Page 14 of Thorns of Blood

“I’m sorry, babe.” Declan grimaced, snatching a glass of whiskey from the nearby table and making his way to Marissa. Truthfully, despite our families’ rocky beginnings, their union was the best thing to happen to Boston in decades. Prior to her marriage to Declan, the Irish and Italians in Boston were always at each other’s throats. Not anymore. “I’ll make it up to you,” he vowed.

She arched a brow as he stopped in front of her. “Oh yeah? How?”

He leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Whatever he said turned my sister crimson, and I groaned inwardly.

“Yeah, we don’t want to know what they’re talking about.” Romeo appeared beside me, his mouth stretched into a wide grin. “Should we beat him up too?”

I arched an eyebrow. “And you want to come with me and have my back?”

His grin widened. “You won’t be sorry.”

“I already am.”

He grabbed another drink and took a swig of it just as our sister joined us with her husband, our brother Cristiano right behind them.

“What are you grinning like an idiot about?” Marissa asked as she took a seat opposite me.

“I want to know too,” Cristiano deadpanned, side-eying me.

“I’m going with Giovanni to South America.”

I snorted out a chuckle. “No, you’re not.”

“Listen, Giovanni,” Romeo pressed. “I’m coming along, and you’re going to thank me later. The cartel is nothing to fuck around with.”

Marissa rolled her eyes. “He’s in charge of one of those cartels, you know.”

“But not the one in Brazil.” Romeo slammed his glass of alcohol down. “We cannot have the head of the Omertà for the Agosti family crossing borders without protection.”

I nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s time to name someone else leader of the Agosti family in the Omertà.”

Romeo’s eyes narrowed on me. “Don’t you fucking dare.”

I could count on my brother for everythingexceptthat responsibility. Although we were arguably closest in personality and age, the main difference was that Romeo was the psycho with dubious tastes. He hid his dark emotions behind a cheerful mask, but even that mask occasionally slipped, and I was just waiting for the day when it came off completely. That would be the day Romeo would wreak havoc on this world.

But that was a problem for another day.

I turned to look at Cristiano, who smirked at me and raised his palms. “I’m the baby of the family. You can’t put that shit on me.”

“Excuse me,” Marissa chimed in, her eyes sparkling. “Iam the baby of the family.”

I rolled my eyes. “Do any of you want to take on responsibilities at all?”

Marissa made a puke face and wrinkled her nose. “Do I look like the responsible one?”

I pinned them all with the sternest look I could muster. “You could be.”

Romeo shrugged, grinning. “You’re the only overachiever here.”

Declan’s bodyguard opened the door and all of our heads shifted in his direction. Through the one-way glass, I could see Declan’s brothers straightening their cufflinks and strutting like they were on a catwalk as individuals parted like the Red Sea for them as they made their way toward us.

Once they entered the office, the door firmly shut behind them. “What are we discussing?”

Marissa shrugged. “Overachievers.”

They both sneered, and I took it to mean they were more interested in a life of leisure.

Declan spread his hands. “It seems to be a common thread here.”