Giovanni
“I don’t like this Gio.”
“It’s not for you to like or dislike.”
“They left. They can’t be trusted.”
“They are family, Angelo.”
“Why now?”
Angelo never liked anything he wasn’t ready for. The only problem was I had been planning for this day ever since I learned my cousins were part of that biker club. I should have known they would join a club like that. If I were a betting man, I would say Dwayne talked Reggie into it. Like I said earlier, Dwayne was the hothead, the one who needed a little fun and excitement every now and then.
“Just do what I asked Angelo. All will be fine.”
“He will kill you.”
That was a real possibility.
When Dwayne and Reggie left, it wasn’t on the best terms. In fact, my leg still ached when the weather got bad because of the fight Dwayne and I got into. It would have been worse if it wasn’t for Sal and Reggie. A lot worse. In the end, Reggie took Dwyane and left, leaving me to recover without ever learning the truth as to why they were leaving the Family.
Their absence devastated their mother and broke my mother’s heart, not to mention the rest of the Family. When asked, no one could honestly think why they would just leave. Only Dwayne and Reggie knew the truth, and I was patient.
Eventually, they would tell me.
They always did. “No, he won’t.”
“Are you sure about that?”
I looked up from my phone and stared at the man who had protected me my whole life. There wasn’t a thing I didn’t know about Angelo. He had been faithful from the day he arrived on my father’s doorstep at the age of twelve when his family immigrated to the United States. My father took one look at the young man and gave him a job. Over the years, Angelo was assigned to be my personal bodyguard. He was good at what he did. He went everywhere with me, even when I was just hanging out with my brothers and cousins. He was there, watching. I couldn’t breathe some days because of Angelo, and when my father died, his constant hovering increased ten-fold. Angelo was generally a quiet man. He preferred the shadows and barely talked, yet he pushed this matter. To what end?
“Is there something I need to know, Angelo?”
The man shook his head. “No. I’m just cautious. They are notFamigliaanymore. They left. They can’t be trusted.”
As I stared at the man, I noticed many things about him. He wasn’t as young as I remember. He had put on a few pounds, and he was being evasive. Angelo Demarco was never evasive. He was as straightforward as they came.
“What aren’t you telling me, Angelo?”
“Nothing. I just don’t like this. It could be a trap.”
“That is for you to figure out then. It is your job to protect me after all.”
“And I can’t do that if you invite the enemy into the house.”
“My cousins are not the enemy. You are very good at your job Angelo. I have all the faith in you. In fact, I want you to stay here and finish up with the Weaver family. Make sure they understand. I will take Paolo and Marko with me. Nico can stay and help you.” Saying nothing more, I returned to my phone.
I hated the thing.
It went everywhere with me. I just wanted one day without it attached to my hip.
“No. I will be with you. Marko can stay with Nico.”
And just like that, I carefully placed my phone on the small table beside me, slowly got to my feet, and just stared at the man before me before clearly saying, “Excuse me?”
“Gio, you will need me with you. I can’t protect you if I’m not with you.”
“I believe what you meant to say was yes, Boss.”