Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
PAXTON
Naomi’s mother is very disarming. I find myself answering all of her questions, but she’s not digging for information to use.
She’s doing it to see if I’m a suitable fit for her daughter.
In return she gives me small bits about Naomi.
Stories of when she was young. I listen closely to every single detail, loving that I’m getting a glimpse into her childhood.
“Naomi is—” Tova searches for what she wants to say.
“Far more than she appears.”
Tova’s eyes soften around the edges. “Yes, she’s just better at masking it.”
“There isn’t a lot of choice in the matter.” Tova’s eyes lock with mine. We’re both outsiders. We were not born into one of the four families that still hold a level of power.
“You see that too.”
“But what if she could?” I ask.
“I understand, Paxton, I do. I just don’t know how to change that.”
“But you have strived to do exactly that in your own family.” Anyone with eyes can see the Marinos operate differently. It couldn’t be more blatantly clear with War always having Naomi at his side, a daughter and not one of his sons that he has more than one of.
He didn’t choose one of them because War is different too.
He saw the potential in Naomi. He knew she was meant to take over for him.
That she is the key component in the future of the Marinos.
Hell, in the grand scheme of it all really.
The regard in which War holds his wife falls over to their children.
It was never a question in his mind; if his daughter wanted to lead, he’d guide her there.
He’s set off an enviable chain of events that will come to a head.
It may not be today or tomorrow, but it will come. In this, I have no doubt.
“I have, but I’m only here.” She taps the kitchen island between us. “I can’t change the others.”
“No, you can’t. Some will never change.”
“They will not,” she agrees.
I now see why Tova does so well with getting information from me. We’re alike in a lot of ways in our thinking.
“Will your sister come to the wedding?” Tova grabs another plate of food from behind her and sets it down on the island. What we both needed to say is done. It won’t be so easy with the rest of the Marinos, but they have lived in this world for so long, it’s what they know and where they come from.
“That’s up to her.”
“I’d love to meet her. As you’re aware, we’re all rather tight-knit. She is more than welcome here.”
“I’m aware.” It’s difficult to get Naomi alone. It’s not a bad thing. With how close she is with her cousins comes this trust that can keep you alive. It’s unwavering.
I wholeheartedly believe this is because of the women in this family. It’s them knitting it all together. The closeness and bond they share is truly remarkable because it’s not between only a few people. Tova, even now, is trying to do it with me. It’s simply her nature.
War and Naomi step into the kitchen. Naomi comes to me, and War goes to his wife. “I knew this was where she’d take you.”
“Are you hungry?”
“No.” Naomi’s body melts into mine. I lean down and kiss her neck. “We need to speak. A few others are here,” she tells me. I figured as much.
“You good?” I ask her. Naomi drops her head back, giving me her eyes.
“Yes, but I don’t know how this will go. I believe there are things you’ll disagree with. As will I.”
“I stand where you stand.” That’s the thing. I need the rest of the family to do the same, if they truly see Naomi as the future of the Marinos.
“Come.” When we exit the kitchen, I stop her, pulling her into me and dropping a kiss onto her lips. When I lift my head, she smiles up at me. “You missed me.”
“Always,” I tell her. “I brought a bag with a few things I think I’ll need for this meeting.” It’s all coming down to this.
“It’s in our room?” She called her room ours.
“Yes.”
Naomi nods, and we head upstairs to grab it before returning to War’s office, where Eros, Mac, and her uncles are, along with Damon.
Naomi introduces me to everyone, but I have met her uncles Z and Ronan a few times over the years. We take a seat on the one long couch against a built-in bookcase.
Naomi starts from the beginning with Eros and Mac cutting in here and there, adding a few details. She holds everyone’s attention in that room. She was born to be a leader.
“This isn’t a straightforward situation where you can just grab Luigi and be done with it,” War says, confirming what I already knew. I’m used to the politics of things, and their world and family dealings are no different, but they could be.
“Naomi would be dead if she hadn’t taken that fall,” Mac hisses. Since everything went down, all her normal teasing and playfulness has left her. “I would be dead.” The tension starts to grow in the room.
Yes, both females would be dead.
“But you’re not.”
Mac rolls her eyes at War’s response, never one to hide her emotions. “Luigi is also claiming he didn’t know it was Naomi.”
“He knew,” Naomi says, sitting next to me. Her demeanor is calm, but she’s far from it, and I know it’s not over Luigi having taken a shot at her, but he was hunting Mac inside that building.
“So what? We do nothing?” Eros bites out. I have a strong sense Eros is going to be on my side very soon.
“I didn’t say that. We need to have a meeting with the Esposito family,” War continues.
“Why?” I cut in. Everyone’s attention swings to me, I’m sure wondering why the fuck I’m speaking at all.
“It’s the way of things,” Damon mutters, clearly not a fan of it either.
“And who is the one that sets these rules of ‘the way of things’?” I ask. “Because the way of things is never going to play out for Naomi. The Espositos, along with the rest of the families, would want death if someone shot at the head of their family. At one of their sons.”
