Page 30 of Dirty Behavior

“Don't.” Snapping my head up, my brows rippled into a deep V. Throwing my arm out, I snagged his shirt and yanked him down over the counter. “Don't ever talk about something you know nothing about. That shit will get you killed, you know that.”

Holding up his hands, Vince stumbled on his words, his eyes popping open. “I. . . I didn't. . . I didn't mean to—”

Cutting him off, I growled. “You never mean to,do you?”My eyes walked over his face, reminding him of who he was talking to. “Remo needs to go, Vince, that's it.” Shoving him backwards, his feet staggered over each other.

He was staring at me like I had lost my damn mind. “Dante, that's fucking crazy, you know I can't do that.”

“What the fuck do you mean you can't? Vince, you know as well as I do that you can handle a job like this.”

He can't do it? Is he playing a fucking joke on me?

“I don't think that's a good idea, it wouldn't work.” His eyes became shifty, darting around with nervous bursts. He looked up, he looked down, he looked everywhere but at me.

What the fuck is wrong with him?

Had I really scared him that much that he was pussying out on me?

“He's expecting me, I'm sure of that. But I've thought about this a lot, and if you were the one knocking, he wouldn't see me coming. I know Remo's got that place on lockdown, but you could be the one to get me inside. That's all I need, Vince, just get me—”

“Dante,” he said loudly, staring at me long and hard. “You really haven't heard?”

“Heard what?”

“Shit,” he said, dragging his palms down his face. “I don't know how to tell you this.”His fingers combed through his hair nervously, trying to break through the rat's nest of knots.

Tell me what? What the fuck does he have to tell me?

Everything about the way he was standing and moving was dripping with awkward and uncomfortable energy. His hands shook as he took another sip of his beer, his mouth twitched as he wiped away the droplets sticking to his upper lip.

“Just fucking say it.” Blurting out the words under my breath, my jaw went stiff, crooking to the side. But I wouldn't let my eyes deviate from his, even though he tried hard as hell to not look at me.

I wanted to make sure he felt me staring at him.

“After your dad, you were gone, Sesto was locked up, and well. . .” Vince took in a deep breath, his eyes drifting in empty space. “Some of us didn't have a choice, we needed work, and Remo—”

Slamming my fist on the counter, my jaw locked against my teeth as I spoke. “No, Vince, no fucking way. You're working for that piece of shit?”

His eyes bulged, fear painting his skin in white. “I didn't have an option, what the hell was I supposed to do?”

“Who else? Who else betrayed my family?” My knuckles drained, nails digging into my skin and piercing through.

Throwing his hands up, Vince took a long step back. “Look, I'm sorry, Dante, but without your dad, the work was gone. Remo gave me what I needed, a fucking paycheck.”

I could smell the fear on him. He was shaking so violently that I half expected him to piss himself right there.

He should be scared.

He just made himself another name on my list. A list that keeps getting longer and longer every day. So many men needed judgment, so many guys needed to face the truth.

They had just fucked with the wrong person.

Vince had betrayed us, he went right into the belly of the beast with open arms.

“You didn't even give us a chance, Vince!” Lurching forward, I jumped out of the seat and leaned over the counter. “You didn't even wait to see what happened? Where the fuck is your loyalty?” Holding the edge of the table top, I stepped to the end.

My veins were running black, every nerve sparked in rage and betrayal. Vince had been working for my family for years, he was always willing to do anything for my father.

I had trusted him.

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