Page 218 of Always: A Legacy Novel

“Well, that’s bullshit.”

“Why is that?”

“Cross—”

“You know I’ve been doing it both for six months now, right?”

Calisto frowned. “I’m aware.”

“Yeah, so I’ve done exactly what you told me I wouldn’t be able to. Run guns, and work on getting my button. I did what you said would likely ruin me in one case or another. I think that should be enough to just say fuck it, and let me decide things on my own without input.”

“Then keep doing it,” Calisto replied, “but start paying dues to your boss for money you’re making while still acting as his man.”

“You want the full seventy percent, or do you want thirty since it’s coming out of another syndicate?”

Calisto blew out a harsh breath. “I don’t want any, Cross. I want you to understand that’s what it means, though, when you work as my man under another family.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Cross said, laughing dryly. “We both know my button is coming up fast, right? I’ve been mentoring for years—Wolf is going to nominate my name. I saved Rick’s ass, because he’s a fuck up, and he’ll back the nomination. They’re just two men. They’re guarantees. I’ve already got my button whether I want it or not.”

“I’m giving you a chance to do something different, son.”

Because open seats were coming up.

Because his button was close.

Didn’t his step-father already know?

“I was always going to be a made man, Papa. I was born for this.”

She danced.

She smiled.

She laughed.

She winked.

She joked.

She talked.

She made them happy.

She was perfect.

She was lying.

“Lucia looks so happy, doesn’t she?” Catrina asked.

“She does,” Catherine agreed.

The young girl danced on her father’s toes, sweet as could be.

Cross stood behind Catherine, always watching. He watched for the wine that was brought out, and how she side-stepped the server to stay away. He watched how she interacted with her family, and put her mask on again and again. She was too good at that, and they didn’t mind when she did slip up because she was there with them, and she hadn’t been with them for a long time.

He saw how her eyes lied when they needed to, and how her lips told more when she opened them.

She was happy, she said.