Chapter Forty
ENZO
Eighteen Months Later
"Aww, but this is your favorite..." Silas makes a baby voice.
I swat his hand and the damn bottle away. "That is not my favorite."
Cade nods. "It's rum, so he's right."
"Yeah, but Zayne's got the whiskey."
"Well, fuck," Cade mutters. "Zayne's also with Jack, and I don't want him getting anyone high."
Silas shrugs, lifts the bottle, and drinks from it. "I thought he didn't smoke anymore." He sets the bottle down. "Got to go, boys. There's a hot fucking blonde with big tits running up the path. I think she might be in need of help."
I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
I'm about to fall apart inside, so maybe it's something like a mix between crying and laughing, and not all of it is from joy.
Joy has been absent for almost two years.
Squish is gorgeous, and my sister—she will always be my sister, no matter what—is now almost seventeen...another fucking reason to laugh-cry if you ask me.
Because she's over that crush on Luke, and they're friends. He's her bodyguard, too, and she knows it. But after getting into Juilliard, there's no way she's heading into the world unfettered without some kind of chain attached.
I breathe out and straighten my tie.
"Dude, I need that drink."
Cade shakes his head. "I'll get a bottle, but you can't get drunk. No one can get drunk."
He leaves and is back in minutes.
A high-pitched scream follows him as he walks into the games room at Dad's Hamptons home.
"Here."
"Thanks, man."
I take some deep, long pulls. Enough for the whiskey's heat to burn through the cold of fear inside me and to warm my belly. Enough to drown some of my nerves so I can act like myself.
Cade takes the bottle and helps himself, then hands it back.
He leans against the wall and folds his arms. "Nervous wreck suit you."
"I'm not a nervous wreck."
"You're the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean. Once mighty, now fish food. Or is that Lola food? That girl eats you for breakfast."
I almost laugh.
He has no fucking idea.
She does it after crawling to me, dressed in her tight secretary clothes. Sometimes, I come on her exposed tits. Or in her open mouth.
Once I came on toast, which I told her to eat.
And she fucking licked her lips.
Damn, did I go down on her and then fuck her hard.
Of course, I fed her some toast with whipped maple butter I'd prepped earlier.
She wanted to know why my cum tasted suspiciously like butter and was sweet.
I told her that was me, and next time, if she talked back, I'd feed her cum toast for real.
And she laughed.
Fuck.
I love her. And our games.
Actually, knowing Cade, he probably has a good idea. And I don't think Cade would be shocked. I know how kinky and exhibitionist he and Vi are, how he watches her, plays out her deepest rape fantasies.
We don't go there. Rape fantasies aren't my thing. Control is. And after Lola's ordeal...
Shit. I don't want to go there. Not today.
"Did you know I caught Jack and Uncle Gino?"
The words floor me. And all kinds of things fill my head. I mean, I thought Jack had that girlfriend we rescued that time?
"Doing what?"
Cade just stares at me and shakes his head. "Not whatever filth is in your head. They were stoned. Honestly. Violet's mad I never secretly filmed it. Never cross her. She's diabolical."
And I've never heard a man sound so proud.
My heart starts to thump loud.
"How did you get your dad to agree to a non-church wedding, by the way?"
I shrug. "Lola. Plus, Dad got in the most modern Catholic priest he could find. Fucking Dad's not even religious. But he is mafia, and there are rules."
"Speaking of, are you taking over?"
I breathe out. "One day, maybe. But he's allowing me to modernize things."
"Are you out of the Syndicate? Is that what the new IT office is about?"
"Don't be an ass. Of course not. We'll do work for him, boost connections and income, and...I don't know, have something worth taking over one day. All of us." I watch for his reaction, but he just offers a small secret smile and a nod.
"And we'll be using Barwon, too. Lola is the CEO, and she is running it like a dream. We'll have a few hubs to work from. It's better, I think."
Silas comes in, rubbing his cheek, catching the tail end. "That why we've started using your place for certain jobs? And others out of mine?"
