Page 2 of Orlando

I squint my eyes, focusing on his hairline. I don’t say anything. I just wait. It takes less than a minute for him to squirm.

“What the fuck are you looking at?”

I shake my head. “Nothing. I saw a few grays on Zio Romeo the other day. Just checking if you had them too.”

Pops runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t have grays.”

“Uh-huh. Whatever you say. Gotta run. I’m picking up Dante.”

“What’s wrong with his car?” Pops asks.

“Nothing that I know of.” I shrug.

When I get into my car, I hit dial on my cousin’s name and wait for him to answer. “You know it’s too fucking early for me to deal with your ass, Orlando,” Dante says as his voice fills the space.

“Too bad. I’m picking you up,” I tell him.

“Why?”

“Because I told Pops I was, so now I have to. Be ready. I need to get to school.”

“If you’re picking me up, then you’re also picking up Josie,” he says.

“I’m getting her first. Zio Theo’s house is closer than yours.” I hang up before my cousin can argue about me picking up his girlfriend without him.

Josie was adopted by our aunt and uncle a few months ago. My Zio Theo loves to give Dante a hard time about dating his daughter; although they were dating before she was adopted into the family. Josie had shitty foster parents she needed saving from.

I pull into my uncle’s estate and jog up to the door. It opens just before I reach it. “Thanks.” I nod at the guy staring back at me from the other side. There are more soldiers guarding this place than Buckingham Palace. Guess that comes with being the Don.

“Orlando, sweetheart, what a surprise.” Zia Maddie smiles when I walk into the dining room. She pulls me into a hug.

“I just came to get Josie,” I tell her while returning the greeting.

“Where’s Dante?” Zio Theo asks, not moving from his spot at the head of the table.

“His place. We’re carpooling today,” I tell him.

Zio Theo stares in my direction, giving me that look that says he wants more information. When he doesn’t get any, he groans. “Why?”

“Saving the environment.” I smirk while lifting one shoulder. Then I turn to Josie. “You ready?”

She nods, giving me a curious glance before saying her goodbyes to Zio Theo and Zia Maddie.

Once we’re in the car and on the way to Dante’s, she shifts in her seat to glare at me. “What’s really going on? Why are you acting so cagey?”

“Me? Cagey?” I laugh. “Nothing’s going on.”

We part ways not long after getting to school and I head straight for Aleeka’s locker. But she’s not there. I check my phone and she hasn’t read the message I sent.

“Didn’t take you for the lost puppy kind, Orlando.” A high-pitched voice has me looking up.

“What?” I ask the cheerleader whose name I can’t recall.

“Lost puppy, you miss her already? I can help you out with that. Make you forget she even existed,” she says.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I grunt, not bothering to look up.

“Aleeka? Yesterday was her last day. She transferred out of state somewhere. I forget where she said she was moving.”

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