Page 143 of Descent

One of these days I’m gonna master that look and then the world will be?—

Vanya

“Speaking of handling shit…” I lead, thrusting out my chin toward Gloria.

“No sense keeping it from you now,” Gloria scrunches up her nose. She is disgustingly cute when she does this. Not my flavor of vodka. But she has a spectacular ass.

“Keeping what, exactly?” Isabella plants her hands on her hips, the model of a smoking hot but also intimidating mother hen. My mother used to make this face she gives Gloria and I, making me want to leap over the railing to escape her wrath.

Need to learn that one.

“So you remember how Ananke claimed that she killed her father, took control of his enterprises and his seat on a certain super-secret and powerful syndicate?” Gloria sets the stage. Sheis good storyteller. Could get to the point more quickly, but people like to listen to her speak.

“Yeah, Artemis told us everything she could remember from her time with Ananke. She swore that Ananke eliminated the rest of the ’Ndrangheta. Took over their collective influence.” Isabella is a whiz at details, gathering information. Like an evil Louis Lane.

“Well, that’s just what they wanted her to think.”

“You beat the bush too hard, Glo,” I finally snap, grabbing her glass and taking a small sip.

“Vanya!” Isa clips, reaching for the glass and pointing at my belly.

Gloria cackles, throwing her head back. “Beat the bush. Oh, Van, you kill me sometimes.”

“Plug your face, pretty girl. I finish story,” I point one finger at Isabella. “Two weeks ago, two men and a woman requested to meet with Adriano.”

“They wouldn’t let anyone else in on the meeting. Tomas was pissed,” Gloria adds.

“Why would Tomas be pissed?”

“Because he is working security for Adriano,” I state, thinking this to be obvious.

“Oh, that lying little bi—” Isa pinches her lip. “My sister-in-law told me Tomas got a new job and that they would be enrolling Gigi in a new school because of the raise!”

“She did not lie about this.”

“We planned to tell you, it’s just been?—”

“Nuts? I know. Ever since Ero and that whole mess blew up—” Isa barrels on, diverting the conversation away from our news. She is bad about this. “Wait, but why would Tomas be doing security for Adriano, unless?—”

“Hey ladies. Now that we’re all here, I thought we might raise a toast before we get down to business?” Alessandro swaggers upto us. Movie star good looks. Salt and pepper now in his forties. Ciro will look fucking hot like this when he is older.

“First, to our health. To our kids, and future children,” Aless offers.

“And to a world without Dom, always good to remember. Sorry Gloria,” Ciro bites his tongue.

“He had it coming. But so do we, the good things, I mean.”

“To what’s next?” Isabella looks around, smiling.

“To interesting offers…” Adriano quirks his lips.

“To those no longer with us,” I add.

Aless glances around the circle, pausing for effect. “To Ero. I wish he was here with us.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, why would you wish that?!” An obnoxious voice echoes over us.

Circe

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