"It's like how we usually do it. But this time, it's more organized. I want to elevate our hacking business and also keep it in the shadows." Then I frown. "Why's your cheek red?"
"That Ruby chick is violent."
Cade throws his hands up. "The rule is never fuck with a bridesmaid until after the wedding."
Zayne and Jack come in, too. Both grinning.
Jack has grown up, and one day, he might find a place with us. But I know his brother too well. Any job would be blind. He'd never know what goes on.
Louie's fate doesn't overly bother me.
Costa hasn't killed him, but I'm betting the rich boy with the formerly soft hands is wishing he had at times.
I never asked what Costa has him doing, I don't want to know. But it's going to be brutal, worse than Costa's beating and torture.
Mind, I did interfere there. I pointed out Louie's rich and respectable family would pay for Costa to bring their son home and elevate him somewhat in certain circles if he plays his cards right.
Zayne comes up to me and hugs me, patting me on the back. "Proud of you, man. Lola's a great girl, and that baby...perfect little family. Don't fuck it up, or I'll arrest you. Like I should be doing with most of this fucking wedding."
"Don't arrest anyone."
"Hell, no. I'm undercover. One wrong move..."
I don't ask if he's telling the truth.
But as he pulls back, he straightens his cuffs.
"I wish I was up there, taking my place as one of the best men, but I can't. I don't want my agenda at the precinct blown open by that.
I can fucking get away with being here, the wedding, the dancing, but there are one too many prominent gangsters here.
So... I'll be in the front row. And my stand-in is going to do a good job. "
Behind him, Jack gives the thumbs up and shows me a small photo. It's of Zayne, and he tucks it in the top pocket with the handkerchief.
Cade checks his watch. "Time to move, guys. This man is about to get himself hitched."
They file out, and I take another swallow of the whiskey.
"Enzo."
I straighten at the sound of my father's voice.
When I turn, there he stands, in his suit. And even though I know he's packing, he looks proud and mostly relaxed.
"Dad."
"I...I honestly didn't think I'd see this day. Lyndall gave me permission to ask you this. Could I walk Lola down the aisle? Her father is gone, but..."
Oh, fuck.
Is a speech coming about hate and putting it aside, or she's not like him, or something?
I brace myself.
"The past is the past. And regardless, I loved Emilio. We were close once, and I did promise to protect his kid when she was born, if anything happened. I failed that...I failed so many things. But I want to step up. For Lola, you, my grandbaby."
I swallow tightly. And my eyes blur.
Shit. It's the bride's job to be late and all emotional, not mine.
"Dad, I think...I think you have to ask Lola." I swallow again. "And Lyndall. I thought she was walking with Squish and Lola."
Dad winces at the name I insist on calling my kid. But I don't care.
"I have. Lola said yes. I'll walk with Lyndall and Eliza. But only if you want that, too."
"Dad, I'd love it."
My father hugs me.
I know he is still a complete asshole. And he is violent and still stuck in his ways. But he does know better than me how to run the mafia family. I do learn some things from him, but the truth is I don't want to run a mafia family.
I'll use it, one of the cousins can do it, follow my instructions, and I'll integrate my business with it. Slowly.
But this will be down the road. When the time comes.
However, it is far off, and I intend to enjoy my wife. Love her and my kid.
And I do.
I don't think I've ever loved anyone as much as Lola. Except for Squish. But Squish is something we made. We make a complete family. That is, until the next Marino comes along.
And I'm working on it.
Hard.
"Thank you, Enzo. Your mom is smiling on you. I can feel her warmth today. She would have loved Lola. What she's grown into. And she really is quite something. I'm happy she's going to be family."
With that, Dad leaves.
And when I think about it, the laugh-cry urge is gone.
But Dad is wrong on one thing.
Lola isn't going to be family.
She already is.
Mine.
She has been since the beginning.
Today, I'm just making it official and legal.