Page 67 of A Sinner's Virtue
I don’t utter a word until we’re in the car, away from all the prying ears inside the house. “What are his chances, really?”
“They’re not good,” Gio grunts, cursing under his breath as he slams his fists down on the steering wheel. “Fuck.” It’s not often my brother loses his composure. It takes a lot to rattle him. “He shouldn’t fucking be there. It should be me,” he says.
“We know this is the reality of what we do. Gabe knew the risks. This is the life.”
“Maybe it’s time to get out of the life…”
“And do what?” I ask, honestly curious. I know there is no getting out of this life, not for Gio, and not for me. I could see Gabe moving on to a more legit role once he gets out. I was supposed to be studying business to run that side of the family empire. Which I’ll do, but I don’t mind getting my hands dirty either.
“Fuck knows. I just need the family to get back on track. It feels like we’re dealing with one hit after the fucking other at the moment.”
“I know.” My mind drifts to Zoe and finding the fuckers who are after her. I won’t rest until I know they’re no longer a threat.
“What’s going on with Vin?” Gio asks.
“What d’you mean?” I shrug, doing my best to play dumb. I know that Gabe talked to our youngest brother. He didn’t elaborate but I don’t need him to. There’s no good reason for the kid to know about that house our father was keeping behind our backs.
I knew the man was a sick bastard. But that? What Gabe and I found in that house while looking for intel on the old man’s secret contacts? That was a whole new level of fucked up. Our father, along with one of his disgusting friends, was running a child sex ring.
Boys and girls as young as ten were locked up in rooms, where they were used against their will. Gabe and I shut that shit down quick. As for the fucker who was running the show, well, we made sure he was no longer able to do shit. But Vin… I can’t bring myself to imagine what he was doing in that house, what our father made him do…
That’s not my story to tell, though. The kid doesn’t want people knowing. I get that, and unless I think he’s not coping, I’ll take that knowledge to the grave with me. Besides, Gio doesn’t need that on his shoulders as well. He’ll blame himself, like Gabe and I have been doing since we found out.
It’s the only reason I haven’t put a stop to the pot. We don’t tolerate drugs by any means. But at the moment, I think the kid needs it. It’s fucked up, and I shouldn’t be okay with my little brother using drugs to ease his mind. At the same time, it’s only pot. Anything else and I wouldn’t be sitting idly by watching him self-medicate.
“Something’s bugging him lately. You think it’s all the changes? Something happening at school?”
“He’s seventeen, Gio. He’s a moody teenager. You were one once too. I know it was a lifetime ago, but you were.” I laugh.
“Fuck off. I’m not that much older than you,” he grunts.
“Is that a grey hair?” I reach up and touch the side of his head, where there isn’t a single grey to be seen.
“Fuck you. There’s no grey. And even if there were, it’d be because of you four fuckers stressing me the fuck out.”
“Imagine when you and El have your own kids. What’s that gonna be like if you’re this stressed over your brothers?”
“Our kids will be angels, just like their mother,” Gio says with a smile.
“Or they’ll be girls and hot, just like their mother.” I laugh at the glare Gio sends my way.
“I’ll buy a farm. Move them out to the middle of nowhere. Or I’ll build a town where no boys are allowed to live within a hundred kilometres.”
“Yeah, let me know how that works out for you.” I shake my head. No way in hell would El let him do all that.
“I’m thinking of moving out,” I tell him. “I think it’s time.”
“You’re not moving out,” Gio grunts. “Have Zoe move in with you at our house.”
“It’s not about her. It’s just time.”
“No, it’s not. This isn’t the time to be separating. We need to stick together,” he says.
“It’s not separating. It’s moving out.”
“Same thing. I can’t fucking protect you if you’re spread out all over the city.”
“Gio, it’s not your job to protect us from everything.”
