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This clearly goes far deeper than any of us know. And my self-imposed personal conflicts are only going to keep getting more and more tangled in the wider web.
The door bursts open again as Nat comes storming into my office, her face twisted into a scowl the moment she spots Uncle Vinny.
“What’s that miserable bastard doing here?” she spits, refusing to even look in Uncle Vinny’s direction.
Uncle Vinny scowls right back. “Nice to see you too, Natalia.”
Nat’s eyes flash at the usage of her full name and I sense a rising war. I hold up a calming hand. “Easy, you two. Uncle Vinny is just leaving.”
Uncle Vinny stands, understanding the dismissal. “Remember to find her, Damian. As soon as possible.”
I incline my head. “Understood, Uncle.”
With one last withering glare at Nat, Vinny shakes his head in disgust and turns on his heel, grumbling under his breath as he exits.
As soon as the door closes behind him, Nat rounds on me, her eyes blazing with fury and distrust. “You need to stop letting that fucking snake in here.”
I sigh, mentally bracing myself. “Nat, come on…”
“I’m serious!” Nat insists, slamming her palms on my desk. “I don’t trust Vinny as far as I can throw his fat ass. He’s been sketchy ever since I can remember.”
“You don’t trust anyone, Nat,” I counter, unable to hide the weariness in my voice. “Besides, Uncle Vinny has looked out for me. We’re family.”
Nat laughs viciously. “Oh, yeah? Then explain why he’s so desperate to find Alexis, huh? You’ve been acting like a world-class dick to that poor girl.”
My jaw clenches at the mention of Alexis. Alexis had better not have told Nat anything about how we had sex. I can’t keep the defensive edge out of my voice. “Don’t bring her into this.”
“Like hell I won’t!” Nat shoots back fiercely. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m the one who’s been with Alexis while you’ve had your head shoved up your ass!”
“Oh, so now you’re a fan of Alexis? What were your original words when I said we should keep her here? ‘Ditch the bitch’, right?”
Nat pierces me with an accusing glare. “I’ve gotten to know her these last few weeks. She’s a good kid who doesn’t deserve to get tangled up in our nasty shit. But you’ve been tossing her around like a goddamn ragdoll.”
I swallow hard, Nat’s words cutting deep. As if I didn’t already know I was being an ass to Alexis. The constant warring between my priorities and my emotions has been torture.
Nat opens her mouth to argue more, but I cut her off. “Look, we can debate Uncle Vinny’s ethics and my supposed asshole tendencies another time. Right now, we need to get to The Underground. We have a meeting there soon.”
Nat scowls at me but thankfully drops the subject. “Fine. Let’s go, then.”
As we head for the door, I can’t help but think about Nat’s vehement mistrust of our uncle. I know she has her reasons, her natural skepticism and disinclination to let anyone get too close. But Vinny has been like a father to me. Doesn’t that count for something?
My thoughts continue to gnaw me over the true nature of Uncle Vinny’s involvement with The Brotherhood. I know I’ll eventually need real answers—no matter where they come from or whom they implicate.
The club is hopping as always, the pulsing beat of music and flashing lights providing a hypnotic backdrop. Nat and I weave our way through the raucous crowd, exchanging terse nods with the security stationed at every entrance.
Once we reach the VIP lounge and sit down, a small entourage appears—three bulky bodyguards leading the way for a statuesque woman with flowing red hair and ice blue eyes. Even from a distance, her aura of coldness and disdain is palpable.
My whole body tenses as I recognize the woman. Goddammit. Here comes Scarlett Rafa.
“Well, well,” Scarlett purrs as she approaches, a cruel smile playing across her crimson lips. “If it isn’t Damian and his raging Chihuahua, Natalia.”
Nat instantly bristles, her body tensing like a loaded spring. “Why don’t you slither back into whatever sewer you crawled out of, Scarlett?”
Edo quickly moves to place a restraining hand on Nat’s arm as she looks ready to launch herself at Scarlett. The two women engage in a heated glare-off, the air practically crackling with animosity.
I step forward, my voice cutting through the tension. “What do you want, Scarlett? I know you didn’t come all this way here to catch up with old friends.”
She turns her icy eyes on me, giving an airy shrug off her bare, freckled shoulders. “Can’t a girl stop by to say hello to her ex-fiancé without getting the third degree?”
