“I’ll see you at home,” Dom told her. “If you need me, just call.” He excused himself from the room, aware that this conversation didn’t require his presence.
Getting up from my seat, I crossed the room and plucked him out of Mia’s grasp, giving her a quick kiss. “Didn’t I tell you to keep clear of work?” Link’s hand went straight to my beard as he squealed with delight. Rather me than his momma. I’d spent plenty of mornings watching Mia untangle our tot from her hair.
“Am I interrupting something?” Mia asked, ignoring my question as she finally looked up and took in the room.
“Mia, my absolute displeasure to introduce you to my cousin, Angelo,” Dante drawled with a pained expression.
“Mia.” Angelo rolled her name in his mouth and instinctively I straightened up at her side. He took a step forward and extended a hand towards her.
“Keep your hands and your eyes to yourself,” I warned him, putting an end to any idea before it had time to take root and flourish. Cerb shared the same sentiments, a low growl emitting from the floor where he’d settled.
Angelo flashed me a shit eating grin, the same one that appeared on Dante’s face whenever he had a bad idea. It was a vivid reminder that despite the fact I called Dante my brother, he heralded from an entirely different pool of genetics. “You must have a hard time keeping them away from this one, Lucas.”
“Not really,” Mia told him, a smile in place but I could see the tightness in the gesture. She made no move to take his hand. Instead, she placed one tenderly on my arm. “Most men aren’t stupid enough to try.”
“I think that all depends on if they think it’s worth chasing after and causing the upset,” Angelo mused.
“Angelo,” Dante said, mouth in a thin line as he put a heavy hand on his cousin’s shoulder, causing Angelo to buckle under the pressure. “He broke my arm and put two men in the ground for her. Just do your job and attempt not to get killed.”
“That’s a joke,” Angelo replied, colour fading from his face. The cocky demeanour disappeared in record time. For him, our reality was a rumour not quite steeped in truth.
“No joke,” Mia told him before we could get in there. Less and less, she waited for me to take the lead and it drove me mad. Watching how she had changed from the quiet woman who watched the way we worked to the person who could handle her own business was stunning to witness. “He’d do anything for me. For our family.”
There was no doubt in my mind about that. Mia had become my priority and now Link had joined the top spot. After the mess of her leaving and the way I handled it, I promised myself that she’d know that she had me in her corner for the rest of our lives together.
“So, do your job. Do it well. And leave,” Dante listed out for him.
“If there’s nothing else,” I said as Link began to whine. “Mia, you wanted to do lunch?” She looked at me and nodded her head. I knew she’d be happy to get out of there as soon as possible, thanks to Angelo’s dumb move. She’d never appreciate attention from anyone other than me, a fact that I relished in. “Angelo, expect to see the money soon but I want you on the job now. Dante will give you the footage we have from around the areas the shootings happened. Start there.” As an afterthought, I added, “And you don’t leave this house. No one can know you’re here, and I’m not above making sure you can’t walk again if you disobey that order.”
I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “I’m on it.”
As I went to turn, I saw Dante mouth ‘you fucker’ and I made a mental note to add a bonus to his pay packet for all the shit we’d burdened him with.
Chapter Seven
Lucas
“Boss.” Dante poked his head around the office door, and I looked up from the paperwork in front of me. He was rosy-cheeked and wore a smile that bordered more along the lines of a grimace. “We have a small problem.”
“Deal with it,” I told him and went back to the papers. I’d neglected it for long enough and couldn’t ignore it any longer.
“No, thanks. This problem is 5’10, blonde and has a shitty attitude.”
The description made me look up and the corner of my mouth pulled into a half smile. It had taken Gabe a little longer than I’d anticipated to turn up, but I was grateful that he’d chosen the office rather than the house. Mia didn’t need to deal with any more shit. His issue was with me. Not my family. Not necessarily.
“Is he in there?” Gabe’s voice sounded behind Dante.
“Let him in,” I said.
“You should really work on your people skills, Gabe,” Dante said as Gabe pushed past him into the room. “People might mistake you for someone with a rod up his ass. You wouldn’t want them to get the wrong impression, would you?”
“I’m glad Tori dumped your ass,” Gabe hissed in return. “Finally realised how much of an idiot you are. I’ve been telling her for years that you weren’t worth her time.”
All traces of amusement left Dante’s face. Gabe had struck him in the one place where it would hurt. Although the breakup had needed to happen, made it safer for us overall, I didn’t enjoy seeing my brother in pain. Dante still moped around like a wounded dog when there was a lull in the day, giving into the misery and heartbreak when nothing else required his attention.
“Gabriel, what can I help you with?” I asked.
“Where are they?” Gabe asked, his head swinging back in my direction.
