Page 97 of Filthy Little Games

“You know, he’s just a grumpy bastard who is trying to protect you from yourself. He’s not wrong in this case, either. Thewoman is not only a liability, but she also had a hand in Carmine’s death.”

“I know. I just wish Dre could understand there’s more to her than that one mistake. He probably wishes I would go with her.”

“What the hell? Why would you say that?”

“Dre is next in line,” I mutter aloud before I can stop the words from leaving my mouth. The thought of going with Zara and Oriana has crossed my mind. Leaving the country would also be one way to avoid prison…

Tristan is silent for several long seconds. “You can’t be serious.”

“He’s my second, the underboss to our entire family now.”

“I meant about you leaving! And I’m your third. Do you think I‘d ever want you and Dre out of the way?”

“No. But he’s not wrong. I’ve been making bad decisions, ones that put our family in jeopardy.”

“Just because he’s pointing out problems doesn’t mean he’s about to try and push you out.”

“So, you don’t think he could’ve had anything to do with the raid?”

“What? No.” Tristan shakes his head. “Absolutely not. That was all on the Rovinas, right?”

“I only have proof Izaiah was involved, not Emilio. Izaiah had to have been working with someone. That someone could be anyone.”

“You probably should’ve asked Izaiah before you killed him.”

“Right, like I could’ve strung Izaiah up by his ankles and asked him about what he and his father or whoever else have been up to, and he would’ve just confessed.”

“He might have. What if we string Emilio up by his ankles and see if he confesses to anything?”

“Our alliance with Emilio is hanging by a thread, one that Dre is going to sever if he doesn’t hurry up and convince Stella tomarry him. We need that wedding to happen while we bide our time until we can take out Emilio.”

“You don’t actually think Dre is dragging his feet to hurt you, do you?”

“Maybe.”

“It’s only been a few weeks since you told him he had to marry her. And I know for a fact Dre wants Stella so bad, he would crawl across Manhattan in the nude, on his hands and knees, for a taste of her.”

“What?” I ask, since nothing he just said makes any damn sense.

“You really didn’t know?”

“Know what?”

“I thought that was why you pushed him toward Stella. It’s why I intentionally tried to rile him up by acting like I wanted to hit it.”

“You were messing with him just to get him to agree to the marriage?”

“Trust me. He doesn’t want Stella to marry anyone else. He lost his fucking mind when he thought I might swoop in and agree to the wedding. I was sure he was going to blow my brains out.”

“Because you joked about fucking her?”

“Yes! He wasn’t about to let that happen.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s been trying to hit that for years now..”

Twisting around to look at him, I ask, “Stella has turned him down for years?”

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