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He surprises me by grunting in a kind of acknowledgement. “I regret that you know?” I just about choke on my own spit. Alessandro Marino doesn’t admit regrets.

“I should have exiled him, but it was an unstable time and Paul and David were keeping the ship steady… Did you know Fat Tony didn’t speak to me unless he fuckin’ had to for about a year because I let the scumbag hang around?”

I shouldn’t be surprised, but I had always felt like I was the only one who was willing to deal with David. “You know I’ve always looked up to you, Dad. I’ve always known I’d be working for theFamigliafor life. But, Christ, that changed how I saw you.”

He swallows hard and his flash of vulnerability rocks me. “You won’t understand all of the decisions I made and I won’t understand all that you’ll decide,” he grinds out eventually.

I lower my voice and look Dad dead in the eye. “I will kill him,” I whisper.

“I know and when that time comes he will deserve it,” Dad claps me on the shoulder.

He levers himself back out of the chair with some effort and makes his way over to where my stepmother is talking to Fat Tony and his wife Kiri. Even with his slightly stooped posture and aged appearance, he manages to ooze power and command respect.

I allow myself a brief moment of exasperation for the man and the way he somehow, despite it all continues to command my respect too. His failure to push past archaic sexist traditions when Elio is so clearly not cut out for leading theFamigliais a small, but persistent wound that still weeps. It is mostly under control, but it wouldn’t take much for it to become a festering infected mess.

Peta spots Dad making his way over and a genuine bright smile takes over her pretty face. My stepmother is only fourteen years older than I am, but I have never doubted the unfathomable devotion she has for my often cantankerous father.

An unexpected stab of jealousy irritates me as I watch Dad embrace her as if he has been away from her for months, not twenty minutes. It’s the same stab that I felt watching Sarah’s face light up at the sight of Tiny waiting at the altar. Their love and obsession for each other is as plain as day.

It must feel incredible to ache for someone and know that they are yours. To hunger to touch them and be able to do so. To wake in the morning and watch the face of the one you love sleep peacefully yet to open up to the world.

“You’re deep in thought,” Bex’s voice makes me jump. She slides in to occupy the seat Dad has vacated.”What are you thinking about?”

‘Oh you know, love and shit. The stuff people think about at weddings,” I wasn’t entirely lying.

She seems surprised. “You want to have your turn down the aisle?”

“Sure, one day,” I drain the rest of my scotch. “I’m not opposed to settling down,” I clarify, “it just hasn’t happened yet.”

Her eyes light up and I immediately regret my honesty.

“That’sverygood to know,” her smile matches her voice for seductiveness and it is laced with meaning. I curse myself; I do not want to give her any false optimism that anything is going to happen between us.

“Can’t see it happening any time soon though!” I quickly add and her hopeful expression falters.

Luckily, I’m saved from further discussion of the topic by my phone vibrating in my pocket. Seeing it is one of our guys who is on duty and not attending the wedding, I answer it.

“Yes?”

“Just a heads up, boss. Billy the Kid has popped up back in Sydney. Seems he’s heard about his two mates being um…handicapped…” a drawling Italian Australian accent informs me.

About time. We’ve been trying to track down the leader of the attack on Francesca at the gym, but he had gone to ground. His Uncle Ned, leader of Satan’s Sons swears his nephew has gone rogue with his current activities and based on our surveillance I am starting to believe him. Someone else is bankrolling Billy.

“Do we have eyes on him now?” I ask quietly, but I know Bex is listening with interest. She’s the epitome of a tourist. This is all very exciting and novel for her.

“We had a tail on him but lost him about half an hour ago. We’re a bit short on men, what with the wedding…”

Shit. I should’ve been meaner and made more of the guys miss the celebrations. I left a real skeleton team to handle business for tonight and it could cost us. “Keep looking for him. We’re heading toPeacocksafter this. Update me after your shift.”

Bex’s small hand slides up my leg from the knee to rest suggestively on my upper thigh. “It’s hot when you’re in boss mode,” she purrs at me as soon as I hang up.

“I’m not the boss,” I reply sharply. “Elio is.”

She leans in closer, “It seems like you are. I like it.”

“This isn’t a roleplay from some Netflix mafia romance, Bex. I’m not the boss. Stop trying to make it kinky,” I am unnecessarily harsh. She’s embarrassed and I feel bad immediately. “Look, I’m sorry. It’s just not a game, okay?”

She looks at me with big, wide eyes and it does nothing for me. How could it when I’ve been ruined by Francesca’s doe eyes? Speaking of which, I look up to find her and see she’s observing us from about ten metres away. Her gaze is fixated on Bex’s arm and our intimate stance.