Page 119 of Made in Love and Blood

Nico thought about Frankie, and how humiliated she would be if her lapse in judgement with him became public consumption because he punched this motherfucker’s face in. He considered Salvatore and the man’s rules that Nico did his best to follow because they had a purpose, too.

He didn’t want to let people down again. Especially those people.

Actions had consequences; he needed to accept them before he made the choice.

“Just fucking do it,” Marco urged stronger.

Nico exhaled harshly and drove his fingers into Marco one last time. “Fuck you.”

Marco blinked at that, and his sudden disorientation gave Nico the chance to spin on his heel. He slipped back into the bathroom, shut the door, and locked it. It took him less than a minute to wipe the floor, shove the small towel and Frankie’s thong into the laundry chute. He washed his hands, rolling down his sleeve and tossing on his suit jacket without buttoning it up.

Back in the hallway, Marco still waited.

Now, he didn’t smile, smirk, or grin.

Nico took some comfort in the sight.

“Best hurry up,” Marco murmured, “you know Dad hates to wait.”

“Get the fuck out of my way.”

He brushed past his brother, hating how Marco stayed on his heels because one shouldn’t put their back to an enemy. He also had far too much pride to let this asshole lead the way for him in any regard. Ever.

“Does Salvatore know you like to be wrist-deep in his daughter, or is that a secret I should keep?” Marco questioned like it was nothing.

Nico had been taking the steps to the downstairs two at a time, but his body turned before his mind had even fully processed the decision. Marco hadn’t been expecting it, nor the way Nico shoved him so hard that he tripped backwards and slammed down into the stairs.

Marco’s head snapped back hard, and he swore under his breath, reaching for his skull. His dark eyes blazed up at Nico in disbelief.

“Keep her name out of your mouth, that’s your last warning,” Nico said, pointing down at his brother.

He didn’t wait to see how Marco chose to deal with the threat. He turned back around and continued his jog down the steps. Taking a left at the bottom, he could see the people milling around the mouth of the corridor where a red satin rope hung across.

Marco stayed three steps behind the whole time.

“Just you fucking wait,” his brother threatened.

Chances were, Marco would calm down when the two both stood in the presence of their father. He got hit by Giorgio just like Nico, even if Nico took it more. Both were intimately familiar with exactly what happened when they displeased the man.

Weaving in and out of people, Nico headed through the throng until he neared the front of the house. If his father intended to leave, that’s where he’d be. He planned to make that goodbye as quick and painless as possible. His only motive for communicating with his father for the foreseeable future boiled down to having access to Carmen.

Sure enough, the crowd waited at two black SUVs. Both running.

Salvatore shot Nico a look as he quickly took the front steps down to the waiting men. Only Matty, his father’s personal enforcer, stood outside the vehicle. The other men who had arrived earlier to protect their boss and his family already sat inside the vehicles, waiting.

“Where have you been?” Giorgio demanded.

“Around,” Nico replied. “Marco said—”

“Marco found you?” Salvatore interjected.

“Playing in bathrooms with girls again,” Marco informed, his gaze cutting to Nico as he tried to stroll right on past. “At least, he’s consistent about the girl.”

He just said it like that and kept on walking.

“What?” two men asked at the same time.

“Tell ‘em, little brother.”