Chapter 6
Tommy
No one speaks at first. The silence is thick, pressing against my eardrums. I count the seconds—four, five, six—before Tony finally breaks it.
“This wasn’t me,” he says finally.
I scoff, thumb flicking over the handle of my knife in my pocket.
“Convenient. And immaterial.”
His brows snap together.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means,” I say, leaning forward a fraction, “that nobody tells me a fucking thing when it comes to Giovanna. Not my father. Not her father. And definitely not you.”
His jaw works as he shakes his head.
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
Heat spikes in my chest, rage bubbling into a dull roar in my ears.
I calculate the angles, the distance between us, the time it would take me to cross it.
“You think because you fucked her, she’s yours?
You’ll need to do a hell of a lot more than that.
”
His lips peel back in a snarl. “You don’t fucking make the rules here, Tommy—”
Before he can get the sentence out, I’m across the room, knife drawn, as I slam him against the wall.
My forearm presses across his chest, my blade grazing the underside of his jaw.
“Are you saying you are?” I hiss.
Tony grips my hoodie in both fists, refusing to shrink.
“I’m saying she is.”
I blink but don’t back down.
Did she tell him she’s with him now?
I can’t read his face.
His eyes are steady, his chin lifted like he’s daring me to cut him.
I press harder, dragging the broadside of the knife up the column of his neck, watching for a tell.
“The fuck does that mean?”
He doesn’t look away, his voice low and certain.
“It means I’m in love with her, man.”
My pulse kicks hard, then harder.
Love? I study the lines of his face, cataloging: steady breathing, pupils not dilated, no twitch in his jaw.
Not lying.
And I hate him for it.
“And?” My voice comes out strained.
He darts a glance past me at Vin and Matti.
They are motionless, two statues watching.
Waiting.
Tony swallows, clearing his throat.
“I don’t know what’s going on between you two—”
“It’s none of your fucking business.
” My blade presses a fraction harder.
His mouth twists in disagreement.
“If you’re together, it’s not. But if you’re not together—”
“Think carefully before you speak,” I grind out, scraping the steel along his skin.
His throat flexes under the blade. “If you’re not together, Tommy, I’m all in if she wants me.
And if she does, then it’s none of your fucking business what happens between us.
”
Lexi’s voice slams back into my brain, unwelcome: She’s in love with him.
He’s in love with her. They’re a good match.
I bare my teeth. “Everything with her will always be my business.” I shove away from him, sheathing my knife, my chest heaving.
The room holds still for a beat. Matti’s unblinking stare, Vin’s sharp sneer, Tony rubbing his throat.
Then Aurelio reappears in the doorway, gaze sweeping the scene like he’s sniffing out blood.
He crooks his fingers at Tony. “Come.”
Tony follows, glancing back at me before disappearing through the doorway.
Vin waits until they’re gone, then whistles low.
“Tony fucked your girl?”
I grunt and pivot, heading for the door as my brothers fall into step next to me.
The walk out of Aurelio’s house and across the compound feels endless, gravel crunching under our boots as the dark outlines of the estate loom around us.
“I’m surprised you didn’t skin him alive,” Matti says finally, his voice even.
Vin frowns. “Weren’t they together on New Year’s Eve?
Why didn’t you just take her from him then?
”
I scowl down at the ground and turn my hat so the visor is low over my eyes.
I can feel Vin staring at me.
He finally steps in front of me, gripping my shoulders, forcing me to meet his eyes.
“Listen. I’m the first to admit I don’t get how your brain works, and this shit with Giovanna is none of my business—”
“You’re right.
It’s none of your business.” I start to pull away, but Matti blocks me, jerking his chin toward Vin.
It’s an ambush I can’t avoid, apparently.
I shove my hands in my pockets, hiking my shoulders up to my ears, bracing myself.
Vin doesn’t take anything seriously except business, so his intensity right now sets me on edge.
“You get fixated on things sometimes, and you don’t let go.
It’s honestly what makes you brilliant at work, school, defending our family.
You never quit, and we fucking love that about you.
”
Matti nods.
“But this girl—”
“This woman,” Matti corrects smoothly.
Vin rolls his eyes. “Fine. This woman. If you want her, take her. The only thing stopping you is you.”
Matti clears his throat.
“What he means is that it’s obvious you’re in love with her.
I know you’ve got a mental list where every box needs to be checked before you’re ready.
But life isn’t a formula, Tommy. Sometimes you just…
take a chance.”
Vin swats my hat off my head, and I snatch it midair.
“There’s no avoiding messy when it comes to women.
”
“Your point?” I snap. How did I get to the point where I’m taking romantic advice from Vin, the man who sticks his dick in every wet pussy within arm’s reach?
“Just fuck her already.”
There it is. I glare at him, and Matti cuts in.
“He means shoot your shot. Find out if it’s worth your time.
If not, move on. If it is, you’ve got your girl.
”
I shake my head. “She’s leaving for school.
I’ve got law school—”
“You got in?” Matti asks.
I shrug. “I don’t know. I’m supposed to meet with the dean tonight.
”
“Good,” Matti says, clapping my back.
Vin watches me closely.
“Look, don’t brush this off. I know you can be weird about shit, but you need to handle this Giovanna situation before it wrecks you.
We need your head in the game. This cold war with Aurelio won’t stay cold forever.
”
He’s not wrong.
“Exactly. We’re about to go to war, I’m starting law school, plus her father—”
Matti cuts me off.
“There will always be a reason not to. At some point, you either try with her or let her go. You can’t expect her to wait forever.
”
I exhale hard. They’re right, but Giovanna isn’t a problem to solve or a deal to close.
With her, I can’t calculate what’s going to happen or take a break if I need it.
Being with her means showing up every day, even when my brain is fucked.
I don’t know if I have the ability to take care of her the way she deserves when I’m handling law school and Demonio family business.
“Law school,” Vin says, and I nod. “I like that for you. I know you’re struggling with your role in the family, but it’s not going to be like this forever.
When I take Aurelio’s place, I want you by my side.
You’re vicious as fuck and the smartest motherfucker I know—at least when it doesn’t involve your girl.
”
I scowl at Vin as my phone buzzes. It’s Giovanna.
You’re meeting me for coffee.
Vin looks over my shoulder and jabs a finger at my phone. “Don’t overthink it. Make it happen.”