Page 86 of Vito

I shut Creed's office door, and Massimo turns. His brow furrows over his dark brown eyes, and he smooths back his hair. In his dark charcoal pinstriped suit, he looks immaculate and powerful—always in Don-mode. I don't think my big brother does casual.

"What took you so long to get over here?" he growls.

Rage flares in me again at the thought of Eden trapped in a cycle of horror and pain from what was done to her. But that rage is drowned by pride—because she faced her demons and trusted me with her secret. My love for her swells as I remember my confession that she's my heart and my fucking world—and her reciprocating in her unique love language. I want to grin like the unhinged psycho my enemies claim I am.

Massimo willdefinitelynot approve of what took me so long to get over here. So, I smirk at him like the taunting asshole brother I am and walk to the beverage counter in the corner. "Always such a grumpy motherfucker."

He grunts, but the corner of his mouth twitches.

I ignore the bourbon decanter and pour a coffee instead. "You look like you have more than this on your mind, brother."

"The 'Ndrangheta called a meeting." He rubs his jaw, frowning. "On top of everything else right now, an impromptu meeting is the last thing I need."

The Santoros are one of the 'ndrines, autonomous parts of the whole that comprise the 'Ndrangheta syndicate. Here in California, we rule, and the tithe we pay from our criminal enterprises contributes a pretty portion to the 'Ndrangheta's coffers. They basically leave us be; however, Massimo, as the Don, still has roles to play and hoops to jump through.

Fucking mafia politics.

"Catanzaro?" I guess, because that's where the Dons for all the 'Ndrangheta families from all over the world always meet.

He nods. "ZioMarco is making the arrangements."

"Do you need me to come with you?" I'm loath to leave Eden, especially after she shared what her parents had done to her, but she couldn't exactly come with us.

Massimo eyes me.

"What?" I demand.

He never asked me again about Eden after our father's funeral and my odd behavior. I always make sure my face and body language are unreadable around her. The only slip was today when I saw Lixin touch her.

"You saw the exchange today at Gilly's." His eyes drill into me, daring me to deny it. Then he sighs, looking pensive. "It was like Lixin, Amazu, and maybe even Dom were…"

I couldn't hear what was being said, but from Eden's body language, it was clear she hadn't been comfortable with the conversation.

He eyes me again. "It was like they were testing Ed. Said they wanted to get to know her better. Even asked some off-hand questions about her personal finances. Amazu casually mentioned her leaving home at fifteen and referred to her as a Havoc Guardians’ girl."

I drink my coffee, trying my damnedest to ease the rigidity in my spine. "How did Ash respond to that?"

Massimo's forehead pinches further. "He was silent the whole time. Which isn't a tell itself because he's not much of a talker and has never been around Ed."

He goes to Creed's beverage counter but pours a vodka instead of a coffee. I raise a brow, as Massimo isn't much of a drinker, especially during the day. "What's on your mind, brother?"

His back is to me, and he doesn't answer.

I put my coffee down on Creed's desk and cross my arms, watching Massimo.

"You think Ash thinks she has something to do with Cutt's disappearance?" I voice my big worry, trying to see if this is what has my oldest brother on edge. "Because of the run-in she had with him?"

Raf and I have our ears to the ground, listening for rumblings about Cutt and any links back to Eden. All we've heard is that Cutt is up to his coked-up eyeballs in debt with multiple dealers, and the word around town is that he ran.

"It was Lixin, Amazu, and Dom asking the questions," Massimo says.

"Maybe Ash put them up to it, and he sat back to observe?" I'm trying to be nonchalant and hide my concern and growing fury that someone might be looking to hurt Eden.

"That's not Ash's style." He turns to me. "But something feels off. It has since Aiken's murder."

"Maybe it's because someone murdered Gilly's owner-operator after a fifteen-year tenure," I suggest casually, but unease rakes down my spine. "Succession hasn't ever happened like that before."

"Possibly."

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