I smile with my mouth closed because I’m still chewing.
I have no idea why I’m even smiling. Accepting his help and inviting him along on this quest of mine is a bad idea. He won’t get what he wants, which is me. So it won’t end well.
But I need a friend right now. One that I don’t have to be one hundred percent strong and tough with all the time.
Because it’s not Sarge Alice going to take down Gael, not really. It’s Bianca, the little girl who never escaped her nightmares.
But maybe after I do this, she will.
4
Nico
The study in the Rovina mansion overlooks the garden and the Pacific Ocean and it’s by far one of the better furnished rooms in the house. Black marble, dark wood and leather sofas. Too bad it reminds me very much of my father’s study back in New York. I was always a guest in that room, never had any hope of once sitting at the helm of the family behind the ornate oak desk.
The fourth of four sons. Totally unnecessary, overkill, mostly unwanted. Considered worthless by more than a few. Mostly my father. But all that’s over now. Now it’s my father who’s worthless.
So I really need to stop pining and just get on with my life. Buy a mansion of my own. Decorate my own study. Make a legacy for my children. All of who will be wanted.
“You wanted to see me,” Matteo Rovina says, rushing into the study, the very air around him crackling with urgency and haste.
He has a lot to do these days, what with being so busy rebuilding his family empire here in LA and having a heavily pregnant girlfriend.
“Yeah,” I say and then don’t know how to continue. He needs me here. I’m not just his adviser, his consigliere, but also his cousin, so I should be the first in line helping him.
Although, the first in line to help him is actually usually Marco “The Axe” Caputo, his second and a guy who never so much as cracks a grin, let alone smile. He’s standing behind Matteo now, glowering at me like I’ve done something wrong and I haven’t even spoken yet.
“I’m gonna need a few days,” I say. “Gotta go do a thing.”
Both Matteo and Caputo give me nearly identical confused looks.
“What thing? Where?” Matteo asks. “We need you here.”
Apart from being cousins, me and Matteo also look very much alike, with our light brown hair, grey-green eyes and similar builds. Although there’s an air of command and danger around him that I doubt I’ll ever be able to match.
“I’m going with Alice to see about a priest.”
Now the confusion on their faces is downright comical.
“Alice who?” Matteo asks. “The Rogue Angels MC’s Sarge?”
“And what do you plan to do about this priest when you find him?” Caputo asks.
“Kill him, if it’s up to me,” I say. “But she just wants to get him locked up.”
Matteo winces. “We don’t need that kind of attention on us. Not now.”
I can tell he wants to tell me it’s not a good idea, that I should go, knock myself out… he’s been like that ever since I’ve made so much effort to kick my coke and alcohol habit.
“It’ll be done quietly.”
“What’s this priest done anyway?” Caputo asks.
“He deserves it,” I say, since I’m not about to go betraying Alice’s confidence.
“Can’t Rogue Angels MC handle this on their own?” Caputo asks. “That’s the kind of thing they do, isn’t it?”
I don’t know what he wants me to say to that, so I just ignore the question. Instead, I face Matteo whose face is telling me he’s still very undecided about this. Like maybe he’s gonna say I can’t go. But does he really have that kind of power over me? He’s my boss, sure, but he’s never actually exercised that authority over me.
