Page 2 of Ruthless Oath

“What?” The last time I was in her presence, she was plagued with pigtails and braces. Now she seemed like a woman on a mission. A mission I’d like to join her on. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen her around the city.” He stared at her like a lion who hadn’t eaten in days. “She’s more than legal now, and every guy in here knows it. She recently graduated from NYU. A year early too.”

“You seem quite familiar with her.” I downed my vodka, trying to bury the ominous sensation settling in my gut.

“I keep up on what’s going on in our world.” He sipped his drink. “I pay attention, Marchello. You should too.”

“Like I have time to worry about what the mafia brats are doing,” I said, then I started down the stairs to the main floor as Milo followed. “The auction should be starting soon.”

Maybe having him as my younger brother all these years dulled me to his goading, or maybe I’d be more irritated if I didn’t have bigger things to worry about at this moment. Either way, any wit he had, he’d learned from me.

Add to the list of things irking me at the moment was that he could glide down these stairs in a rush just as regally as our father and myself.

Milo took my empty glass and set it on a tray by the bottom of the stairs. “Let’s go say hello to Rosalie and her daughter.”

“Why?”

“Because that little sex kitten is staring at you, and I want to see where this goes.”

“It goes nowhere.” I pointed at him. “She’s the mafia princess in a rival family.”

Gian couldn’t be trusted, and by default, neither could his daughter.

“Like that would stop you from a good fuck.”

“I can get a good fuck from a less complicated source.”

“Maybe.” He laughed. “But where would be the fun in that?”

“I don’t have time for this.” I nodded at two potential bidders eyeing the Porsche. “Whoever gets that one is going to be the big winner tonight.”

“I don’t plan on leaving here without it,” said Carmine Raspolli, one of the most infamous gangsters of recent times. He had since retired, handing his territory over to my father a few years ago.

“See.” I twisted to my brother. “Those are the things I need to stay focused on.”

“Glad to hear it, because Rosalie and her very beautiful daughter are coming straight for us. I guess I’ll have to occupy Lissia.”

Rosalie looked at us as if we were part of tonight’s auction. “Well, if it isn’t the Accetti brothers. All grown up too.”

“Mrs. Gallanti.” Milo kissed her over-filled cheek. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Milo, please call me Rosalie.” She waved her hand in the air. “I don’t want to be saddled with that last name for one more second.”

As if anyone would ever see her as more than Gian’s wife.

“Marchello.” Rosalie’s gaze landed on me. “It’s been a long time.”

“I’ve been busy.” I leaned in and kissed both her cheeks. “We’re so glad you and your daughter could join us tonight.”

I nodded at Lissia. Milo was right, she was staring. And if she had been anyone other than Gian’s daughter, I might have considered her.

“Do you remember my daughter?” Rosalie asked. “Isn’t she perfect?”

“Mom.” Lissia rolled her eyes. “Could we not?”

My eyebrow perked. I’d only been joking when I called her a brat, but talking back to her mother like that… I would love for her to take that tone with me and see where that got her.

Why did she have to be Gian’s daughter?

---