Page 17 of Tainted Saints

“The Saints?”

“Yes, the Tainted Saints? One of the most powerful gangs on the east side of Fairview, run by Landon Capaldi, Forest Butler, and Blaine Garcia.” She looks at me expectantly, and I just bite my lip before shrugging. “Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and John, you’ve got a lot to learn, girl. Lucky for you, I’m here to tell you all the gossip.”

She links her arm with mine and turns us towards the main building, presumably where the dining hall is. I can’t resist a look behind me, my steps faltering slightly when eyes as dark as a moonless sky catch my own and suddenly I remember.

The mall. The stranger watching from the shadows. Was that Landon? And if so, why was he, the leader of what sounds like a pretty infamous gang, watching me as if I was somehow important to him?

ChapterEight

“Anyone Else” by PVRIS

BLAINE

“What the fuck, Daddy?”Forest hisses as we walk towards the woodland trail at the back of the school. His arms sweep out back to where we’ve just left Aspen, his chin high. “I thought we were taking care of her all day? You know, like you promised we would?”

I’ve not seen Forest angry like this for a long time, especially at Landon. He’s usually the most chilled of us, taking things in his stride, but I can’t say that I blame him. I’m pissed too. I didn’t want to leave her, let alone with someone she’s just met too. I’m also still worried about the fact that she didn’t eat for seven fucking days.

“She needs to mix with her own people,” Landon grits out, his hands flexing at his sides as he leads us deeper into the woods. I growl, hating that a part of me agrees with him. We are not on the same level as Aspen Buckingham, the British Ambassador’s daughter. “And, we have a meeting with Gio.”

My pulse stutters. Gio is a runner for Landon’s uncle, Alfonso Capaldi, a made man for the Italian mafia in these parts and who’s been trying to get Landon, and therefore all of us, to join the ranks since forever. Lan won’t though, not after what happened to his dad. He’s never forgiven them for not protecting their own.

Guilt leaves a sour taste in my mouth, knowing that I am partly to blame for our current situation, for the debt we have owed Lan’s uncle ever since he helped remove my cunt of a father from the picture and get me a home with Lan’s aunt and uncle.

“What does he want?” I ask, my voice deep as the sounds of the students fade behind us, replaced with the cracking of leaves and twigs beneath our feet.

“An update on Buckingham,” Lan states but doesn’t elaborate as we come to the clearing that we’ve used before to meet Gio. The debt we owe isn’t small, a favour in exchange for kickback to Alfonso with no end in sight. Well, the end would be the Tainted Saints also becoming made men, which is not going to happen. I can’t protect the only family I have if we’re part of the Family.

“Landon! Nice to see you again,fratello!” Gio greets, striding towards Lan and gripping his face before placing a kiss on either cheek as is the mafia way. Lan is stock-still, his teeth gritted. He hates this and wants nothing to do with that side of the family, but, because of me, he has to endure it.

“Gio,” Lan grinds out, no emotion on his face, and it worries me that he’s become so cold to anyone who is not us or his mother. He used to be so full of life, always smiling and joking as a kid, but since the day his father was murdered right before his eyes and he assumed the role of man of the house, he’s turned into an ice prince.

“Come, no need to be like that. We’re practically family,” Gio scolds, releasing Lan to look at Forest and I. He's in the typical mafia attire of a black-on-black suit, complete with shiny loafers and so at odds with the forest that surrounds us. He’s a wirybastardo, thin and looks like a weasel. “Blaine. Rhett.” We both just nod, letting Lan take the lead on this. “So, your uncle wants to know what progress you’ve made with the girl. What have you learnt?”

My jaw tightens until I hear my teeth creak. I don’t want him knowing anything about Aspen. She’s ours, even though I know that she could never truly be mine, our backgrounds are too different. My soul doesn’t give a shit though.

“She got arrested for stealing, disappeared for nine days, and then turned up today. We were taking her for a tour when I got your message,” Lan states blandly, and I want to punchese malditoin his perfect face for giving Gio even that much.

“Si, we saw the police report before it disappeared when her father paid the cops off,” Gio grumbles, and my brows start to lift before I gain control over them, holding my neutral mask so the fucker doesn’t know what I’m thinking. It doesn’t surprise me that they were able to gain access to the report. What does surprise me is that Aspen’s dad was able to pay them off, enough so that even the mafia couldn’t keep access. It does explain why we are involved, the Ambassador’s reach must be extensive.

“Well, we’ve done what Alfonso asked, and I’m bored of trailing after rich bitches, so we’re done,” Lan states, and I glare at him, my brows lowering when his eyes dart to the side, a sure sign that he’s lying. It’s almost like he wants to keep Aspen out of this, which I am one hundred percent behind.

“Alfonso wants you to get close to her, gain her trust, and see if she knows anything about what her father is up to. Fuck her if you have to, she’s a fine piece of ass so that shouldn’t be too much of a hard—”

Gio’s words are cut off as Lan slams him into a tree, his broad forearm pressing against Gio’s scrawny neck. Rage fills my veins and my hands fist at my sides as I wish it was me squeezing the life out of theese maldito bastardo.

“You don’t say shit like that, got it?” Lan spits out, his face a mask of wrathful hate as he gets right into Gio’s personal space, forcing the smaller man up on his tiptoes as Lan presses harder against his neck. “You don’t even think shit like that.”

“S–sorry–Landon–fratello!” Gio splutters, making a gurgling sound when Lan presses harder for a moment before he abruptly releases Gio, who falls in a crumpled heap on his ass in the dirt.

“Tell Alfonso that we’ll be in touch when we know more,” Lan sneers, turning his back on the fallen man and striding towards us. The click of a gun has us all pausing and my pulse pounds in my ears as my lips pull back into a snarl when I see the handgun aimed at Landon.

He dares to pull a gun on my brother! I will rip him limb from limb and beat him bloody with them.

Lan turns before I can take a step, then he’s laughing, a bitter, painful sound that I fucking loathe coming from him. He saunters towards Gio like he doesn’t have a fucking gun trained on his skull, and I want to shoot him myself for being so fucking careless of his own life.

“You going to shoot me, Gio?” he questions in a low, amused tone, stepping right back into Gio’s space, the gun pressed to his forehead. “Well, go on then. Pull the fucking trigger. Or do you not have the balls to do it?”

The gun trembles, and I can’t breathe as I wait to see what happens next. Gio’s jaw is set, but his eyes are wide, the whites showing, and his body is full of tremors. Like Lan, I’m pretty sure Gio isn’t man enough to kill him, and not just because of who Landon’s uncle is, but because Gio isn’t made of the same stuff as Lan. It’s why his uncle wants him to join the Family.

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