Page 18 of Vito

Oncetheintroductionsaredone, a shorter guy built like a brick shithouse with buzzed hair and a crooked nose flashes me a grin from behind the bar.

Gus.

Aiken spoke highly of him in his email. Before I can make my way over to him, the lawyer intercepts me—probably feeling more comfortable now that I won't be mowed down with bullets—and starts in on the legal shit.

"Ms. Cunningham, right?" I cut her off and her rusty red lips purse into a thin smile. "We'll talk tomorrow."

"But we need—"

I pat the shoulder of her power suit. "We'll talk tomorrow."

Just in case she doesn't get my hint, I walk away and go behind the bar. She swiftly packs up her stuff, shoving papers into her briefcase, then walks rapidly toward the door on her spiky stiletto heels like she has a stick up her ass.

I don't like her.

Mentally, I add finding a new lawyer to my ever-growing to-do list.

"Making friends already, I see," a hoarse, raspy voice says beside me.

I turn and look at Gus with a smirk. "It's what I'm famous for."

His smile fades, and he rubs the back of his neck. "I didn't know Aiken had a sister. You're not from around here, are you?"

I had run from home full of rage and torment. Broken. I had put distance between this city and my parents, making Aiken a casualty in the process.

For the past few years, my life has finally felt stable.

Deciding to come back here had been a monumental decision, but I couldn'tnotcome back after I found out Aiken was murdered.

"Let's not do this, yeah?" I shut down any conversation about my past.

Gus's eyes flicker over my face. A slight smile tugs at his lips, but his eyes look sad as he shakes his head. "You're just like him."

I wouldn't know.

And now it's too late. Aiken is dead. Gone.

Guilt rears its nasty, ugly head.

Aiken never tried to convince me to reconcile with our parents. In fact, after he learned what they'd done to Fenton and me, he had disowned them. He wanted to be a part of my life, but I couldn't stomach it. Aiken was a connection to my past, which didn't allow me to avoid facing the trauma I lived through.

Avoidance—that was, and still is, my greatest coping mechanism.

Even though that meant cutting Aiken out of my life in order to do so. My big brother, who only wanted to have me in his life, and I only gave him an annualI'm alivetext. I couldn't even stomach a monthly phone call.

Guilt. Regret. Shame.

It all mixes to create a toxic brew in my gut, warning me that returning to this city was a mistake.

But Aiken deserves better than I ever gave him in life; he deserves better than to be murdered and his killer walking free. And I'm here to see that his killer pays.

Instead of trying to make me spill my secrets, Gus's green eyes crinkle as offers me a small smile and extends his hand. "We haven't been officially introduced yet. I'm Gus, and your right-hand until you say otherwise, Ed."

I grip his hand and shake it, sensing we're going to work together just fine. "Nice to have you by my side, Gus."

The Chamber elite approach the bar, obviously not ready to call the evening to an end, even though Gilly's is closed. Thankfully, I've had a lot of bartending experience.

"You know how to make a dry gin martini?" Gus asks me, then eyes Lixin, who has put his elbows on the bar.

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