CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: WINTER
“It’ssimple,you’regoing to split off from us and you and Winter will go to the Damone’s safe house in Princeton,” Giovanni says without looking up from his phone.
“That’s what you want me to do?” Vito asks in shock, his brows pulling together.
Even Maximo is looking confused as he leans against the wall on the other side of the room.
“That’s exactly what I want,” Giovanni says, lifting his gaze as he stuffs his phone into his pocket. “If anything goes south, we’re going to need someone who can take over left behind.”
“You could leave Maximo-” Vito’s words die on his lips and he drops his head. “Never mind, I understand.”
“I figured.”
“I’m hurt, brother, you’re not ready to pass the mantle over to me, yet?” Maximo asks in amusement.
“I need you at my back, you’re a better shot than Vito,” Giovanni says.
“Of course, let’s go with that excuse,” Maximo says but he doesn’t actually seem offended, more amused than anything.
The door to Giovanni’s office opens and Lucia strolls in. Those lingering bruises are no longer visible and her gait is strong as she struts into the room. She’s wearing another one of those sleek pant suits, the top molding against her chest and the midsection flaring out. Only the middle button is done, exposing her bra up top and her midriff on the bottom. The slacks she wears look perfectly tailored.
And her attitude…. it fills the room.
She doesn’t say anything, simply standing in the middle of the room with her arms folded over her chest.
“What do you think you’re doing, Lucia?” Giovanni asks, looking up at her.
“I’m waiting.”
“For what?” he asks.
“For the bullshit babysitting job you’re about to give me. I promise I won’t let Winter out of the mansion,” she drawls, the sarcasm thick in her tone.
“Favorite cousin, you may want to fix your tone. Vito drew the babysitting stick, not you,” Maximo dips in, his lips quirking at the corners.
Lucia pauses, a crease forming between her brows before she looks over at Giovanni for confirmation.
“You’re coming with us,” he says.
Lucia grins and she relaxes, “Well then, I better go get comfortable.” She turns, her gaze moving to Vito as mirth dances in her eyes, her mood doing a completely one-eighty. “It sucks to be you then.” Her gaze flits over to me and she places a gentle pat on my shoulder. “No offense, Winnie Pooh.”
“None taken.”
I don’t care about the babysitting jabs, because as long as I’m out of the middle of whatever is about to go down, I don’t care. I’d seen the intensity in Giovanni’s eyes as he’d made it clear to Cressida that she wasn’t to interfere. And I’d watched the way he’d barked out orders to his men all morning. I’ve always known that there’s more people than just Giovanni, Maximo, Enzo, and Vito, but I also hadn’t realized how many there really were.
If the amount of men coming in and out this morning was any indication, their family’s numbers aren’t as low as I was led to believe.
“We need to go ahead and get a move on,” Giovanni says as he rises from his chair.
For a man who’s about to go off to war, he’s more than overdressed. He’s wearing a suit and shiny leather loafers. His hair is perfectly slicked back like it usually is, and really there’s nothing that screams ‘I’m about to shoot a lot of people’ about him.
Actually, Maximo is the only one who’s dressed down in a pair of black sweats and a plain dark t-shirt. Everyone else is wearing their suit.
Vito nudges my hip and I look up, realizing almost everyone is out of the room. I step through the door, catching Enzo’s back at the end of the hall. I walk a little quicker to try and catch up with him. Vito is quiet as he follows behind me.
In the foyer, Lucia is waiting and she’s switched out her pantsuit for something a lot more comfortable. She’s wearing a black t-shirt and the loose black pants resemble cargos with all of its pockets. I can see two different guns sitting at her hips and I have no doubt that she has more weapons hidden on her person.
“Let’s get this shit going, fill me in on the way,” she tells Giovanni before bounding out of the door.