Vincent (Made Men, #2)(6)

“Yes, right until your crazy-ass brother—”

The door to the driver’s seat flew open…





Chapter Four Born To Be Made

In literally twenty minutes, Vincent’s entire night had taken a nosedive. However, his rage was finally calming—or trying to, at least.

What the fuck was Adalyn thinking?

As he grabbed his car door handle, he heard Lake’s muffled voice through the car.

“Yes, right until your crazy-ass brother—”

No, what the fuck was Lake thinking?

Well, his rage had been trying to calm.

*

Oh, shit. Did he hear me?

Vincent started the car. “What were you saying, Lake?”

Oh, shit. He heard me.

Lake tried to steady her voice. “I-I wasn’t saying anything.”

“Yes, you were,” he said matter-of-factly as he drove off.

“N-no, I wasn’t.”

“Nope, she wasn’t,” Adalyn agreed, trying to help her friend out.

Vincent looked at Lake through the rearview mirror. “So, you didn’t just say ‘your crazy-ass brother’?”

Lake’s eyes met his scary ones in the mirror which were daring her to lie.

Lie. “N-” Don’t lie. “Yes.”

She wished she could change her answer as she looked at him.

Wait, did he want me to lie?

His face read, do not lie to me.

She had talked to him countless times throughout most of her life, but she had no clue how to handle the new Vincent. Playing truth or dare with him was one game she wasn’t brave or experienced enough to win.

“Well, you kind of did go a tad crazy there when you shattered his hand,” Adalyn said.

And, just like that, Lake saw him switch back to normal.

“Too much?” Vincent laughed.

Oh, my God. He is crazy.

“Yep, just a little over the top. But, hey, he kind of deserved it.” Adalyn shrugged.

They both are crazy.

“I can’t believe Nero was actually dating a girl,” Adalyn said in shock.

Lake looked over at her. “Which one was Nero?”

Adalyn smiled. “The hot one.”

Should’ve known the gorgeous one would have a name like that. Lake couldn’t help smiling back. “Ohhh. And the big one was…?”

Adalyn rolled her eyes. “Amo.”

Of course it was.

Lake saw Vincent’s anger return when his eyes flew up to the mirror. What the hell is wrong with him now?

She decided to ignore him.

“Are they in”—Lake lowered her voice to a whisper—“the mafia?”

Vincent burst out laughing. “Why did you just whisper?”

“Because I didn’t think that was something you could say out loud!”

He is seriously giving me whiplash.

“Lake, no one is even around. Your own father is in the mafia, for fuck’s sake.” Vincent still sounded amused.

She turned her head to look out the window, feeling a little embarrassed. The truth was she didn’t know much about the mafia. But I know enough to know I don’t want to know anything else.

Lake knew a so-called family man led to nothing except trouble. Her dad had turned into a gambling addict, most likely from the terrible things he’d had to do. Almost every made man was divorced. If they even get married in the first place. Most mob wives were made widows. If they’re lucky enough not to get used as collateral themselves. So, yes, she was ignorant on the subject because she never wanted to learn a damned thing about the mob.

Thankfully, she had an out. And I’m sure as hell not marrying into it.

“Well, that’s not something I like to advertise,” she admitted.

His blue eyes met hers in the mirror again. “But it is something you have to deal with.”

“Not for much longer.” Her connection to the mafia was so low she wouldn’t be worth finding once she graduated and turned eighteen. She would move out and then go to college, leaving it all behind.

She would have sworn she saw disappointment on his face, but his next words told her she had imagined it.

“By the way, our fathers are in the mafia; we’re not. At least, not yet.” He had no doubts to what his future held for him.

Lake had always known Vincent would follow in his father’s footsteps. His father was too far up in the mob for him not to be. She knew Nero and Amo would, too. Just by the way they fought, you could tell it was in their blood. They were simply born to be made.

The rest of the way home was silent and could be summed up in one word: awkward.

Vincent only broke the silence when he pulled into their driveway “You two stay behind me and go into my room while I check to see if the coast is clear. If Mom and Sam catch you two looking like that, I won’t be able to help you.”

Lake and Adalyn agreed as they got out of the car, staying close behind him. Lake was thankful Vincent’s bedroom, which was mostly just a guest bedroom, was on the first floor by the front door.

A sigh of relief came over Lake when they closed his door. All they had to do was silently wait in the darkness until Vincent came back to tell them the coast was clear.

Lake had definitely had an eventful day filled with way too much drama for her liking.