Page 113 of Duty

Because damn, John.

“Did you know John was still involved with Siena Calabrese?” his uncle asked.

Andino cleared his throat. “Not in a direct sense, but—”

“You knew.”

“You could say that.”

“How much do you know?”

Andino sighed, frustrated. “Only a bit.”

Dante waved at him. “By all means, share what you know.”

“I don’t think—”

“I didn’t ask for you to think. I asked for you to talk. And you’re going to do that, Andi.”

Jesus Christ.

“As far as I know,” Andino said, “John started messing around with her again after he took over handling my business with the Calabrese. You wanted to lighten my work load, Dante, and that was one of the duties you moved to someone else. Point is—she works in their business, and that’s how they met back up again.”

“And you didn’t think to tell us—although mind you, we don’t actually need you to tell us anything, Andino. It’s a good lesson to learn. Even when you think we don’t know anything, chances are, we know everything.”

“You’re still following him, then?” Andino asked.

Dante arched a brow. “Clearly we have good reason.”

Yeah, that was a bad idea.

A really bad idea.

“Boss?” Andino turned on his heel to find a Marcello enforcer leaning in the doorway, and looking right at Dante. “John has just arrived.”

“Thank you.”

Andino’s attention went back to his uncle once the man was gone. “You called John in?”

“He needs a meeting, too.” Dante gestured at his desk, adding, “Come and make yourself comfortable—behave like my underboss, and not John’s best friend. Keep your fucking mouth shut unless it is to defuse a situation, and then maybe you can see what you’ve been missing in your selfishness, Andino.”

He had no idea what his uncle was talking about, but at the moment, he didn’t have much of a choice but to listen. Dante probably meant for Andino to stand beside the desk, but instead, he perched himself on the corner, and waited for his cousin to walk through the office doors. It didn’t take long, and there John was.

It took Andino one look.

One glance at his cousin to know …

One second in his presence.

Just the one.

And then, Andino knew.

He saw it in the defensive posture John sported, and the wildness in his eyes. He found it in the way his cousin’s hair was a little unruly instead of slicked back, and perfectly managed as it usually would be.

He saw it—he knew what he’d missed.

John was manic.