Page 81 of Vito

"Aiken and I rarely spoke. If you want to unpack sibling dynamics, I suggest you do that for your own relationships; I have shit to do."

Lixin laughs, and I visibly stiffen when his hand splays on the top of my back. I catch Vito out of the corner of my eye, and his face turns cold with rage as he stares at Lixin.

Lixin is being bold and inappropriate. He, as the head of the Triads and a Chamber leader,absolutelyknows the boundary. He'd be one of the enforcers of that boundary.

Massimo and Ash both sit forward, looking about to call Lixin out on whatever he's trying to accomplish here.

Lixin removes his hand. "We're just merely getting a sense of you as Aiken's choice of successor. Have you done much in our beautiful city since returning, Ed?"

"I have Gilly's," I say tightly, making him tut. "And I lived here before. The sites aren't exactly new to me."

"Yes, you left home at fifteen." Amazu looks smug, like he wants me to be uncomfortable that he knows some of my past. "I understand you almost had a stint as a Havoc Guardians girl."

My leaving home young isn't a secret. But Amazu mentioning Jax and a connection to the MC increases my paranoia about someone finding out what happened with Cutt and Jax.

Does Amazu know what happened? Is he taunting me?

Or is he trying to paint me as biased toward the MC?

Is this a power-play of some kind?

"Jax never prospected, so I'm nothing close to having been a Havoc Guardians girl." I stand. "Can I get my servers to bring you guys anything else? I need to get back to running this place."

"Another round?" Lixin asks around the table. Only Ash and Massimo decline.

"I'll get Andre to bring you the drinks."

On my way back to the bar, the door opens. Creed hurries in, aiming directly for Massimo.

Massimo rises from his chair and moves away from the table of Chamber leaders to meet him. Creed never comes in here, and he isn't alone. He holds Sophie's hand, and her eyes dart around. Seeing me, she smiles as Creed talks quietly to Massimo, and Vito rises from his table to join them.

"Eden, so nice to see you again," Sophie says.

"Likewise." My friendly smile quickly vanishes. "You're pregnant." I stare at her slightly protruding belly in the leggings and fitted long sweater.

She smiles softly, placing her hand over her stomach. "Good eye. I'm about three and a half months along; we just told the family last night."

My mouth is dry, and my hands start to shake. As Vito approaches, his eyes flicker over my face, his brow slightly pinched.

"Triple S." He kisses Sophie's cheek. He glances at me again before turning to Massimo and Creed. "Is everything alright? You never come to Gilly's, baby brother."

I need to get away from them—not just Sophie and her joyous news, but because it isn't appropriate to join in on their conversation like I'm anything to the Santoros. Because I'm not… I'm just secretly screwing one brother.

"Congratulations." I smile at Sophie—it feels normal enough, even though I know it doesn't reach my eyes.

I walk back behind the bar, feeling Vito's eyes on me. Remembering the drinks for the three Chamber leaders, I get them ready and flag Andre over.

Gus comes out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a napkin, then tosses it into the wastebasket and joins me behind the bar. Seeing my paper for the liquor order, he picks it up and rubs his hand over his cheek.

"You've been busy?" he asks, seeing that I haven't finished the order yet. "I can finish checking the inventory and then submit it."

"I've finished the inventory check." I take the paper pad back from Gus, lowering it to hide the shake in my hands. "Could you watch the bar? I'm going to my office; I need to grab something for my headache, and I'll submit the order from there."

"Of course." He looks at me closely. "You okay, Ed?"

"I'm fine," I answer quickly as sweat trickles down my back. "Just a headache."

I remember feeling a slight bump in my stomach nine years ago. My hands are now shaking uncontrollably.

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