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“Would that have worked on my father, sir?”
“He’d have taken a bullet to the knee first. Thenapologized.”
“If the cops won’t mind the gunshot.”
“Honestly, are you sure you don’t want him thrownoff the balcony?” Gia muttered.
“I’m reconsidering.” Zara tossed her hair and movedforward, fixing her father with a very Gia-like stare, as ifcalculating some internal odds. “But you can’t shoot him, Dad. Youalso can’t throw him off anything high enough to damage him.Sorry.”
“And why the hell not?”
“I am sorry, Adam.” Dane stepped in front of Zara.He’d be damned if he hid behind her. Or anyone. But especially nother. “If I could have done this properly, I would have. But that’sas far as my apology extends. I respect the hell out of you, but Icouldn’t let her marry somebody else. Sure as hell not Joey DeLucca.”
“Andmyhusband’s very happy about that,” Giaadded.
Adam glanced at something behind Dane andZara—Ryan? The seashore? God, please not a sniper—and letout a long breath. Then poured himself another glass of wine.“Accepted. And I promise not to shoot your husband, Zara. But weneed to have a chat, and you girls need to be somewhere else forit.”
Zara’s hand tightened on Dane’s fingers before shelet go. “Business? Already?”
“It’s been a fucking war, sweetheart. We won’t keephim too long.” He nodded to Sawyer. “John, get the girls some food,and don’t let either one wander off for once.”
“Yes, sir.” Sawyer held the balcony door open, andGia sashayed through. Zara glanced back once but disappeared intothe dark interior once Dane nodded. No one spoke.
The door clicked shut, and Adam leaned forward withan expression as cold as a Chicago blizzard. “So, what the fuckwere you planning on doing, Dane? Dragging my daughter from cave tocave? And with what fuckin’ income stream? You going to theAlbanians after all?”
He considered lying, but it seemed like a bad timeto bluff. “To be perfectly honest, sir, I was making it up as wewent. But we had enough for a while.”
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Are you hearing this?”Adam waved a hand toward Ryan and the new guard. Dane vaguelyremembered him from Chicago but had no idea what his namewas.
Ryan chuckled. “I can’t judge him, Adam. I’ve donestupider shit for a woman. When she’s the right one, your braindon’t always work. You know how it is, right? Or I could call Momand—”
“It’s not too late for more than one of your assesto be off the balcony.” Adam’s lip quirked, but the expression hefixed on Dane wasn’t nearly so amused. “I can understand stupidity.Impulsiveness. But your job was to take care of her. And you’retelling me you ran off into the fucking night without so much asthe ghost of a goddamn plan.”
“Yourjob was to take care of her,” Dane spatbefore he could stop himself. “My plan was to make her happy, whichis far more than Joseph De Lucca could have done for her.”
Adam rose from the table with all the power of ahurricane cresting the horizon. His bright blue eyes blazed as heclosed the distance between them. “My job is taking care of all ofthemandthe family. Something you might learn if you liveto see next year.”
“Adam … Dad.” Ryan inched closer, all traces oflevity gone from his expression.
“Stand down, Ryan. I’ve promised Hannah he won’t dieand Zara that I won’t maim him.”
“Right, but—”
“I never said a damn thing about this.” Adam’s rightfist slammed into Dane’s jaw. He stumbled but kept his footing,waiting for the next blow. It didn’t come.
“I deserved that,” Dane said through a haze of pain.He almost lifted a hand to check the bleeding, but kept his armdown. His tongue stroked over his teeth, the copper tang of bloodattacking his taste buds before he spat it out. “I’m sorry,Adam.”
“Not as sorry as you’re about to be.”
Dane squared his shoulders to face his boss andfather-in-law. “I didn’t betray the Outfit, but I fucked up yourtrust. I accept whatever you say I have to do. Except losingher.”
“Oh, you’re not losing her.” Adam’s smile was darkersomehow than his anger. “You’re going to get the worst fuckin’punishment there is.”
“Oh, God.”Worse than death? That must be…“Please don’t make me watch Gia.”
Ryan and Adam’s laughter sounded eerily identical.“Worse than that,” Adam said with a chilly grin. “You’re going tohandle the legit side of the business for a while, Dane. A nice,tidy office job. As a consultant for Ethan.”
Dane’s stomach plummeted to his feet. “Are you sureI can’t watch Gia?”
