Page 94 of End It All

"Yeah," I muttered.

"Blake, thank fuck!" Benito sounded out of breath. There was crying in the background.Emica."Where are you?"

"Out," I answered. When there was silence, I sighed. "Some nightclub with Cesare."

"You're still with that asshole?" He groaned. "Listen, you don't have to stay there if you don't want to. I know you and Quincy got into some kind of fight..."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Fine," he snapped. "But I do. We've been worried about you and you can't even pick up a goddamn phone!" Everything went silent for a moment before I heard him suck in a deep breath. "Your family needs you. I need you."

"What for?" I asked, my body still on edge.

"Harlow and Quincy took off at some point and I can't find them. I don't know where they are or what they're doing, but if I know my husband, it's something stupid. Or dangerous. Or both. Do you know where Quincy might have gone?"

My body stiffened. "Quincy is missing?" I swallowed thickly. “With Harlow?” My stomach tightened at the thought of them. Alone. Together.

"Yes."

I looked up at Cesare again. There was still so much I wanted to talk to him about, but he had up the same kind of wall I did. Getting through to him wasn't something that was going to happen overnight, if I even wanted to get to know him more at all. I swallowed hard.

"When? What happened?"

"Where are you? I'll come pick you up."

I hesitated. "Why?"

Benito stopped. "I don't understand."

"Why do you want to be around me? I basically betrayed you."

"Did you run your mouth about my business to our asshole father?"

"What? No," I said, shooting straight up. "Of course not!"

"Then what the fuck do I care? You have every right to get to know that the man's a bastard on your own terms. No one's judging you for that. I am judging you for not answering my calls though. Family doesn't do that.”

I shifted from one foot to the other. "I'm family?"

"Are you really this stupid? Just tell me where you are so I can come pick your ass up. Text it to me. Mother, Emica does not need ice. She needs food. No, she should not be worried about her figure. She's not even two!" He sighed. "I'm coming to get you. Now. Wait outside."

Benito hung up. I stared at the phone. For someone who wanted distance from Cesare, they sure acted alike sometimes. A hand gripped my shoulder. I glanced up.

"You taking off?" Cesare asked.

I bristled. "Yeah. That a problem?"

"Are you a man or not?" He snorted. "You don't need Daddy’s permission to live. Do what you want to do. Come back around when you're ready to really run this town."

I wasn't sure how I felt about that, so all I did was nod. He inclined his head before he turned around.

"Who's sucking my dick first?" he asked.

Their excited arms shooting into the air was more than enough for me. I took my exit, my brain full of thoughts of my... brothers.

And Quincy.

You better still be alive. I haven't punched you in the face enough yet.

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