Page 25

Arosso

The fuck is my cousin doing here?

I push out of my chair on set, watching as everyone scrambles to get out of the room. Some cameramen even leave their equipment rolling.

“Did I fucking stutter? Move .” Donny snaps his fingers.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I walk up to him.

“ Me? ” Donny looks over his shoulder to make sure no one else is watching, then eyes the director, who dares stand still as if he’s going to say something.

His sense kicks in, and he stomps angrily off of his own set.

“Are you fucking nuts, Ghost?” He grabs me by the collar.

I slap his hand off me and push him back. Sizing him up, I remember rolling with this fucker growing up. It was easy when we were younger—there was no size advantage. But now? He’s a goddamn truck.

“The captain’s fucking daughter? ” He points a finger in my face. “I knew you were up to something bad. But this?”

“How’d you know?” I straighten my jacket and match his pacing, circling one another.

“You’re on a fucking TV set, genius. You getting dementia in your old age, Aro?” His nostrils flair, fists clenching and unclenching.

I remain calm.

“One of my informants snapped a picture—”

“Oh, the family employs rats now?” I lift my chin.

“Shut the fuck up.” His finger is still up. “Took me two minutes to figure out who this bitch is—”

I’m not calm anymore.

I shove him and hold my finger up this time. “You watch your fucking mouth, Donny.”

One glance at Quinn, and I see her uncomfortably grabbing the arm of her chair.

“Lock her in the bathroom or something. We have a whole fucking mess to unravel.”

“She stays,” I command. “And next time you have an issue, act like a fucking boss and handle it off set. This is fucking business.”

He bares his teeth and runs at me. When I dash back with my fists up, he throws a powerful left hook. I duck it and punch his ribcage and swiftly backhand him in the mouth.

I’ve always been faster.

Whack!

A hard right hook connects with my jaw, and the next thing I know, my back is crashing through the set table.

“ Silver! ” Quinn shouts.

“Stay out of this!” I kick Donny off of me and onto the other side of the broken table. Utensils fly everywhere as the Stallion rolls to his feet and leaps to strangle me.

We trade blow for blow on the floor—the smell of roasted turkey and cologne mashing in the worst way.

“The fuck are you thinking? You’re going to start a war, Aros. ” Donny knocks me in the kidney, takes me by the collar, and with a show of force, whips me upright as he gets to his feet.

I block his next punch and jab him in the throat. Stupid big fuck. Then I elbow him in the temple. Any normal man would’ve gone down, but he’s still standing, albeit a bit dazed.

“Doesn’t this story sound familiar?” I push him when his back is turned to me, then follow up with another punch.

To my shock, he catches it and jabs me in the gut.

It’s like I got hit with a hammer. Usually at this point, I’d have my tools to dissect my prey, but he’s my cousin, so I have to do this the old school way—blow for blow.

“Me and Ellie are not this .”

I grab Donny by the collar, kick his leg out and shove him back into the table. His failure to see the hypocrisy is infuriating. I jump on top of him and punch him hard in the jaw.

“You nearly got us all hunted down when you took Don Shadow’s daughter .” I block another punch, grab his collar, and shake fucking sense into him. “You took a risk. It’s no different here.”

“This is law enforcement, Aros.” He grits his teeth and shoves me hard off of him. “This is the bratva, we’re talking about.” We rise at the same time with our fists up. “It’s not the fucking same.” He comes at me again.

“You took the daughter of a rival fucking family.” I throw a hook to his face. “You sure it ain’t the same thing?”

He dashes into my space and grabs me by the jacket. I grab him back.

“What am I going to do when they figure it out, huh?” Donny says.

“Not your fucking concern.” I grit my teeth. “I told you once.”

“ How? ”

I turn to give a quick glance over my shoulder to make sure she’s out of earshot, then lower my voice. “I’m giving myself in.”

He lets go, and all the air in the room is sucked out.

“Alright? When this is all said and done, I’m giving myself to the Russians and telling them I acted alone. The Valentinos will be free and clear.”

Donny shakes his head. “Like hell.”

“Not your fucking business.” I point. “I don’t work for you. I’m a freelancer. Or do I have to remind you what I gave for this family? Huh ?”

He backs away, blood leaking from the side of his eye, bruise forming on his neck.

I didn’t get away easy either. Feeling the taste of metallic in my mouth, and the small river exiting my nose makes me remember what it’s like to tangle with a goddamn horse.

Donny takes a breath and paces to the broken table. He picks up one of the dish cloths and tosses it at me. “You’re bleeding.”

