Page 20 of Sinister Devotion

Claire. I can't believe she's dating.

"We just had the conversation last night. I had no idea she had her eye on the guy. I should have him fired," I mumble to myself.

"Don't," Edward sighs. "Telling an eighteen-year-old not to do something is the fire that pushes them to do the exact opposite. Let her date the kid. If he tries anything funny, we'll have him take a tour of the bedrock holding up the bridge."

That gets a laugh out of me. "Nothing like plotting the murder of the guy trying to date my?—"

"Your what?" Edward smirks. He knows what she means to me, and still, he's the only person I trust with the truth. Even if I can't say it out loud.

"Nothing. Look, let's head out to the bluff. I want to talk to Armande. I need to get my mind off my Claire going out with some boy." I groan at my own words.

Edward chuckles. Still, I can't shake the fact that what I said annoyed him.

"You know I don't think like that, right?" I ask him after a while of us driving toward a gated community overlooking the bay.

"I know," he says. "Listen, I know you. You know me, too. Shit just triggered something in me. Your mother has a way with words and the way you said that shit about the mower sleazebag, just reminded me of the way she used to talk to us when we first started coming around."

"I know. Bianca Marzano has been ruthless since the day she was born. It takes a special kind of woman to put someone like my father in his place. The crazy part about my folks is that it took fucking murder for her to leave. Honestly, I think if Charleston hadn't killed that woman in our house, she would have stayed."

Edward nods. "You're probably right. She hates crimes of passion."

I laugh and shake my head, knowing that he's right. My mother is as methodical as I am when it comes to business. Everything has to have a reason, a purpose. If it doesn't help you achieve a goal, then you don't waste energy on it.

When we pull up to a large iron gate with a security guard in the booth, we're let in as soon as the guard calls up to my mother's place. I'm hoping she's not home, but since it's her house…

Wait, technically, it's my uncle's place, but it's in my mother's name. It's a way of life for the Marzano family.

The house is gorgeous. All white with reflective windows so no one can photograph or record videos of the place. No one gets in or out without being personally cleared by my mother and her security people. A trait I picked up from her, no doubt.

As we pull up to the mansion on a cliff overlooking the bay, my uncle comes out of the house with a cigar in his mouth and sunglasses over his eyes. He opens his arms wide as he welcomes us.

"Are those my favorite errand boys? Come on in fellas. I got steaks going on the grill." Armande's smile is infectious.

I look at my watch. "Zio, it's barely ten in the morning. You're going to give yourself a heart attack eating steak for breakfast."

"You sound like your mother," he says, waving his hand as we walk inside.

Sure enough, the scent of beef cooking over a fire wafts through the home. The entryway opens into a living room that has clear sight through the kitchen and out to the backyard.

"Is she around?" I ask him. Edward and I both glance around, listening out for my mother like we're two kids cutting school.

Armande laughs. "No, she's not. She's out doing what she does best."

"Shopping?" I ask with a laugh.

"No, organizing. Something about that party you got going. You boys gonna eat or what?" he asks.

"I can eat." Edward grins, taking a seat at the massive kitchen island.

"Good. There's plenty. You know, Julian, I got to apologize to you for the other day. I shouldn't have come to your office like that," Armande tells us as he sits down across from Edward. His Consigliere, Vinnie, is on the back deck, tending to the steaks.

I lean against the wall beside the door, letting the cool ocean breeze take my mind away from obsessing over Claire. My words are low. "It's fine. It let me put Fiona in her place. She was getting too mouthy for my liking anyhow. Besides, you probably saved her life by telling me what you did."

Armande nods. "Nice. My good deed for the year. The other thing I wanted to talk to you about was the stuff going on with Scarpella. I think you were right about going after him. We should cut him off at the knees."

"Oh yeah? Why the sudden change of heart?" I ask him.

Armande puffs on his cigar. "He's started up that carjacking ring again. They're not just taking cars. They're knocking tourists over the head, busting windows and stealing anything not bolted to the frame. His stupid fucking punks got the police trigger happy and looking to make an example out of anyone they get their hands on. It's too hot to move any product in the city which is hindering business. Slow business means slow money. Who the fuck has time for slow money?"

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