10. Vince
Vince
“What?” I yelled at Rome. “You’ve got an opinion, huh? Not clean enough for you?”
I slammed the car door. I’ve sheltered them too much.
When human flesh becomes nauseating, that’s when I know I’ve been too hands on. Walking through the lobby, leaving him and the entourage of soldiers behind.
Since fucking when did we eat at this restaurant?
“Bad night?” Nik asked as I pulled up a seat to his right.
“We’ve been too easy on them.” I looked at the food. Great. “Fucking Luca, can’t you put something else on the menu other than steak? Every restaurant, same fucking menu.”
“This was a bad idea,” Bastion muttered under his breath.
Pushing the green leaf off the top of it. Why does every chef feel the need to dish up a fatty steak and chips, then pretend to hide how unhealthy it is under a leaf?
“Is Rome alright?” Luca looked over my shoulder.
I turned to look at him. “Physically yes. Morally no. What type of man passes out after seeing human tissue?” I scoffed, turning back around.
“Oh, I know. One I’ve raised.” Cutting my steak, “Couldn’t handle it when I cut him open, let alone when I started peeling the skin back,” Swallowing my food, watching as Rome took a seat on the other side of the table.
“Vomiting in the corner when I started on the second one.”
No surprise, Rome pushed the food away from him.
Nik called the waiter over, ordering a soda for him. Which just infuriated me more. This is what he always did. Babied them.
“Well, did you get answers?” Nik asked, picking his knife and fork back up.
“Did I get answers?” I leaned back in my seat. “One lasted five minutes, the other though,” I raised my eyebrows, “twenty.”
The waitress placed the soda in front of Rome.
“Forty,” Rome corrected me.
I pointed my fork at him. “True. But I broke him within twenty. By that time, I’d committed. So he could wait until I was ready to stop.”
Nikolai chewed his food, staring at me.
Did I get answers? What a stupid question. He was lucky I was too angry with mister pale to get into a fight with him about it.
Looking through the glass windows, I paused. Madeline. Why would she be here? Oh. That’s why. Noah Voss.
“Rome, sip it, sugar helps with shock.” Nik said.
Slowly chewing my food, watching the wannabe drug lord, whispering something in her ear. His arm around her back.
“I heard Voss is having problems with his supplier.” Nik followed my line of sight. “We wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would we?”
“Last time I checked, we don’t deal with middlemen.”
Noah kissed her on the side of her head before walking away. Watching as he passed the bar. I stood up. “I’ll be back.”
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Bastion muttered.
The house was empty; my life was empty. Every time I stepped into my wardrobe, all I felt was anger.
Sure, technically she still lived with her parents, but really, she lived with me. Where she belonged until her fucking family ripped her from me. The hate I had for them was doubling daily.
She looked up, shocked to see me. “Vince, what are you doing here?”
“No idea. My brothers organized dinner here.” I glanced back at them, only to focus on her.
Fuck. I’d missed her. Sliding into the booth next to her. Leaving my arm behind her.
“New earrings?” I gently touched her ear, moving her hair back.
She nodded.
Turning towards her, I touched her knee. “New dress?”
“Vinny,” she covered my hand with hers. “Are you okay?”
Just her touching my hand calmed me.
Frowning, she turned into me, her hand going to my cheek. “Have you been sleeping?”
Hard to sleep when I’m glaring at the ceiling every night angry.
A throat clearing caused my mood to change instantly. Turning to look at him. The way he glared at my arm behind her pissed me off. I didn’t have the self-control for this tonight.
Did he think he owned her? Leaning back, not taking my arm away.
“You’re in my seat, Crow.”
“Your seat? That doesn’t sound right.” Tapping my finger on the back of the booth “Pretty sure it’s my last name on the door.” Dropping my arm behind Madeline. “So that would make it my seat.”
He grinned. “Right, I actually wanted to have a word with you, anyway.” He sat across from us in the booth. “I lost three suppliers in a week; you wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would you?”
“No. Middlemen are a bit below me in the food chain.”
He tapped the table. “Sure.” His lips twitched, as if amused by my answer. Before he focused on Madeline. “Let’s go.”
Let’s go .
Who did he think he was ordering her around?
I grabbed her knee under the table. I didn’t want her to go. But I sure as fuck wanted him to. Permanently even.
“Vinny, move, please.” She pushed my hand off, giving me a warning look.
“Just slide to me, Maddy.” Noah tapped his side as if calling a dog.
Madeline looked at us. “Boys, I will climb over this table, ruining my dress before participating in this.” She gestured between us. “Noah is my fiancé, Vince. Respect that. Noah, Vince is my best friend. Understand the positions you both have?”
Noah nodded. “I know babe, I’m between your legs and he is…” he clicked his fingers at me. “The guy you tell all about it to. Might even learn some tricks, right Crow?”
Well, this is a first. I’d never killed someone over a sentence before.
“Exactly,” Madeline stood up.
Exactly.
Since when was our friendship worthless gossip? Why the fuck would I want to hear anything about him, let alone about his dick?
Looking at her, ready to remind her of that. But the sadness in her eyes hurt me, physically. Like she was stabbing me. Standing up, and out of her way before she climbed over me.
It took all my self-control to not grab her hand or pull her back to me. Gripping the edge of the booth tighter.
“Get some sleep, will you? Exhaustion doesn’t suit you.” She forced a smile before walking straight to his side.
Seeing his hand on her ass as they walked out. It made me want to cut my own eyes out.