I wipe my nose. “You too.”

“Men are fucking idiots.” Quinn runs by and gets another two cloths, shoving one into Donny’s ribs where she knows I punched him.

He groans and smirks. “Feisty.”

“You’re an asshole,” she says. “And yes , I know who you are. I don’t care.”

He laughs at that. “Maybe you two are meant for each other.”

Quinn squeezes herself under my arm and dabs my nose for me. “You’re too old to be getting into fist fights, Silver.”

“And aren’t you a little young for him?” Donny comments.

“Sometimes things can’t be helped,” I say.

“So what, you two just beat the shit out of each other, and it’s all fine after?” Quinn asks.

“Let me assure you, nothing is fine.” Donny licks the blood out of his teeth.

“I’m dealing with the aftermath of your father’s disappearance.

And I’m not talking about the first one.

The Russians are livid. Yuri pulled some of his men to investigate, which means our precious metal operation is taking hits. Castor isn’t happy, I’m not happy.”

I sigh at that. Here I am, doing everything to make sure the family remains unaffected, but of course there would be some short-term residual damage.

“It’ll be fixed, and you’ll end up on top when Yuri’s out of the picture.”

“Yeah, that’s the second time you mentioned that. The fuck are you planning?

“I’m with the asshole on this one,” Quinn says. “What exactly is going on?”

“None of your business, kid. You and your father will be fine. That’s all that matters.”

“So he’s alive.” Donny nods. “Interesting. You really have lost your fucking mind.”

“I told you. I’m not involving you in this.”

“You brought a prop from your play on fucking set.” He motions to Quinn’s wig.

“I don’t like this vague secrecy.” She scratches it.

I lift my arm over Quinn and pace up to Donny, getting close so he understands.

“I’ve never once left a mess uncleaned in my life.

In my life, Donny. I’m not about to start now.

This is my last play… and it’s for her. Turn off that strategic brain of yours and remember when you met Ellie.

You called me in confidence asking what to do.

Remember?” I look back at Quinn, then Donny.

“Maybe it’s in our blood or something. Not every part of us is bad. ”

Donny grunts, knocking shoulder to shoulder as he moves past me, up to Quinn. “You really like him, don’t you?”

I turn toward the window. This day turned into a fucking mess. It was supposed to be a nice date… something we both enjoy. Yet again, we’re interrupted. It makes me want to punch Donny all over again. Maybe I will.

Pacing back toward them, I’m back in earshot.

“He saved my life, but it’s not that,” she says, making me freeze. Her tone is all serious, like she doesn’t owe the don an explanation, but is giving one anyway. “We’re connected. I can’t explain it, and I don’t have to, especially to some raging maniac who destroyed the set to my favorite show .”

Donny grunts, then laughs. “This one’s a pisser.” He approaches me.

“What you did was uncalled for.” I set my jaw. “We’ve had a rough time up ’til now. Needed a break. You fucking ruined that.” I poke my finger into his chest.

“Not all about you, Ghost. Something loners like you don’t understand—I have a family to run.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I had one too,” I remind him, and he turns sharply away. “And you coming here was a mistake on that part too. You have your little rats running around for you, who’s to say the Russians don’t have one too? What if they see you here with me?”

“In here? That’d be a reach.”

“Can never be too careful, Donny.”

“I’m counting on that paranoia to keep us Valentinos out of this mess.”

“I’ll say it one last time. I’m fixing it. ”

He slaps the back of my neck. “You’re a scheming, smart motherfucker. Always have been. Find another way. I don’t want to hear about you in a body bag. Stay safe, Aros.”

“Mm,” I groan, watching him walk away.

“I’ll tell the staff lunch is on me, and not to enter until you say so.” Donny holds the doorknob before he leaves. He eyes Quinn, then me, then shakes his head as he shuts the door.

“Well, that was effing bananas.” Quinn walks up to me and slides her arms around my back, laying her head on my chest.

“What’s this?” I ask, confused by the hug.

“You giving up everything for me, defending me. You’re something else, Silver.” She looks up at me, her big brown eyes shimmering in the window light. “And there’s no way I’m letting you get hurt in this… whatever you’re planning.”

“That’s not up to you,” I growl.

“Oh yes, it is.” She squeezes me harder.

I hold her chin, eyeing her luscious lips, and lean to kiss her. Blood is pooling in all the right places now.

She breathes heavily when she feels me growing against her leg. “ Now? ” She smiles dirtily.