Costello kept a blank expression, but inside he enjoyed watching the old bat be dressed down.
“Johnny thinks it’s needed.” Nancy rolled her shoulders back and thrust out her chin.
A dark shadow cast across Frank’s expression. His eyes narrowed, and his lips pressed together in a tight line. “Johnny isn’t the boss around here, Nancy. I am. He will do what he’s fucking told, and so will you. Cousin or not, you can find your ass working somewhere else. I’m sure one of Johnny’s clubs could use some fresh meat.”
Costello had seen Frank at his worst. Anger boiling out of every pore as he beat the life out of a man twice his size. The tongue lashing he gave Nancy didn’t even compare, but she’d been protected from most of the business. To her, his low growl of a threat was enough to make her shake.
“Of course, Frank. I know he’s not the boss. I was only suggesting we might want to consider broadening the clientele.” She cleared her throat. “That’s all I was saying.”
“How about you let me and Johnny run the family business, and you be a good woman and do what you’re told.” Frank sneered as he delivered that blow. Costello bit down on his tongue to keep the grin from taking form.
“Fine. But something has to be done about Ariana. Costello is too involved with her.” Nancy turned in her chair and cast a glare at Costello.
“I’ll deal with that. You go back to work.” Frank waved her away. “And I want you to stay away from Costello’s girl today.”
“But—”
“No fucking buts, Nancy. I swear to God. This isn’t a fucking pre-school, or a goddamn HR department! I have actual business to take care of. I don’t have time for this shit. Now go.” Frank pointed at the door. Small droplets of spit flew from his mouth as he shouted.
“Fine.” She jumped to her feet, smoothed her hands over her stomach. Costello slid away from the door and opened it for her when she approached. She never looked up at him as she hurried from the room, but he could sense the anger boiling over in her.
Once the door was shut, Costello waited for Frank to take a cleansing breath.
“If she wasn’t fucking blood…” Frank let the rest of the words trail away with a shake of his head. “But, what’s this about Ariana? Are you getting in over your head with her?”
Costello shrugged. “I’m doing my job, Frank.”
“So, you aren’t attached? I could sell her right now and you’d have nothing to say about it?” Frank eyed him.
“No. I mean, she’s not ready, but it’s your call.” Costello’s stomach knotted. If Frank saw through him, he’d lose Ariana forever. No way that was going to fucking happen. If Frank took her now, Costello would have to go after her. No matter the cost to himself. He would never let her be sold.
“You’re protecting her more than you have the others.” Frank leaned back in his chair.
“Nancy’s giving her a hard time. It’s wasting my time when I have to first get the girl to trust me enough to listen to me. I mean, I could beat the girl until she does what we want but that’s only going to make it harder later I think. I have my ways, and they work. Nancy’s fucking with that.”
“You’re right. And that’s not what we do here. We give them everything a little girl could want, and we teach them how to love their daddies properly. If we make them scared, it’s not as sweet. Our clients won’t like it,” Frank said. He pulled in a long breath. “I’ll keep Nancy off her back, but maybe loosen up your grip on Ariana a bit.”
That wasn’t going to happen.
“Sure. Not a problem.” Costello threw on a grin for good measure.
“Good. The next adoption party—I want Ariana ready. She’ll go with Shelby, Mae, and Courtney.”
Costello swallowed back his denial. Even if Costello wasn’t sheltering Ariana for himself, she’d only been there a week. Too soon to go up for adoption.
Frank raised his eyebrows, like he was waiting for his answer.
“Sure. I can do that. But she’ll need more coaching then. That’s going to require a bit of fast-tracking. I haven’t even got her ass ready by fucking it.” Costello slipped his hands into his trouser pockets to hide his fists. He hated talking so crass about Ariana, but at the same time, he needed to speak the language of Frank.
“I’m moving the next party up. I was counting on bringing a few more guys from one of the other Houses to help with the extra girls we have, but it’s not working out like I wanted. So, we need to clear out a few girls so we get the rest trained up right. Mae and Courtney have been here a little longer than your girl, so I’m not concerned about them, and Shelby’s had more than enough time.”