All while going to Eagle Elite and learning skills we’d need them to perfect later on in life. They lived under Phoenix’s roof too, safer that way, but I’d only ever seen them as leeches.
Pawns.
My own foot soldiers.
And now?
Now I realized I’d never taken the time to ask their names, their ages, backgrounds because that had been Tank’s job as trainer, his punishment.
But me? I was their leader.
Not my dad. Not the Capo.
Me.
I was who they looked to.
And I was the one they were looking to right now.
“We just heard.” Dylan, I think his name was Dylan ran a hand through his shoulder length jet black hair. “Just tell us what we need to do.”
I hesitated, my eyes darting to my father’s and back.
It was a moment that usually the bosses would take—they’d plan, they’d tell us how to execute it, and we’d be fine.
But right now.
Right now, all of the bosses curiously stared at me, as if it was my turn to truly step up to the plate, to own my heritage of the Abandonato Family.
“Annie’s right,” I found myself saying. “By hunting, we leave ourselves exposed. Besides, we won’t even know exactly who we’re looking for.”
“So?” Junior crossed his arms. “We just wait?”
I narrowed my eyes. “When were you going to have an engagement party?”
Junior swore. “That? That’s what you focus on right now?”
I held out my hand. “Hear me out… rumors constantly circulate about how much of a douche you are.”
“Oh good, I like this conversation. Please continue.” Junior threw his hands in the air . Standing next to him, Dylan smirked.
“It’s true, right?” I eyed the eighteen-year-old kid, who gave a reluctant nod. “I’m sure you were told we were spoiled rotten rich kids with silver spoons poking out of our asses. And while ridiculously exaggerated, if that’s what they think, then let’s give it to them, make them think we’re lowering our guard.” I had everyone’s full attention now. “We throw a party downtown, make sure security is undercover, control the location, and we draw them out… just like Annie said. Besides, waiting for the monster under the bed is way more dangerous than reaching beneath and crushing his skull while he thinks you’re sleeping.”
“Creepy allegory,” Junior muttered. Then he shrugged and conceded, “But accurate.”
“So?” I faced my dad. “You guys feel like handing over those credit cards now?”
“Oh.” Dad grinned. “Annie’s already got one.”
“The hell!” I rolled my eyes. “You made me wait until last year!”
“She’s a careful spender.” He grinned.
Annie shifted in my arms; I could feel her nerves at being the center of attention— I should let her go, I should set her away from me; instead, I pulled her tighter.
Refused to stop touching her.
Because she was here.
Alive.
Breathing.
And I found that my heart needed a reminder of all of those things as my brain tried to plan a way to take down anything that threatened my blood—my soul.
I searched the bosses’ faces, and then my cousins’, each of them had their own reason for ending this—now.
“So?” I grinned at Junior. “You ready to play arrogant prick with too much money and a bimbo on your arm?”
“Hey!” Serena shot me a glare. “Let them think I’m stupid; it will give me time to shove my stiletto into their eye sockets and hear them scream.”
“Graphic,” Maksim muttered under his breath, while the rest of the cousins seemed to be uncertain.
“It’s a good plan.” I looked at my dad. “We’ll pair off.” I clung to Annie then. “Nobody’s alone. Sergio can fit us all with earpieces, and if nothing insane happens then, we still get to party.”
“No drinking,” Dad pointed out.
“I would never drink and shoot.” I gave him a grin.
Junior frowned. “But what about that time—”
“Not now,” I snapped, earning a shit-eating grin from both Junior and Maksim while King shared a look with Valerian—one I knew all too well. He still struggled with the power difference between the two. King may be the future Capo, but for now, his brother was already a boss, in charge of countless families and a fortune, and I knew it weighed heavy on him, seeing it change Valerian in a way that made him age beyond his twenty-one years and nearly look identical to the other bosses.
It needed to end.
Whatever the hell this was.
“The moms won’t like it,” Nixon finally said as if peering into the room next door where they were with the younger kids. “But I agree with Ash—and Annie—draw them out, before they surprise us again.”
Annie exhaled.
“Tomorrow night, The Regis, Scary Dad—”
He groaned.
“Think you can make it happen for your very favorite son?”
“Only son.” The corners of his mouth tilted up into a smile. “And of course, what’s the use of being a Senator if you can’t abuse some power every once in a while.”