Page 96 of Vicious Addictions

He only drinks like this when something is troubling him.

While patience has never been my strong suit, I decide to hold my tongue and wait for him to share his thoughts. Still, I have this nagging suspicion that somehow my father is behind Victor’s foul temperament. After all, I’m the only one he specifically requested to see him in his office after a day’s work.

“Vincent called me today,” he finally confirms, placing the empty glass on his desk as he leans against its edge.

And there it is. Now it makes sense why he’s so riled up. My father has that effect on people.

“I take it the phone call didn’t go well,” I retort whimsically after a long pause.

Victor doesn’t so much as crack a smile.

“He’s asked me to persuade you to go home for the holidays.”

“Asked or ordered?” I cock a brow.

His lips twitch into a grin, and he replies, “With your father, it’s always a combination of both.”

“I see,” I grumble, not liking where this conversation is going. “So, are you going to do what heasked?”

“I told him that I would convey the message but that I’d leave it up to you to decide.”

“Let me guess? My father wasn’t happy with that reply?”

“No. No, he was not.” Victor shakes his head solemnly.

Fuck.

I can only imagine what my father must have said to Victor. Though my loyalties will always lie with my family, I don’t appreciate my father trying to intimidate another boss just to get me to bend to his will, especially when it makes me look like an unruly child in the eyes of my mentor—and Mina’s father.

“I apologize for anything he might have said that could have offended you.”

“For your sake, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” he cuts me off. “Your father wouldn’t appreciate you apologizing for another man’s poor behavior. Especially his.” My jaw ticks at the light reprimand, but I note it for future reference anyway. “Tell me this, Jude. Do you want to go home?” he asks me inquisitively.

Home. What a loaded word that is. I do want to go home. Though I might have a bone to pick with my parents for treating me like a child, I miss my brothers and sisters terribly, not to mention my adoptive fathers, Giovanni and Dominic.

I can’t deny that there is a big part of me that yearns for home.

A part that aches to be back in Chicago.

But as long as my father refuses to initiate me into thefamiglia, going home is not an option.

This life… it’s all I’ve ever wanted.

It’s what I was born for.

So, until Selene and Vincent give me what I want, I will stay in London until I get my point across.

Is that the only reason you don’t want to leave?

Or is it the idea of leaving Mina behind that is coloring your reasoning?

When I don’t reply to either Crane or my inner thoughts, Victor pours himself another gin and then sits beside me on the couch.

“A son shouldn’t resent his father as much as you resent yours. It’s not healthy.”

“I don’t resent Vincent.”

“Right, because every son treats his father by his Christian name,” he jokes, taking a swig from his glass.

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