Chapter 8
Sitting down to dinner in the new house is…
odd. Yet, somehow freeing. Sitting next to Jude is freeing, not to mention both Nicolo and Nario are here.
Lio insisted they attend because “they’re part of you, which means they’re part of us”.
It’s far different from what I’ve been used to with Il Padrone.
It appears that so far Lio means it when he says he’s not going to be yet another Il Padrone…
Jude’s warm hand lands on my thigh, and I close my eyes in relief as tension starts to melt from me. It’s amazing what he can accomplish with one touch. I want to wrap myself around him and never let him go, which…clinger, much?
Instead of focusing on that, I go back to doing what I do best—observing.
I’ve already learned quite a bit while we were moving, more about the family dynamics.
I worry about Carter’s fear and Roman’s recovery.
I want Ignacio to get his ass up. Yet, Lio…
something is up with Lio. Something more than leaving Il Padrone.
“Fuck!” he curses and jolts in his seat, almost tipping over his drink when Hollis touches his shoulder before sitting next to him. His face flushes with embarrassment, but he doesn’t notice Hollis’s concerned look, or…Tennant’s? That’s interesting.
I barely hear what Lio is saying, choosing to focus on what’s not being said. That’s part of why I love my job as Ghost. It’s so much more than just what you can hear, it’s about seeing, and what I see disturbs me.
The way Lio leans away from touch, even Benjamin’s. How he hunches over. That he doesn't look directly at people. And fuck, the way he deliberately appears to be making himself smaller… I know this behavior all too well.
“Are you alright, Bello?” Jude whispers in my ear. Somehow, I slipped up. Normally, I can hide shit, but fuck, my hands are shaking. I quickly tuck them into fists, forcing myself to squeeze them tight enough to stop what’s going through me.
“Tell me he didn’t.” Lio stutters to a stop as he meets my eyes, and I’m uncomfortably aware of how loud my voice was, yet I can’t seem to stop the words. “Tell me, Lio. Because if he did…”
He stares at me and shakes his head. “This isn’t the time to talk about it.”
People murmur around the table, but I’m not paying attention to who is saying what. Right now, I don’t give a shit. I need to know if I should slip out that door and go bury a knife in Il Padrone’s heart. That’s if he even has one, because I swear to fucking God, if he hurt Lio…
“Bullshit. This is something we need to know.”
“No, Antonio, it isn’t. This is my call to make. It’s my life.” Lio’s voice whips around the room as he yanks on his hair.
“Fucker did, didn’t he?” I push out my chair and stand, my hand going to my belt where I keep a knife. “I’m just going to take a stroll to take care of the issue.”
“Sit. Down.” Lio’s hand bangs on the table, and the whispers stop dead. The pulse of tension between us is thick and heavy. “Leave this alone. It’s not your decision to make.”
“You’re not the only one who can make that call now,” I grumble as I sit back down with a huff, pushing my plate away, as food doesn’t sound appetizing in the least anymore.
Fucking hell. I knew Il Padrone went off his rocker, but this? This deserves a death sentence, and if Death won’t take care of it, I’m more than happy to do it for him.
“No, Antonio. But in this instance, it would be my right to decide. That means you may not go to Carter or Roman to get their approval.” Anger and fear dance in his eyes, and it’s the fear that stops me.
I lower my gaze and sigh, nodding an agreement that I don’t feel.
“This is one issue we are not going to deal with. The three of us, as Heads, will be making decisions like this together. I do not want anyone to try and play us against each other. It will not work, and it will result in consequences.”
I want to push to learn what they may be, but I keep my mouth shut and stare at the table instead.
There’s too much to even contemplate right now.
I want this dinner done so I can escape.
I force myself to stay silent and still.
Perhaps when the dinner is done I can talk to Jude about the situation.
While Lio may not be willing to give me permission, and he’s made it clear that I’d face consequences if I went to another Boss, he’s not in charge of my Sir.
Letting the chatter flow over me, I grudgingly start to eat when Jude pushes my plate back to me.
I know better than to disobey him, but it’s hard to swallow past the lump in my throat.
I don’t taste a damn thing. I can’t tell if the kitchen staff Roman brought in are any good, but from the way the others eat, they must be.
Il Padrone… Fuck! It’s one thing when he punishes us. Hell, I know the Amatos may not agree with his methods, but I’ve never struggled with them. But if he has changed the fabric of who he is, then this is a major problem. Can he be trusted at all?
We’ve all been very careful not to say anything about him or Cristian as we’ve set things up, but they’re going to have to face the situation sooner or later.
And that means learning to co-exist with the assholes.
Or, better yet, letting me take care of the problem.
Hmm…I wonder…would it really be going against Lio’s edict if I did it as a gift to him?
“Whatever you’re thinking, Bello, you need to stop.” I scowl at Jude’s voice, but when he pinches my thigh, I quickly rearrange my expression. No need to get in trouble, just yet. I’d rather save that for any future decisions I make.
“Yes, Sir,” I say just loud enough to be heard, and finish my food as I wait for dinner to be done.
When Carter announces they’ll be having a meeting afterward, I sigh in relief. It’s the perfect time to escape. After being excused, I leave the dining room, but I’m not fast enough.
“Antonio, you need to run whatever you’re thinking by me.”
“And us,” the twins add to Jude’s statement.
Slumping, I nod glumly. It just figures that I can’t get out of fucking trouble before it even starts. It’s a good thing I love them… Even if it means Jude is going to say no. Then again, maybe he won’t. Then I can sneak out with permission. Hmm. Yes, that’ll work even better.