Unraveled (Guzzi Duet Book 1)(54)

“You’re wrong again,” Gian shot back. “Made men are not commodities to be replaced. Not in this Cosa Nostra.”

Edmond laughed. “You have a lot to learn.”

“It takes time, or so I was told.”

“Be careful not to run out of it before you even get the chance to properly get started.” Then, Edmond said quieter, “But you do think I killed Corrado.”

“It no longer matters.”

“It does, or this would not be happening.”

“Wrong again,” Gian murmured. “Corrado is only a small part of this. Cosa Nostra is not about the one man on top, but all the men who wait on his direction. It’s not me who has forgotten that, Edmond. Good luck, but we both already know how this will end. I could ask you to make it easy on me, but we both know you won’t.”

Gian hung up the phone without a goodbye, handed it to the waiting maid, and joined his men at the dinner table once again.

None of them asked him what was wrong.

Nothing was wrong.

He had this shit under control.





Gian popped the top off his beer, took a long swig, and glared at the game playing on his flat screen television. “I don’t know why you bother to watch this, man. The Leafs haven’t done well in decades, and this isn’t going to be their year.”

Constantino bristled. “Be a proper Canadian, would you? Don’t diss the Leafs like that.”

“He’s more of a Montreal fan,” Dom remarked from the Lazy Boy chair. “Depends on who is winning at the time.”

“That’s a fucking shame,” Stephan put in. “Pick a team and stick with it.”

Gian had news for them. “Since you three are watching the game on my huge ass television, sitting on my comfy furniture, drinking my beer, and you’re not at your own places, you can shut the fuck up now or get the hell out.”

“Jesus, you’re an asshole tonight,” Constantino said absently, his attention snagged by the Leafs’ player cutting down the middle of the ice. “Why are you so miserable lately?”

Gian took another swig of his beer, refusing to even entertain that goddamn question. His mood had been less than pleasant and for quite a while, it had only been getting worse. He had managed to hide it, for the most part, when he needed to. Lately, especially the last few days, his bad attitude had been showing itself more often, bleeding onto others that happened to be around him.

Like easy fucking targets.

Gian knew better; he was smarter than allowing his emotions to rule him or control how he went about his days and business.

Lately, he couldn’t help it.

“It’s nothing,” Gian muttered, setting his beer down to the coffee table.

He took a seat beside Constantino, and decided to watch the game and get the night over with. It had been a while since he’d actually done something with friends—even if Stephan had showed up with Constantino earlier—so he might as well make the most of it.

Gian had forgiven Constantino for his slip at the hospital, and what he’d said about Cara, but it was a one-time only thing. His forgiveness had come easy once his friend apologized, but that was only because Constantino had been his friend for so damn long that he found it hard to stay pissed at the guy.

“But don’t be surprised when the Leafs lose again, like they always do,” Gian said. “They are the most boring hockey team to watch—nothing changes, from season to season.”

Stephan shot Gian a look. “You should get laid. Maybe that would pull out whatever stick got shoved up your ass.”

Constantino chuckled under his breath. “Hey, there’s an idea.”

Dom wisely chose to stay quiet, but that could have been because he had shoved a half of a slice of pizza in his mouth.

Lucky for him.

“Fuck off, both of you,” Gian warned, never taking his gaze off the television.

“So that is it?” Constantino asked.

“What?”

“You need to get laid, Gian.”

For fuck’s sake …

“I need you to mind your business,” Gian said, his irritation rising.

Take the fucking hint.

“Yeah, that’s what it is,” Stephan said with a nod. “Cara—the Rossi chick he was running around with—hasn’t been seen in a while.”

“My cousin,” Constantino said, “I don’t need a reminder, Stephan. I know who the fuck she is.”

Gian’s teeth was starting to grind so hard that his molars were aching.

“What I’m saying is, Gian here, wasn’t running around with anybody else, so if she’s keeping a low profile without him, then he isn’t getting pussy from anywhere.” Stephan laughed under his breath at the glare Gian passed his way. “Yeah, that’s exactly what it is. No pussy makes for an irritated mess of a man, doesn’t it, Gian?”

“I’m two seconds away from throwing all of you assholes out of my penthouse,” Gian replied.

“Hey, I’m just eating pizza,” Dom mumbled around a bite in his mouth.

Gian ignored his younger brother.

“Stay the hell out of my business,” he told them all. “And that is the last fucking time I am going to say it.”