Page 55 of Vito

Rising to my feet, I go to him. "Protecting this family is who I am, Creed. It's what I am."

He studies me, then nods. "You're not ready to see it… but you will."

He's talking cryptically, and my head is pounding with the onset of a hangover.

For the millionth time, I wished Eden and I had met before Aiken named her his successor. We could've gotten each other out of our systems, then moved on.

I've never wanted anyone so badly. Because she's untouchable, it makes me want her that much more, and it makes me crazy. It makes me do stupid shit. Out in public. Without caring who is around to witness it.

Creed walks to the door, turning back to me and smirking. "You should eat something. You look like shit."

I flip him off as he leaves, then I stalk over to Massimo's desk. I pull out the pain medication from the drawer and swallow three. I sink into the chair behind the desk and rest my head back.

After a while, the door opens again, andMammaenters. If Triple S comes in next, then I'll have the full intervention. She's carrying a tray of food, and her black skirt billows behind her as she walks to me.

She places the tray on the desk and points. "Mangia." Eat.

Not much happens with her family that Gina Santoro doesn't know about. I inwardly cringe, thinking she might know what happened in the library.

She comes around the desk, pats my cheek, and then bends to kiss it before she leaves. This surprises me as I thought I'd get the biggest lecture from her.

Rubbing my temples and then my face, I follow her order, needing to eat slowly because my stomach still rolls. I continue eating until all the food is gone, hopefully soaking up the alcohol in my guts.

Once I'm finished, I take another painkiller and pull out my phone to call Gus. After the sixth ring, he picks up. The noise in the background is of a packed bar.

"Vito," he says. "Just give me a second... Meg, work the bar for me with Andre." It sounds like he's moving, and the noise dims slightly. "Sorry, Vito. I had to move to the kitchen to hear. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Just fucking dandy; funeral for my father, and I came down the throat of the wrong woman. I palm my face again. "Is Eden… Is she okay? I mean, was she okay when she got back?"

"Ed?" Gus asks, confused. "Yeah, she was fine. Normal."

The fact that on the outside she appeared unaffected…

Her detached and indifferent look when she had turned to me outside…

Maybe this is all one-sided. Maybe she doesn't want me like I want her.

My gut clenches, nearly making me vomit what I've just eaten.

"Did something happen, Vito?"

Only a huge fuck-up on my end.

"I just wanted to make sure she got back to the bar okay," I say instead.

"Is this because of those FBI agents?"

"Yeah," I lie. I need to get back on the 'lie-train' and keep my desires hidden like before.

"She was good. They didn't spook her; she has a spine of steel."

That she does.

"But…"

"But what?" He doesn't answer immediately, and the hairs on the back of my neck rise. "What, Gus?"

He sighs. "An old boyfriend came in."

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