Page 94 of Knocked Up by my Best Friend's Brothers

“You don’t like your uncle very much, do you?”

“Jonas is a fucking ass, which is why bringing him your head in as a trophy will ensure that our line keeps our dad’s seat, not his.”

“Ah. That’s why you were more eager to kill me than Alexandra,” I conclude with a slow nod. “You’re more focused on the endgame, on preserving your blood rights.”

“Alexandra likes to play with her food, but we’re in this together. You’re not going to turn us against each other!” Vince warns.

I shrug. “I don’t have to turn you two against each other. You’re doing a fine job of that yourselves. You’re acting like a pushover, and she’s acting like she’s already sitting at the table. In the meantime, your uncle Jonas is still calling the shots.”

Vince slowly turns to look at me. He turns the gun over in his hands and stares at it for a while. His expression sends me into a brief panic.

“Would you like it if I kill you now and just get it over with?” he asks, his voice low and cold.

“You’ll never hear the end of it from your sister. And you know she’ll stab you in the back as a reward, right?”

He nods once and puts the gun away.

“Why does she get to lead?” I ask. “Didn’t your father leave instructions as to his successor?”

“Alexandra and I shared everything. We’ve always shared everything. It’s not as cut and dry as you make it sound.”

“Holy crap, whatever happened to the code, Vince?” I give him a cold, calculated grin. “Your ancestors came from Sicily and took over entire cities. They ruled by blood and bullets, yet you stand here, as meek as a little boy… unable to go over your little sister’s head.”

Vince scoffs. “You’re just begging to die.”

“I’m just laying out the truth for you, Vince. I’m sorry if it bothers you.”

“I’ll be back with your lunch. Any preferences?”

I blink a few times, taken aback by the sudden change of subject. “Why would you even care what I want to eat, given these circumstances?”

“Because it’s your last meal,” he says. “Might as well make it count.”

The words hit me hard and deep. But they also plant the seed of an idea in my brain. I don’t have time to succumb to despair. I don’t have the luxury of giving up on myself or on living. My baby needs me to survive.

And survive, we will.

“There’s a Thai place in Old Town. Ma Pheng. Get me their deluxe menu. Don’t skimp on the chili sauce either.”

31

Cassius

We’re back in River’s office two hours later.

“Alexandra Mancini,” I say and drop the folder wide open on my brother’s desk. Its contents spill across for everyone to see. Copies of official documents our federal buddies were kind enough to give us. “Not Jones. Alexandra Angelica Mancini, sister of Vince Mancini. Their father was tried and convicted due to their activities with Perry-Sage. Their uncle, Jonas Mancini, is currently one of the family’s six dons.”

“Fucking hell,” River gasps, his eyes wide with horror. “How did we miss this?”

“They’ve got some competent folks working cyber for them, most likely after the Perry-Sage debacle,” Nathan says. “Upon taking a second look, some inconsistencies arose. We just didn’t pay attention to any of them because we didn’t know about the Mancinis or their interest in Portland, or Christa, for that matter.”

“Hell, when Alexandra approached us, we didn’t even know Christa was coming back to Portland, let alone that she hadanything to do with them,” River says, then gives Nathan a worried look. “Where is the bitch now?”

“She slipped away shortly after we saw her earlier.”

“Of course,” I scoff, shaking my head. “I’ve already alerted security, and the FBI is aware. They’re gearing up for an investigation of their own.”

Nathan frowns. “It felt nasty to go into Spike’s computer like that, but I hope the Feds can use what we gave them.”

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