Page 31 of Vows of a Mobster

“Impossible,” I replied back, my voice cold.

“He was spotted leaving one of our warehouses,” Declan continued, inching closer. “You want war, you’ll have it.”

I never responded to threats kindly, subtle nor open. I shoved him against the wall, wedging my forearm with the knife into his throat. I didn’t cut him though… not yet. I didn’t have to look behind me to know Antonio and the other guard disarmed and contained his younger two brothers.

Declan was strong, and my match, but he didn’t fight back.

“Stop playing games with me, Declan,” I gritted. “My men know to stand down and follow orders. None of my men attacked.”

I pushed harder against his throat but to his credit, he held still, refusing to show me I was pressing too hard against his windpipe.

“I have proof.” I stilled and stopped the pressure on his throat. “I can show it to you,” he offered.

“Keep those two contained,” I ordered Antonio and the other guard, as I stepped back to allow Declan to show me this proof. I put my knife back, right below my gun and left my jacket open.

He reached for his pocket and my hand immediately reached for the gun.

“I’m getting my phone,” he explained but it didn’t matter. I didn’t trust anyone. Trust got you killed. With my hand still on the gun, I waited.

His hand emerged with his phone, he pulled up a photo and faced it my way. Fuck, it was Giovanni!

“He is one of yours,” Declan’s little brother hissed, trying to fight Antonio’s grip but didn’t accomplish anything. He was a puppy in a wolf's mouth. Fucking idiot! “I could tell he was an Italian bastard from miles away.”

“Shut your mouth,” Declan cut off his younger brother before Antonio or I could cut his tongue off. “This guy tampered with our surveillance and erased all records prior to him exiting the building.”

“I’ll talk to him,” I gritted through my teeth. Why in the fuck was Giovanni there?

“I want to be there when you pick him up and talk to him.” Declan’s request wasn’t unreasonable but it rubbed me the wrong way. Giovanni was my cousin, my instinct was to protect him. But if I refused him, there would be war between our two families.

I finally nodded. “Your mouthy brothers can follow in their car,” I told him. “You can ride with us. We’ll go pick him up now.”

No hesitancy. Declan wasn’t so different from me. In a different life, we probably would have been friends. But we belonged to two opposing, powerful families. Therefore, we would never be friends. We would forever be rivals.

Antonio and the guard released his brothers in an abrupt move, but their eyes stayed trained on them.

“Go get in the car and follow us,” Declan ordered his young brothers.

“But-”

“Fucking do it, Bran!” Declan wasn’t accustomed to being questioned. Neither was I. It was another thing we had in common.

His younger brother grumbled something under his breath, and both headed to the alley they were hiding in. I took a note to have that alley sealed tightly. I’d purchase the property between the two buildings and there wouldn’t be more surprises there, lurking in the dark.

Declan knew it wasn't the best thing to go alone into our territory. Did he have a trap?

“My brothers won’t call in backup” he stated as if he read my thoughts. Not that I trusted a word he said. “They will be my backup. If we are not back in three hours, our men have the instructions to come after you.”

“Fair enough,” I told him coldly.

The drive was short. Giovanni was in our tech office, a few blocks away. When we got there, I called him on my phone.

“Giovanni, I need you to come out. I’m in my car.” I hated that he couldn’t even get a warning. He was more family than my own brother.

He didn’t even hesitate when responding. “Right away, boss.”

We all exited the car and waited for him to step out of the building. Declan’s brothers joined us too. Tension and rage swam through my body, but I kept it contained. I didn’t want my cousin hurt but it burned me that he was in the Irish’s territory without authorization. What was he doing there?

Giovanni stepped out, and surprise flashed in his eyes seeing Declan and his brothers but to his credit he said nothing.