“Not necessarily,” Z says, taking a pregnant pause. “But maybe so.” It hangs in the air; we all know it to be true.
“This is what you meant when you said I wasn’t going to like what was going to be said in here.”
“It is,” Naomi confirms because she knew. Knew where they’d stand, and it’s not easy for her to eat it. She’s not going to.
“You’re not going after him.”
“You think we don’t want to go after him?” War asks, and very much like his daughter, I know he’s choosing his words and weighing all of mine to see where I might be going. He’s so fucking close to seeing it.
“I didn’t say you didn’t want to. But you’re not going to.”
“Yet. There will be a meeting, and as we spoke about before, you’ll be in attendance with Naomi after we get you married. Isn’t that what you wanted?” War leans back in his chair, his eyes assessing me.
“No, I don’t want to be at the table, and I don’t want my wife to be at it either.”
“What are you saying?” Naomi asks, sitting up straighter.
“That I don’t understand the reasoning of things here.
You have made these moves to change. You aim to clean things up, but there is a limit to how clean they can ever be.
” I understand that. “But the other families don’t want that, and all of you keep coming to odds over this.
Over and over and over. The pattern is so predictable because you’re still playing by others’ rules.
Your own politics and this whole four family bullshit.
” History has a way of repeating itself if you allow it.
“Watch it,” War says.
“He will not,” Naomi cuts in and holds up a finger. “I want to hear what he has to say.” War gives a slight nod. I see he’s not bothered that Naomi is pushing back on him for me. My intent is not to disrespect him in his own home but to try to open his eyes to what could be.
“These families, who you all claim to work together with, more often than not there is always a snake in their midst. The Marino family doesn’t have a snake.
Not with how you’ve built this family. And see, that’s why I don’t get it.
Those families are no different than everyone else out there to you.
They are your enemies, but still you sit with them.
Break bread with them. Allow them to influence decisions you make or don’t make.
Still you play by their rules.” I shake my head. “And my question is still, why?”
The room falls quiet, so I keep going. “They will come for you. As they have before. You will always have a target on your back. They will scheme and plot with each other against you. They already are with wanting my docks. It’s a step closer.
Then they will blame it on a snake in their midst and try to sweep it under the rug when it doesn’t pan out for them.
” I glance over to Z. He knows that all too well with his history.
The Esposito family knew what Luigi was up to. They’d been my top contender that would try to hit the docks.
“When you wanted to clean things up, when you guided Naomi to where she is, you were no longer welcome at the table. They’d rather you were dead and will take any chance they get to make that happen. And you allow it. My question is the same. Why?”
“It’s not allowed,” Naomi responds, but there is no strength behind her words.
“You don’t want or need to be at the table anymore.” I shift to face Naomi more. “They will never change, but you’re evolving, and sometimes things need to come to an end.”
“Are you suggesting we go to war with everyone?” Eros asks.
“I’m suggesting you stop playing by their rules at all. You make the rules,” I tell Naomi. “You’re the change, and if you want to be the head of the Marino family, things have to change.”
“How do we know that you’re not here to simply cause chaos?” War asks.
“I do want to cause chaos.” I stand, grabbing my bag and pulling out the folders. I drop them down onto War’s desk. “These are only some of what I have pulled together on each family.”
War grabs one of the folders, as does Naomi. “I don’t think you should only go after the Espositos; you should go after all of them. They very much all want to come after you.” We need to cut them off before they try and pull forces together.
“What is all this?” Damon asks.
“It’s the beginning of the end. This is invaluable.
The other families will come together. They will come for you.
It might not be today or tomorrow, but it will happen.
Right now, you very much have the high ground.
They believe you’re still in. That you’ll stick to the rules.
You need to act before they do. The folders are filled with information on all the families, their dealings, and how they have been laying out the plans to take down the Marinos once and for all,” I tell them.
“And why should we believe all of this? Fuck, how did you even get all this?” Z asks, flipping through the pages.
“Because I was once a part of that plan.” The room goes deadly quiet, the air growing thick.
“Or they thought I was. They didn’t think I knew much.
I was merely collecting the information.
My father wanted you all dead. His plans and theirs are coming together, except they didn’t account for me. I hate them as much as they hate you.”
“The enemy of my enemy,” Damon mutters.
“I acted first. I started a new chain of events when I killed my father.” I tap one of the folders. “And I know how they believe it will play out. How they will respond.”
“You do want war,” Eros says.
“I want to destroy that table.” I have always hated that power they wielded. It started with my father, and as I grew up, I watched it grow and latch on to others. It is a virus that is spreading, and it needs to be wiped out.
Naomi turns towards me, her finger going to my jaw to guide my head her way. “You want to protect me.”
“This is the only way.” They will be gunning for her.
“And you’re sure about this?”
“Yes.” A slow smile takes over her beautiful face.
“And you’re always two steps ahead.”
“When it comes to you, always.” Even if that hadn’t always been the plan.