Page 122 of Unruly

He shook his head. “You were raised by them.”

Catherine sipped from her drink to hide her smile.

“I’m very accustomed to bulling my way in this business, Catty,” Andino said when she stayed silent, “because that’s what’s gotten me everything I wanted, and where I am now. Before, everyone saw me as … the laidback one, never too severe, and always taking care of someone else before I ever took care of me and mine. All that allowed was for people to walk all over me, and so being this way is simply easier.”

“You can’t bull your way through shit with me.”

Andino nodded. “Can’t, or shouldn’t?”

“You know what, it’s both.”

“Noted.”

Catherine stopped walking, and turned to face her cousin with a smile. “Listen, what matters is that you respect me at the end of the day, Andino. As your family. As a business partner with the Three Families. And as the head of my own organization. Otherwise, you’re going to force my hand when you push my limits a little too far.”

“And what does that mean, exactly?”

“If you can’t respect me, then I will teach you how to. Trust me when I say that is not a road either of us want to travel.”

Silence stretched on between them. Still, Catherine saw the flash of admiration in her cousin’s gaze before he glanced away.

“Threats, huh?” he asked.

“Promises, actually.”

“I worked some numbers with John on the cocaine thing, by the way.”

Catherine’s gaze narrowed. “Ten percent more is not that bad, Andino.”

“It’s actually only about three percent higher when you factor in the costs of moving it from where they plan to drop a shipment to our territory.”

“Oh?”

“Just about three percent, yeah. I mean, those are detail numbers, but you know how I am.”

“Details are where the money is at.”

Andino grinned. “Usually. You made a good deal, Catty. Grazie.”

She smiled right back. “Just don’t forget that I can take it away, Andino.”

“Also noted.”

Catherine looked back across the park for her daughter, Katya, and Zeke. She didn’t immediately see them where they had been playing just moments before. Her gaze swept over the crowd at the playground once, then twice, before her heart rate picked up.

“Where did they go?”

Andino turned to look, too.

“Where is my daughter?” Catherine asked.

“Hey, don’t stress, Catty. She was with Zeke and his wife just a second ago. I’m sure—”

“Katya! Cece!”

Zeke’s shouts carried from the parking lot. Catherine turned in that direction only to see her husband’s best friend’s back as he ran into the lot full of cars.

Then, pops of gunfire shattered the peace of the park. Screams from kids and parents pierced the air as panic swelled, and people began to run. That hot chocolate Andino brought along spilled across Catherine’s suede boots, and stained the snowy ground as it dropped from her hand.