CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
Sebastian
Theo jumps up from the couch the second he looks at the screen of his ringing phone and disappears out of the doors that lead to the garden.
“Something tells me we’re about to get summoned,” Alex mutters, scrubbing his hand down his face and over the beard he seems to be trying to grow.
“Get dressed, fuckers,” I bark, pushing from the sofa and taking all the dirty mugs to the kitchen. Hell knows Nico won’t do it.
“Suit up. We gotta go,” Theo booms, confirming my suspicions about who was on the phone.
“For real?” Alex moans.
“For real. Nico, you’re good. You can stay and rest your tiny, overused cock.”
I chuckle as Nico fumbles for a comeback.
“You’re just jealous, bro. No one so much as touched your cock last night,” Nico mutters, a smirk playing on his lips.
“I dunno, Stell—”
“Finish that sentence and you won’t make it to whatever this job is,” I warn Theo, much to Alex’s amusement.
“Bro, you are so fucking gone for the princess,” Alex announces.
Before he knows what’s happening, Alex’s back slams against the wall as my forearm presses against his throat.
He barely reacts, just stares at me with knowing eyes.
“I am not fucking gone for her. I can barely stand looking at her.”
“Sure. Sorry,” he says, completely insincerely.
My teeth grind as I stare at him, my free hand clenching into a fist, ready to wipe the smirk off his lips that I know is coming.
“Children, we’ve got a fucking job to do,” Theo barks, slapping me upside the head as he marches past the pair of us.
“I’m going to fucking hurt you,” I warn Alex. He just rolls his eyes and mutters, “I’d like to see you try, fucker.”
Leaving Nico behind where he’s still lying on the sofa with his hand in his joggers, we head toward our cars.
* * *
An hour later and we’re sitting outside, waiting for Alex to get his ass out of his house, dressed and ready to work.
“You gonna tell me what we’re doing yet?” I ask Theo, who’s still white-knuckling the steering wheel despite the fact that we’re sitting still.
I know his issue. It’s the same every time the boss calls and demands something of him. Theo wants to impress, wants to prove that he’s got what it takes to fill his father’s shoes one day. And most of all, he wants to prove to Nico that, despite being younger, he’s still above him and deserves his place there.
He lets out a frustrated sigh that Alex still isn’t ready.
“Marco didn’t pay.”
“Shit. I thought we’d delivered a pretty solid message on Monday night.”
“Yeah, apparently not. Dad’s pissed.” He doesn’t need to say more. I already understand why.
Marco’s diner is right on the edge of our territory. All of the Cirillo businesses on that side of town are constantly at risk with the Mariano Family running things just over the street.