Page 35 of Mine to Tease

“You deserve a lot more.” Yes, things with Anastasia have worked out for the best, but what he did in working behind my back to organize this whole thing is still wrong. With tensions rising around us, I need to know I can still trust him. And if I can’t, if his allegiance is more to Aidan than it is to me, then I need to start acting accordingly, especially now that I’m involved with Anastasia.

“Maybe.” Gio nods. The two of us meet each other halfway and come to stand next to the fountain. “But sometimes the things we don’t want to have to do are the necessary things we must do.”

“I can accept that. But, Gio, I need to know that we’re still on the same side. I need to know that you’re going to be upfront with me, because if I can’t trust you, then I can’t trust anyone. And we don’t stand a chance in the war we both know is coming.”

“Damon, you should never question my loyalty to you. We’re family.”

“Yes, we’re family and you still agreed, no, forced me to sign a contract that gives Aidan Cross permission to kill me should anything happen to Anastasia.”

“And you honestly think I’d allow him to enforce it?” Gio raises his brows. He takes a deep breath and sits in the chair I hate. “Damon, this whole thing—Alister leaving, the alliance with the Irish, everything I’m doing to make sure the FBI’s investigation into the Amatos fails—it’s a chess game. We’re allowed very few mistakes before we lose everything. Pissing off Aidan Cross within his first month in New Orleans was not a mistake I was willing to make. But, should it come to it, I will take him out before I let him come after my family, before I let him come after you, no matter the consequences. Because family is everything. And that’s a sentiment I know Alister would back.”

Gio’s words are everything I needed to hear three months ago, but didn’t. Now that I’m involved with Anastasia, I’m not exactly keen on anyone taking out Aidan as I know it will destroy her. But it’s nice to know I still have a brother in this city. I take a deep breath then and sit on the edge of the antique fountain.

“Thank you, Gio. That’s what I needed to hear. But it feels like we already have lost everything. After what Aidan did to Angelo, things are going to get bloody and complicated fast. The men he forced to watch Angelo’s torture and execution are going to go after him and who’s to say they won’t employ some help?”

Gio nods as realization dawns on him. “From the capos Aidan has forced into submission.”

“Yeah, they may see this rising rebellion as a way to get out of paying the Irish the massive cut they’re taking from their business, but we both know it’s a suicide mission. Because even if they do manage to kill Aidan Cross, Josephine and her men will retaliate.”

“And the entire alliance will crumble. No one with Italian blood in this city will be safe, including those of us on the sidelines,” Gio says, looking as grim as I feel. Gio and I are both quiet as the weight of this conversation and our new dilemma sinks in.

Three months ago, had Aidan done what he did, I probably would’ve led the charge against him even though it would’ve meant going against Alister’s command. But everything is different now, because maintaining this alliance is the only way to keep Anastasia safe. Not to mention, if Gio is still playing chess, then it must be for a reason. He still has hope for Alister’s return just as I do. And though we may not know what his return will mean for us or the Mafia, one thing is certain. If this alliance falls apart while the Mafia is fractured and allegiances among the capos are questionable, there won’t be an organization left to salvage should Alister choose to. There’s more than one reason to protect this alliance—I see it now—even though the more time that passes, the more I truly only care about the first one—Anastasia.

It isn’t lost on me that Alister would say the same thing about Ariana. I guess love does make you do unusual things. Thinking of Alister makes me remember the several reasons why he chose to align himself with Josephine and the Irish in the first place. The most important of which is that they are powerful enough to defeat any threats against them. They are capable of keeping this city safe, and that’s what he wanted for his love, Ariana—safety and security—until he can return to her. Alister would not stand for this rebellion, even if it is Aidan’s fault, which means neither can we.

