Page 20 of Blood Money

9

VALENTINO

I’d stayed away from Pound for a week, but I’d had to fight myself every single day to do it. I wanted to watch Liam dance, to make sure no one was touching him, to stake my claim on him. I wanted to know if he was following the rules. More than anything, I wanted to punish him if he wasn’t.

I knew just what I’d do if I had the chance, but I tried to push those seductive thoughts from my mind. I had to keep my hands off him.

Was there any way in hell that was going to work? He was made for me. I was sure of it.

My phone rang, and I jumped. Fuck. I hated how on edge I was. The screen lit up with my father’s name. I’d already argued with him about my choice to let Liam work off the debt. He didn’t like it, but he’d accepted it because it fit within the rules he’d laid out, and I’d explained that it was the only way we’d get paid.

Dom liked money even more than he liked killing, but I’d been avoiding him since our tense conversation.

I answered the call, but I didn’t have a chance to say hello before he started speaking. “I need you in New York. Tommy Lorenzo slipped away from your fucking brother, and now he thinks he’s safe there with his family. It’s your job to show him how wrong he is.”

“Will Vito be coming with me?”

“Yes, he needs to see how work is actually done.”

I wanted to tell my father Vito was more than capable, but arguing with Dom wasn’t permitted. I simply said “Yes, sir” and ended the call.

On the drive to New York, I was hoping for silence, but I knew better. My brother was a talker, and it had been a while since we’d had much time together.

“So…what’s going on at the club?”

That was exactly the conversation I wanted to avoid. “What do you mean?”

Vito slapped my upper arm. “How stupid do you think I am, Val?”

“There’s a new guy working off his debt as a dancer.” I needed to stick to the facts.

My brother hummed. “You accepted that as a deal? You’re not usually one for bargaining.”

“The only other option was torturing him, and that wasn’t going to get us our money.”

“Right. So he’s…dancing.”

“Yes.” He damn well better not be doing anything else.

“And that’s all? You could have–”

“No.”

Vito chuckled. “Who is this young man?”

I glanced over at him. “How do you know he’s young?”

“All the dancers are.”

That wasn’t exactly true. “Eddie is–”

“Val, tell me about the new guy.”

“Why do you care?” I needed to find a way to change the subject. Fast.

“Because I’m interested, and if you don’t tell me, I’ll just go see him for myself when I get back to town.”

The hell he would. “Leave him alone.”

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