Page 133 of Duty

Because somehow—between late nights, and counting tattooed stars, and just her—Andino found himself entirely fucked, and totally in love.

You know, with someone he couldn’t have.

Or so they kept telling him.

“We’re not talking—”

“I asked,” his father said quietly. “Give me the respect of answering me, son.”

“I don’t owe you anything about that,” Andino replied, “only her.”

Silence answered him back.

Andino was grateful his father didn’t push.

“All right.” Gio cleared his throat. “One thing at a time, then?”

“If you wouldn’t mind.”

“How bad is John?”

Andino’s chest ached. “Pretty bad—he’s full blown manic at this point, but he’s avoiding everybody, and not taking calls. Doesn’t matter, though, because he’s leaving a path of destruction wherever the fuck he goes.”

“Like what?”

“Killed a guy yesterday. I cleaned up the mess.”

Gio made a noise in the back of his throat. “Let’s not repeat that to Dante.”

Andino laughed bitterly. “Quite aware, yeah.”

“Okay,” his father said, standing from the couch, “we’ll get this figured out, and quickly. Have it all handled before we take anything to the boss. You know how Dante is. I’ll help you with getting him under control, and—”

“Getting who under control?”

Fuck.

Andino glanced over his shoulder to find his mother standing in the doorway. She smiled at them, and then looked to Gio.

“Something wrong?”

His father wasn’t one to lie.

Especially not to Kim.

Gio smiled back. “Everything’s fine, Tesoro. Like always.”

That should have been another clue for Andino. His father would have his back no matter what—even to his own detriment. That’s just what fathers did for their boys.

God knew he had the best father.

• • •

“Club’s quiet tonight,” Andino said.

Haven didn’t pretend like she hadn’t heard him speak when he sat down on the stool across the bar from her, but she kept her gaze on the cash she was counting inside the register. She barely even passed him a look when he first greeted her.

“Monday’s usually are slow,” she returned.