24. Amy #3
“Yes, please. I want to know.”
Kerry nods and looks out over the ocean again.
“We’ve been blocking your grandfather out of business in New York City.
It’s the recent focus of the Nameless. Without the docks, he was already in a bad place.
But now Marshall has been taking over his territory, bit by bit, shutting him out of his own territory.
Charming his buyers, winning over his suppliers.
It's been rough for him these past few months. And as a result, he’s been causing quite a lot of trouble. Nothing too severe, though.”
I sigh, still caressing his hand with my thumb. “He should’ve known better than to declare war with you. Especially when he didn’t have as many allies.”
Kerry grins at me. “Damn right, love.” He squeezes my hand. “He thought he’d have allies in Lorenzo De Matteis. But that slimy bastard was just using him to get to me, which in turn would get to his brother.”
I scoff and shake my head. “I wonder what happened between the two brothers to cause such a feud?”
“I have no idea, and I don’t want to know.
It’s none of my business and I want it to stay that way, especially since I have things to protect now.
” He pulls my hand out from under the blanket to kiss the back of my hand.
“Besides, even if De Matteis was actually considering working with your grandfather, he’s a smart man.
He’s going to back out of that once he sees the tides changing and our wrath being funnelled against Astero.
There’s no way he’d stand by that, especially since your grandfather is a weak ally. ”
I nod. It’s amazing to me how much I’ve gotten used to mafia politics in such a short amount of time. “I see. What does that mean for my family?”
Kerry glances over at me, studying my face as if to check for signs I’m upset. I wonder if he’s making sure I can handle this. “Your grandfather was more or less forced into retirement.”
I arch a brow and let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. “Is that all?”
Kerry chuckles and puts our intertwined hands back on my lap under the blanket.
I hadn’t even noticed the frosty air with his hand wrapped around mine.
“Yes, that’s all. He’s lucky humiliation is all he’s gotten.
He has substantial money problems, though.
Both of your parents and your grandmother are seeking jobs outside of the mafia business…
their house is for sale, as well. But, for a mafia man who burned a lot of people…
it’s the best ending he could hope for, really. ”
Jobs. I can’t imagine my grandmother working. But there’s still something about Kerry’s words that doesn’t make sense. “My parents had jobs before, though.”
He turns to me with an arched brow. “For your grandfather in his business.”
Both of my eyebrows shoot up. “You can’t be serious. They never told me that. My parents acted like they hated my grandparents. They said my grandparents cut them off after my dad’s gambling issue got revealed.”
Kerry shakes his head. “My reports found that your grandparents never fully cut them off, just extremely limited their funds, and made them work for the first time in their lives. Well, your da’s life, that is. Your mother worked before him.”
“You’re shitting me.” I scoff. “They always acted like we were poor.”
Kerry frowns, clenching his jaw. “Afraid not, love. They lied. And fuck them for that. Although, your da still definitely had a gambling problem.” Kerry exhales through gritted teeth. “They didn’t even pay for your schooling, did they?”
I shake my head. “Not my college stuff, no, I put myself through university. Private school as a kid, yes.”
“Your parents could’ve been doing that the entire time with the money they got from your grandparents. They just wanted to use it for a lavish lifestyle instead.”
I think about my mom always having her hair and nails done, how often they’d go out to eat without me. I had no idea how my dad lived, since I hadn’t really visited him, but my mom and I lived in a small apartment. But she was never really home. I always assumed she was working.
“Speaking of, do you want to return to your studies?” He squeezed my hand, bringing me out of my thoughts.
I raise my eyebrows. “Studies? You mean, go back to university?” Those stormy gray eyes study me as he nods.
I could do anything now. Whatever I wanted. I didn’t need to worry about what anyone else thought. There was no stress about paying bills anymore. I could just…study whatever. Or not. Or take up a new hobby. Anything.
“I…don’t know,” I breathe out slowly through my mouth. “Things are so different now. I could do anything.”
Kerry chuckles, looking genuinely happy about this little revelation of mine. “Yes, you could.” We both look out over the ocean again for a moment. “Well, think about it. You have all the time in the world to decide.”
All the time and the world and just about all the world’s resources at my fingertips. Literally, since I’m holding a powerful man’s hand.