Gian’s shocked filled face looks at me.
“Okay then,” I mutter just as surprised.
“I’m just going to be his secretary’s secretary. Don’t get too excited.” she mumbles, using her fork to stab at the pasta on her plate.
“Consider me unenthusiastic.” Gian smiled.
My cellphone begins to ring, which draws everyone’s eyes to me. The DelGado’s only had one rule for family dinners, no phones.
The caller ID reads Annie.
“I just need to take this.”
“No business at the table.” Giuseppe scolds.
“Just a sec, dad.” I excuse myself from dinner. “Hey sweetheart,” I answer coolly, entering my father’s study and shutting the door to block out my family’s conversation.
“Gio,” the voice on the other side was Annie’s but not the cool collected one I have come to know. She sounds scared and like she’s crying.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Um, I-” she stutters over the words.
“Just tell me, Annie. What’s going on?”
“It’s Johnny.”
Her fucking brother. “Yeah? What happened?”
“Rob just called me. They’re at the casino in Boston and Johnny’s losing. I’m scared they’re going to hurt him. I didn’t know who to call, I didn’t know what else to do.” she hiccups a quiet sob.
My vision blurs with red. I take a deep inhale before I respond to her. “It’s okay, I’m gonna come over to your place now, okay? We’ll go get him.”
“Please, I don’t want you to hurt him.”
I sigh. Part of my frustration is her lack of trust with me. I guess I can’t blame her, but I also don’t understand why she’s still defending that piece-of-shit brother of hers. After all he put her through, why is she so damn protective of him?
“I won’t,” I tell her, hoping I’m not lying.
I hang up the phone and send a quick text to Frank to grab one of the guys and head to the casino.
“I need to head out, I’m sorry.” I give my family a brief apologetic look. Gemma is amused, but my father on the other hand looks annoyed.
“ For what?” He questions.
“Business.”
“Everything okay?” Gian asked.
“Yep.” I grabbed the black bomber jacket I had hung over the dining room chair. “Just need to handle something real quick. I’m sorry pops, I’ll stop by this weekend, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah.” he grumbled.
I quickly exit. I need to get a certain blonde that’s currently scared and crying in her apartment, my family can wait.
Annie is silent the entire hour drive to Boston. I’m trying not to push her as she sits anxiously in my passenger seat. She alternates between picking at her nails and shaking her leg. In anyone else, those habits would drive me mad. In her, I find them sweet, endearing even.
She’s nervous.
She probably should be. I’m not sure what we’re about to walk into. There are two possible scenarios I see. One, the Irish could be letting Johnny rack up some more debt, hoping that I’ll pay it off again. Or two, they could be hoping to kill him as payback for involving me, something they probably saw as Johnny crying to the Italians.
Italians and Irish don’t mix. Never have.
The Irish crime family aren’t the biggest fans of the DelGados. They really didn’t care for Italians at all and the drama between them and la Familia’s former boss really doesn’t help matters. Plus, I might have gone toe to toe with the sons of the O’Connor family. Niall O’Connor had three sons and two daughters and as far as I know, they are all awful. Liam O’Connor was in my territory one night, out at a bar not owned by la Famiglia, but I didn’t care too much. I wanted him gone, and caused quite a bit of trouble getting him out. I don’t have one damn regret about it though. To me, all of the Irish goons are scum.
Now that they know Johnny is connected to me they could be trying to fuck with him to get to me. It doesn’t help much that Johnny Byrne is the dumbest son of a bitch I’ve ever met. If it wouldn’t crush Annie I would end him tonight.
But I made a promise to her not to hurt him. I’m not a good man, but I am a man of my word. I’ve never been stuck on a woman like I am Annie.
Damn her. She’s going to be my weakness.
In my line of work, weakness isn’t a good thing to have.
I just need to get through the Pearce job and then I’m going to let her go. I’ll delete her number from my phone and rid myself of Annie Byrne.
Yeah.
Right.
Frank and Tony are already at the casino when we arrive.
“You should stay in the car,” I tell her as I pull the Porsche under the grand porte-cochere in front of the casino.
“Why?” Her tears had dried on the drive and the feisty girl I’ve come to appreciate reappeared.
I exhale a sigh. “Because I don’t know what to expect in there.”
Her blue eyes search mine. “I need to go in with you.”
“You don’t though. I can handle it. You just need to sit here and wait for me.”
“Really? you expect me to sit in the fucking car?” her eyes burn with rage. The overprotective sister side of her has come out in full force.
“Annie.”
“Gio.”
We’re in a stand-off. “Damn it, woman. Can you just listen to me?”
“No.” she responds, this time a little softer. “I need to see.”
“Fine.” I huff. “But you keep your mouth shut. Do you understand me? Those men in there are not like me and they don’t give a flying fuck about hitting a woman who gets to mouthy, you got me?”
She swallows thickly, but nods.
“Say it, Annie, tell me that you’re going to stay behind me