My shoulders slump and I lean forward, burying my face in my hands. I don’t like the idea of just sitting back and watching Aidan slaughter our people, but I know after what they were forced to witness, there’s no negotiating with them to end this before it begins. And it’s not like Gio and I even have the numbers to execute those negotiations safely. The only men with unquestionable loyalty to the Amato family, and thus to us, are the men of B&B, Gio’s family based out of Miami, and Gagliano and his men here in New Orleans. But Alister wouldn’t want us to drag Gagliano into this because of Ariana. And the only other ally that comes to mind is Cassio. But, again, his involvement would involve Sophia, and Alister wouldn’t want that either. Our hands are tied and this realization leaves me feeling sick and powerless.

Gio said this was a chess game. In chess, the game ends with the death or capture of the king. Alister may be alive, but it feels like we’re out of moves. And not knowing how big the movement against Aidan is only makes the potential threat against Anastasia more worrisome.

As if reading my thoughts, Gio says, “Alister knew this alliance might be met with resistance and he trusted Josephine and Aidan as her proxy to handle it. So we’re going to trust them to handle it too, even if we don’t like how they handle it.”

I take a deep breath and force myself upright. “I know.” My job isn’t to be a diplomat or defend Aidan, despite my vested interest in his survival. My job is to protect Anastasia, and while that just became a lot harder, the best way for me to do that is to stay as far away from this conflict as possible.

“But, Damon, you need to reconcile something right now before we discuss anything further.” I turn to Gio and watch as his lips fall into a flat line and his eyes go dark. I’ve seen that look before. It’s the one he wears when he’s preparing for battle. He disassociates and acts without hesitation, without regret. “Anyone who disobeys our king is no longer our blood, no longer our brother. If it comes to it, remember, they aren’t our people anymore. I will protect the alliance and you will protect Anastasia—without hesitation.”

“Trust me, when it comes to Anastasia, there will be no hesitation. That should go without saying after what you witnessed last night at the parlor.”

36

Gio nods and stands. “Bourbon?” he asks as he moves to the bar cart near the entry. I laugh and glance at my watch.

“It’s barely 8:00 a.m.”

“Is that a no?” He turns to me, brows raised. I throw my head back and stand. I guess I’ve been out of the field a little too long. Although, if last night is any indication, my tolerance hasn’t suffered.

“Fine, what the Hell?” I say. I move toward him as he pours me a glass. His shift in mood helps me to relax, despite the fact that I know there’s still plenty for us to discuss like the three missed calls I had from Aidan and the events of last night, including the ones he witnessed and the ones he didn’t.

“Speaking of last night,” he starts. As I reach him and take my glass from him, he gives me a knowing look.

I roll my eyes. “Here we go.” I pace the courtyard, preparing myself for a good scolding. I crossed a line with Anastasia and he knows it. Protectors aren’t meant to love their charges, because love clouds reason and inhibits strategy, putting both the protector and the charge at risk. But, more than that, sex is still seen as a sacred marriage act in our world. It’s a bit of a double standard. We can have it all we want, just not with certain women, mainly women of high rank within the criminal underworld as they are typically used as bargaining chips by their fathers. It’s fucked up all the way around, but it is the way of our world. Not to mention, most men in our line of work are prideful and possessive. Knowing that your woman has been with another man creates jealousy and leads to unwanted conflict. Hell, even though Ana was only with that college dweeb one time, it still boils my blood. If she’d actually had a relationship with another man in the mob or Mafia, yeah, I’d have to take care of that.

“I spoke with Aidan,” Gio says then. “I took the liberty of explaining what happened to his men, since asking you to do it would just be pouring gasoline on an already raging fire.” I nod. He’s not wrong. I was pissed at what he did to Angelo and what his men did to my shop. Not to mention the fact that his actions put Anastasia at risk. If he wasn’t her brother and it wasn’t forbidden, I’d kill him for it.

“When exactly did you speak with him?” I ask, pulling my phone from my pocket.

“This morning, why?” I stop my pacing to check my list of missed calls. All of the calls from Aidan are from last night. Now that Gio has spoken to him, I don’t have to worry about calling him back. Perfect.

“No reason. How did he take the news?” I ask, shoving the phone back into my pocket.

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