I hated hearing his name on her lips—"worked for them. Not when I met Donnie in the club. Not during Danny’s conversations in the parking garage. Nothing slipped when you went to Ricosta’s.
" She glanced over her shoulder at a straight-faced Lake.
"You're not wrong, little girl." Parker raised a brow, almost like he was impressed with her reasoning.
"Little girl?" She turned heated eyes on him.
He held up his hands in apology without an ounce of remorse. "I'm sorry. I'm not calling you Beasty."
"Cressida is just fine,” she reminded him, nostrils flaring.
"Of course, Cressida." He swung his gaze our way. "They did seem to consider him a non-issue. What power would a man have who didn't grow up in the life?" He shrugged. "They never took into account that he would have made his own way into the crime world, with his own connections."
"That was their downfall," Grey corrected, and I startled. I had forgotten the man was here, he was so silent. "You never underestimate the bastards in the family."
We fell into another round of silence.
They were probably thinking about how to proceed. I was thinking about that future Beasty wanted where none of this shit touched her. Nothing except us. All day. Every day.
"Gio wanted the mafia." Lake's voice was full of gravel. "That motherfucker wanted the power. That was why he kept trying to use Beasty to draw them out." His fingers dented her thigh under her jeans.
"Yes." Parker's gaze darkened. "My associate, who knows the rules and what I expect in a business partner, very much wanted the mafia as his own. If he'd told us what was going on, we would have helped him."
Grey grunted. "Maybe."
Parker chuckled. "Most likely. I wouldn't have minded having an ally as the head of the mafia. But now...he fucked up. In fact, I want to give him a little call. See if we can settle this once and for all." Parker wiggled his phone in the air.
"Gio's not going to listen to you. He might pretend to, but he told us that he's going to get his revenge against us. He blames us for Storm's death," Lake argued, shifting his big ass in that tiny wooden chair.
Parker lost some of his amusement. "We'll see about that. Regardless of what he said, I've worked with the man and his team for years. He's been reliable. He deserves a chance to fix his fuck-ups."
Lake grunted. "That might be the case for you, but he's been nothing but a pain in my ass. One who's tried to use us for his gain since Beasty came back into our lives. You can help him all you want, but we won't sleep until he's dead."
Parker's eyes flattened as if he was finally looking at Lake as a threat and not a fun nuisance. "Is that so?"
Grey cuffed the back of Parker's shoulder. "Don't look at him like that. You know in their situation we would have done the exact same thing. If someone had tried to use Wicked Love..." He shook his head and Parker frowned.
He still hit the call button on his phone, and the loud tinny ring grated on my nerves.
A minute passed, and I started to get frustrated. I threw back the last of my coffee as the line clicked.
I froze.
The ragged inhale of someone breathing came through the speaker.
Parker shoved forward, pressing his chest against the table. "Gio, I know you're there." Nothing. "Gio, this is your last chance."
"Last chance at what?" Gio finally answered. He sounded rough. He sounded like he'd been crying and partying all night long.
"To live," Parker answered simply, as if this man losing his life was small talk.
The wet laugh that came out of Gio was painful. "Because of your fucked up passion project, Storm is dead. He was my best fucking friend, you asshole."
Parker's lips pressed together as he glared at the phone. "No one made you and your friends try to abduct Cressida, that’s all on you. You took a risk and lost."
"None of this would’ve happened if you hadn't made us babysit those idiots."
Lake stiffened and so did Joaquin. Beasty bristled on our behalf.
I didn't. This man's opinion didn't count for shit.
"That was the job and you took it." Parker stretched his hands out over the table. "Debating these points aren't why I'm calling. I—"
"I know what you're doing. You're pissed that we went off your so-called rails. Well, fuck you. I know you, Parker. You're a cold bastard, and the only thing you care about is making sure your investments are covered. Unfortunately, that doesn't align with my interests anymore."
"Gio. Whatever you're doing, this is my last warning, don't. I don't want to have to kill you." Parker's lips turned down on the corners as a divot appeared between his eyes.
I canted my head. I think he was telling the truth. He didn't want to kill Gio.
"You know what, I'm beyond working with someone else. It's never gotten me where I wanted to be. Everything Storm, Adrian, and I have done is to someday take control of my inheritance. It was rockier than we expected, but nothing worth having is—”
"Gio. Stop the monologue. I know you're trying to take control of the mafia. I found the will." There was a quick inhale from Gio. "Did you ever think to ask if we'd help you?" Parker sat back with a huff. "There's still—"
"What, you want to help me now? You'll choose us over the Fashion Boys and their bitch."
Lake opened his mouth but Parker held up a hand. "There isn't choosing. I'm not a fan of a crime family running wild without any connection to them. But there are stipulations—"
"Don't waste your breath. I'm not willing to let the Fashion Boys live any more than I am the Pesci brothers.
Their deaths are the only thing that's going to make the loss of Storm palatable.
I need to know that they're not breathing if Storm isn't. Now, you can go back home and let this play out how it's supposed to, or I can add your name to the list."
A look of pure menace settled on Parker's face. "Go home?"
"Don't fuck with me. I know you're in Pesci stomping grounds. The fact that you didn't lead with that is answer enough. If you'll excuse me, I have some business to take care of."
A door creaked open on his end of the call, and a woman whimpered in the background. Christmas music trickled through as gunshots started firing.
Then the phone clicked.
"What the fuck?" Joaquin blurted out.
I didn’t blame him for being shocked, but I was more concerned with Beasty. I feathered my fingers over her jaw. She looked up, catching my hand and holding it as a slight smile meant to comfort me slid over her face.
Books tipped his ear toward the phone with his eyes closed. A lot of good that would do with the call ended.
"Nice, Park. Good job. All for it to end exactly how I knew it would." Grey pulled a knife from his belt, cleaning his nails with it. "You know what this means?"
Parker's top lip peeled up, but he didn't answer his brother.
Not interested in their bickering, Lake helped Beasty off his lap and stood. "He's somewhere here in town. We can find them." He clamped a hand on Beasty's wrist, tugging her toward the front door.
"I've heard that music before..." Books mused.
He jumped up out of his chair, knocking it over.
"The Christmas shop! It's two streets off Main Street in town. Nowhere else would be playing Christmas music this early."
"Sounds like a field trip." Parker hummed as he checked the weapons at his waist.
Today was going to be the day.