Page 17 of Volatile Vice

I regard my grandfather. For a man in his eighth decade, he’s in excellent shape. But his eyes betray him. Not just the wrinkles around them but their color. Once nearly black, they’re now faded like old leather. They hold a depth of stories, secrets carried through the years. In them, I see the weight of wisdom and a trace of sadness, witness to all he has seen and perhaps lost. Yet they remain windows to a soul that refuses to bow to the years. He has an act put on. The tough Mafia leader.

But he’s getting old, and he and I both know it. His men know it.

“You can trust me. You can trust me to get things done my own way.”

“Only time will tell on that, Vincent.” He looks down for a moment before meeting my gaze again. “Don’t think for one second that I will ever forget your betrayal. That I’ll ever forget that you walked away from this family. That I’ll ever forget?—”

I stand. “And don’t think for one moment, Grandfather, that I will ever forget whatyoudid to me. What you did to Michael. What you wanted to do to Falcon Bellamy. And that you’re allowing my father to rot in prison when you could get him sprung tomorrow. Don’t think for a moment that I’ll forget that you sold your own daughter into marriage.”

He scoffs. “I sold her to your father. He turned out to be a big disappointment.”

His response rings odd to me. I expected him to state the obvious—that if he hadn’t sold my mother off to my father, I wouldn’t exist. Neither would Savannah.

“Because he killed Miles McAllister?” I say. “Because he tried to save Savannah from the same fate as your own daughter?”

“Because he’s weak,” Grandfather says. “My only consolation is that my blood—” He closes his mouth abruptly.

“That your blood what?”

“My blood flows throughyourveins, Vincent. Don’t ever forget that.”

How I wish I could.

I rise, placing both of my hands on his desk. “How many other men and women have you violated, Grandfather? I can’t imagine you were faithful to my grandmother all those years.”

He says nothing.

Which tells me everything I need to know.

I regard him again. It’s eerie how much I resemble him. How I favor him and my mother, while Mikey and Savannah favor our father.

Genes are funny things.

I clear my throat. “You need to stop having me followed.”

“I’ll stop having you followed when I’m good and ready.” He scowls. “Did you really think some cheap rental car and cash would keep you undercover? Did you really think I wouldn’t know that you were with Raven Bellamy last night?”

“My personal life is none of your business.”

“It is when it interferes withmybusiness. What if I had insisted that she be your target? What if I hadn’t reneged?”

“Then I would’ve left this family again.” I sink slowly into my chair. “I will not murder an innocent young woman. A woman who’s already been through hell and has never done anything to hurt this family.”

He smiles then—and in that moment, I can almost see scales forming on his skin. His tongue slithering out at me like a snake.

Maybe I’m the cobra, but he’s the King Cobra.

If he ever finds out how much I care for Raven…

Would he take her just to punish me?

Yes. He would do it without hesitation, which is why I left her last night. And why I can’t see her again.

She’ll haunt me until the day I die, but until I can get my grandfather out of the picture, we cannot be together.

“I will do my duty,” I tell him. “I’ll do the duty that Mikey couldn’t. I’ll do the duty in payment for Savannah’s freedom. For my mother. But I willonlydo it if you can guarantee Raven Bellamy’s safety.”

He scowls. “I don’t make guarantees, Vincent. A man in my position doesn’t have to.”

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