Page 173 of Wild Like Us

Swift as a motherfucker, I cut off his path.

His laughter slowly fades on me, but his shit-eating grin lingers, which makes me want to shove his face in literal shit. He’s shorter but tries to pull himself higher. “What’s up, nephew?”

A brittle laugh sticks to my chest. “The day I call youunclewill be the day I’m dead and buried and you resurrect me as a fucking ghost. And then, I’m only gonna say it right before I murder your ass.” I swig from the flask.

Tony grimaces. “Jesus, Banks.” He shifts his weight, his eyes tightening in emotions that I don’t recognize. “You’re still pissed at me?”

I’m unblinking. “My brother almostdiedin a fire trying to save you when you should’venevergone back in there at all, sopissedis putting it mildly.”

Tony’s nose flares, staring at the ground. “I’m sorry for what happened, and if I could take back that night, I wouldn’t run into the fire.” His eyes meet mine. “Can’t we put this in the past?” He’s about to touch my shoulder, but I smack his hand away. He lets out a short, frustrated laugh. “I expected this from Thatcher, but aren’t you supposed to be the shy one?”

I glower.

Fuck him, man.

Fuck him.

I was a shy kid, but that attribute shouldnotbe attached to me at twenty-nine when I’ve never been a shy adult. “Aren’t you the dickish one?”

Tony snorts. “That’s right, you’re thefunnyone.” He swigs his beer. “Before you came stomping over here, I was just going to ask Thatcher if he wants a whiskey flight. On me and the Ramellas.” He gestures to our family at the bar.

I make eye contact and the guys nod to me.

“Hey, paesan’!”

“Youse heard about them Eagles, Thatcher?” a cousin calls out.

“That’s Banks, you scustumad’.” Another cousin called himstupid.

“Fuck me, sorry, Banks!”

Tony laughs and tells our cousins at the bar, “It’s the same thing. They’re basically the same person—one is just getting married first.”

They all holler and cheer for Thatcher.

Every word out of Tony’s mouth rakes across me. Grating my brain like shredded meat. It shouldn’t eat at me that much considering I’ve heard all that horseshit growing up, and I thought I moved past it. The off-handed “they’re like the same person” comments.

How I’m one half of one person instead of a whole fucking individual. While I silently fume, I know not to cold-cock Tony and tear apart our families. I manage to corral Tony back with the others at the bar. Leading him away from Thatcher.

“Gloria’s really officiating the wedding?” a cousin asks me.

“Yeah,” I answer, “with Rose.” Both my mom and Jane’s mom will be marrying off the happy couple. I make a quick exit after I diss the Eagles, knowing they’llboome away.

“Get outta here!”

“Ah fuck youse, Banks!”

I leave, just as Akara approaches.

He eyes my cousins and the curses that trail after me. “You need backup?”

I shake my head.“They’re harmless.” Though, I think ofTony.I dig in my pocket for a cigarette.“Christ, I can’t believe Tony is Connor Cobalt’s bodyguard.” I stick a cigarette between my lips. “Why doesn’t he justcanhis ass already?”

“Because Tony’s related to his future son-in-law,” Akara says like the answer is clear as day. “If he tells Price that Tony isn’t working out, what is your family going to think of the Cobalts?”

They’ll think that the Cobalts only care about the Cobalts, and not thewholefamily. Which includes the Ramellas.

They’ll never forgive the Cobalts.