Page 17 of Something Blue

I have a horrible feeling that something bad has happened to him.

CHAPTER SIX

Celso

Ikick my feet up, resting them on the coffee table. My father usually complains at my brothers when they do this, but he always pretends he doesn’t notice when I do it.

The twins are playing cards to pass the time on a lazy afternoon while we wait for dinner to be ready.

My father made a new rule after everyone started getting married and disappearing from his life - he decided that every second Wednesday we had to be at his place for dinner. All of us. No spouses, only his kids. If you ask me it’s a slap in the face to tell your partner they can’t come to a family dinner. I would never do that to Neve.

My brothers are assholes for leaving their wives home alone.

Masaccio tilts his chin towards me, gesturing at the newspaper lying on the coffee table.

“No sign of the finance yet.” He says.

My father, sitting next to me on the sofa reading a different newspaper, grunts in response.

Masaccio is like a hound with the scent of blood. He stands up and walks over to us, sitting down opposite my father.

“Dad, I have concerns about this guy’s disappearance. Concerns that will affect the whole family.”

“What are you talking about?” My father says in a huff, dropping his own newspaper in a scrunch on his lap so that he can glare at Masaccio.

Tuomo is riveted by the conversation. Rufino and Dalila are in the kitchen getting drinks.

Masaccio lowers his voice emphasizing the seriousness of this conversation.

“Dad, if Celso did something to this guy it will cause a massive backfire for our family. His actions are reckless and selfishand?—”

The look in my father’s eyes is terrifying. Glaring straight at Masaccio he snarls, “If you utter one more word of this I swear you will be the one bearing the consequences - from me. Never speak ill of your own brother like that. We are family. Cosa Nostra. Don’t forget where you come from, Masaccio. We don’t throw each other under the fucking bus.”

I smirk and it seems to edge Masaccio towards losing control.

His fists clench in anger.

“Dad, Celso did something to this guy?—”

My father stands up and grabs Masaccio around the collar of his shirt. Mas is bigger than him. In a fight my father wouldn’t stand a chance. But this is a different power.

“Leave your brother alone.” He growls darkly, so close to Masaccio that Mas is leaning his head back to get away.

My father releases my brother and sits down again.

Mas is fuming, but he pulls himself together and dusts his hands over his shirt and sits down again.

His mouth is so tight the muscles along his jaw and flexed and rigid.

He won’t look at me.

He won’t look at my father.

I can’t hide the grin on my face. His discomfort is pleasing to me. I lean forward to pick up the newspaper from the table, but my chest tightens when I see my sister’s face - Dalila is standing in the door way, her head tilted to the side and her mouth hanging open. She’s frozen in horror and staring straight at me. I would have preferred for her not to overhear that conversation.

“Celso?” She asks, timidly. “Did you - did you do something to Damion?”

“Who?” I ask, playing it down.

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