Page 109 of John + Siena: The Complete Duet

John glanced back at his cousin. “They’re never going to feel like I can handle this business without somebody babysitting my every move. It puts me on edge like nothing else. I fucking hate it, Andi.”

“It won’t be like that forever, John.”

“Really?” John scoffed. “I’ve gone years without a major episode. I do everything they want me to do, and they still pulled this kind of shit on me.”

Andino nodded. “I know, but it won’t be forever, John. Trust me on that. I’ll fucking make sure of it, man.”

Now, he kind of felt bad for threatening his cousin.

Andino was good like that, though.

He knew John.

“Anyway,” Andino said, hitting the desk with his palms, “the reason I had to pull the underboss card is because now, I am the one babysitting you.”

Instantly, John’s defenses were back in a blink. “Excuse me?”

“The boss wants me to keep an eye on you. Seems you’re dodging your father, the boss, and even my dad.”

“You know what they did,” John said.

Andino waved a hand. “Doesn’t matter, John.”

“It does fucking matter.”

“How’s work?”

Just like that, Andino changed the subject.

John’s irritation settled for the moment. “Work is work. I’ve got my crew handled. Money is coming in just fine. All the Calabrese work is going fine, as it should.”

“Good,” Andino said.

Confusion fluttered through John, and he eyed his cousin curiously. “That’s it? Good.”

“Yeah, why?”

“You’re not going to push and question me on every fucking aspect of everything I do?”

“Nope,” Andino said. “If you say shit is on the up and up with you, then that’s what it is, John.”

He didn’t know how to take that statement. No one ever simply took John at his word, and left it.

Then again, this was Andino.

His best friend.

Something clicked in John’s head. “I see what you did there.”

Andino smiled. “Did you?”

“I’m bipolar, but not crazy or stupid.”

“I would never call you those things, anyway.”

“I know.”

“And I’m not going to treat you like the rest of the men in this family do a lot of the time,” Andino said, giving his cousin a look. “I just want to make sure you’re handling whatever you need to handle. Probation, work, and therapy. Anything else—who you’re fucking, or the rest of that—is none of my goddamn business.”