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“Yes, Aziza.” I grit my teeth.

“Second, now that I’m involved, why do you need to know about Gabriel?”

“I’m not sure.”

It’s not a complete lie. Mostly but not completely.

“Tobias, I know he’s there with you and unless you want me to get his sister and brother-in-law involved, I suggest you tell me.”

“How do you know he’s there?”

“His phone, I can trace it,” she says as if I just asked the dumbest question. It might as well have been. Aziza could find anyone, anywhere.

“I don’t care about his sister or brother-in-law.”

“You should,” Aziza mutters.

“Well, I don’t,” I growl, irritation clawing at my inside. This phone call is pointless, and it’s only getting worse.

“Tobias, his brother-in-law is The B–”

“I don't care who they are!” I yell, throwing my phone across the room, watching it smash into tiny little pieces.

I close my eyes, inhaling the stale air that wraps around me, threatening to drown me.

“Do you want him?” Kyler asks.

Refusing to open my eyes, I nod.

“Words, Tobias, because I’ll stand behind whatever you want. But you need to figure out if this is just something you want because it’s different and you’re bored. Or because you have actual feelings for him.”

“I can’t explain it, Kyler. He’s not someone I thought I would want. He was supposed to just be a stranger who knew Billy. But the moment I stepped into his apartment, something spoke to me. I couldn’t hurt him. I couldn’t do what we’ve been taught to do,” I say, my eyes blinking up, the emotions pouring from me. Though it feels good to finally face reality, to face what I’ve been so scared to say out loud. It feels nice.

“Then I will stand behind you.” Kyler chuckles, leaning forward on his knees.

“That easy, huh?”

“It’s not easy, no. You’re like a little brother I never wanted, but that I’ve accepted I’ve got. So, if you have feelings for Gabriel then Istand behind you. I’ll go to war for you so might as well be for someone you love.” Kyler meets my gaze, neither one of us breaking. I give him a nod; it’s all either of us need. Knowing that we stand behind each other, knowing that he’s always in my corner, means more to me than he’ll ever know.

“You going to stop running away from him?”

“I don’t… I don’t run from him,” I huff, knowing full well I was a fucking liar.

“Yes, you do. Literally the moment you find yourself getting comfortable you run off. The guards talk, and plus I’ve seen you, Tobias. You get comfortable, and poof you run off to some business.”

“It’s not a lie about business,” I state because it’s true. In the Mafia, there's always something happening, something going wrong.

“Tobias.” Kyler frowns.

Rolling my eyes, I don’t take his bait. I know he wants me to fight him on it, wants me to confess that’s how I feel. It’s true, but he doesn’t need to know that.

“When you find someone, I’ll be there too.” I laugh, deflecting the conversation from me and knowing full-on that Kyler never plans to settle down.

“Now we just have to tell your dad.”

Oh, fuck.

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