Page 37 of A Seed Of Peril

Anthony went first.

“Well…” He was in deep thought—wracking his brain for a place to start. “I’m the oldest out of all of us. Hector didn’t find me until I was fifteen.”

“What happened?”

He cleared his throat again, and I swore I saw him grimace a little bit, like he didn’t want to dip his toes back into those waters. His hazel eyes revealed a grim picture of what I was about to learn.

“We crossed paths when I was on a walk. It was a… Pretty crappy day, to say the least.” He blew out a breath, bracing for his next words. “I lost my mother earlier that day, and I didn’t know what to feel except rage—and before you ask, pancreatic cancer.” Anthony made a left turn. “I knew I was being followed, but at that point, I didn’t give a shit. I just kept kicking a rock as I walked.

“But anyway, a Cadillac pulled up next to me, and I heard Hector ask if I was alright. He said a child shouldn’t be wandering the streets alone. I gave him the finger and told him to get fucked.”

Angelo snorted, making us laugh.

“As soon as he yelled out he could help me, I stopped dead in my tracks, pissed that he wouldn’t just go away. He got out of the Caddie and approached me from behind. I swung at him, just missing him. He told me he could take me someplace safe. Hell, I had no idea what the fuck he was up to and should’ve hightailed it the fuck out of there, but when he told me he could take away my pain, I listened. Next thing I knew, I was in the back of the Caddie with him and his armed men, telling him I wanted my mother back.”

Anthony swallowed the lump in his throat. I put my hand on his shoulder, my heart heavy for him.

“I’m so sorry, Anthony.” I took my hand away, resting both on my lap.

“Don’t worry, Lilith, but damn, I didn’t mean to throw all that on you like that.” He chuckled.

Smiling, I said, “It’s okay. So, what’s your role?”

“In the family? I’m one of Dominic’s capos.”

“Do you like your job?” I asked.

“I do.” His tone and attitude were more chipper, like his usual self.

I looked in my mirror. “What about you, Angelo?”

He shrugged nonchalantly, staring out his window.

“Born in New York like you. My foster parents gave me back when I was ten. I sat in the system for three years.”

Staring at my hands on my lap, I was blown away at how similar his and Dino’s stories were and how cruel life was to my brothers. No one deserved such painful baggage.

“Life isn’t fair,” I softly thought out loud.

“No, it’s not,” Angelo agreed. “But we found a sense of belonging… Normalcy.”

“And a second chance,” I said, lifting my head.

“Just like you,” Anthony said.

Smiling, we pulled into the parking lot of Aristos Hotel. “Just like me,” I mouthed. Anthony drove into a parking space, shifting the Escalade into park. Pivoting from any more somber talk, I asked Anthony and Angelo, “Do you guys have girlfriends?” I would’ve asked if they had wives, but they didn’t wear rings on their ring fingers.

Angelo scoffed, tapping Katrina's shoulder. “Yeah, right.” He told Katrina we were at the hotel. She took off her headphones as Anthony got out of the SUV. “I can’t speak for Tony, but I’m not chasing any women.”

Angelo got out of the SUV and helped me out of my seat, while Anthony helped Katrina.

Closing our doors, I said, “You just haven’t found the right one.” Angelo shrugged. “You’d rather stay single?”

Putting on his pair of black sunglasses, Angelo put his hand on the small of my back and led me to the entrance of the hotel.

“I’ve got money—I handle loads of it.” Keeping close behind Anthony and Katrina, Angelo held open the hotel door for me, staying in step with me, his hand again on my back. He spoke low in my ear. “I don’t have time for gold diggers.” Angelo walked us toward the elevator. With Katrina on his hip, Anthony walked over to the front desk.

I spoke in a whisper, not sure why I felt a pang of offense. “Not all women, Angelo. I’m not a gold digger.”

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