Filed to story: Bound by Honor (Aria & Luca) Drama Story
“You aren’t,” Enzo said. He sank back down and gave the other men a sign to continue. “You can join us if you want.”
That earned him a few surprised looks from the other guards.
Leonas snorted. “Mom can’t play poker. She’s a woman.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Excuse me?” I strode over to the table. “I’m a good poker player. I used to manage a Casino.”
The men exchanged amused glances as Leonas’ eyes widened. “You did?”
“Yes. Are you playing Texas Hold ’em?” It was the only form of poker I was good at.
“Yes, we are,” a young man right beside me said. It took me a second to recognize him as Enzo’s son. They had the same maroon hair and light brown eyes. Only his name wouldn’t come to my mind.
“Would you mind if I join you to show my son that a woman can play poker too?”
Chuckles sounded.
Enzo’s son pushed back his chair and stood, towering over me. “You can have my chair. I’m going to grab some food.” He was a handsome man in his early twentieth with dimples that probably got him plenty of attention from the ladies. Dante had mentioned him before because he worked as a second Enforcer with Arturo. He was the moderate butcher from the two of them. Finally, his name clicked.
“Thank you, Santino.”
He inclined his head then turned and strode away. A look of pride lay in Enzo’s face. I sank down. “What are the limits?”
“Ten and twenty.”
I realized I didn’t have my wallet with me. In the confusion of the day, I wasn’t even sure where it was. “Someone will have to lend me some money.”
An older man across from me took out a wad of cash and gave me half of it. “I offer fair interest rates.”
I chuckled.
“I negotiated them with him,” Leonas said proudly.
I narrowed my eyes. “Hmm. Very well.” Considering that Leonas didn’t know percentage calculation yet, I doubted the rates were fair. “I’ll let Dante check the details of our arrangement later.”
The men bellowed.
“Let’s say we forget about the interest rates,” he said with a wink. Considering he was my father’s age, I knew it was the typical soldier humor, and I actually preferred it to the stiff reverence I often received.
Leonas beamed at me as we began to play. I could see that a weight had lifted off his shoulders. He was still young, younger than Anna and for him, it was easier to get past the seriousness of the situation.
I allowed myself to be distracted by the game and Leonas’ eagerness to prove his worth.
My eyes prickled with tiredness when the front door opened in the early morning. I jumped to my feet and so did everyone else. Dante, Pietro, Danilo and Samuel stepped in, looking exhausted, ruffled and subdued. The rising sun illuminated their forlorn faces almost mockingly.
Leonas darted toward them and hugged Dante’s middle. “Did you catch the bad guys?”
One look at Dante’s face told me they hadn’t. They didn’t know where Serafina was. My heart clenched tightly considering what this would do to Ines.
“No, we didn’t,” Dante said quietly.
“But you will catch the bad guys soon?”
The bad guys. My eyes took in the four men in the lobby with their guns, jaded eyes, and scarred bodies. I wondered if little boys in the Camorra asked their dads the same question when they spoke about us? Would Luca’s son ask his father that question when he talked about Dante? Bad was always a matter of perspective.
Yet, one thing was certain, the Falcones were the worst. Even in our world.
Danilo shook his head with a harsh expression and stalked past us toward the liquor cabinet, pouring himself a generous amount of a dark liquid. “Why the fuck are you gambling in a situation like this?” he snarled at the soldiers. The men lowered their heads.
Steps pounded upstairs. Ines followed by Sofia stormed down the staircase. Sofia didn’t stop and barreled straight into Pietro who hugged her tightly. Ines froze halfway down once she caught a look at the men’s expressions.
“No,” she whispered. “No.” She clutched the banister and slowly sank down. “No!”
Sofia lifted her head, looking at Ines then at Pietro and Samuel. Her young face fell. Samuel staggered toward his mother and pulled her to her feet. She clutched him desperately and sobbed.
The guards disappeared into other parts of the house to give us privacy and to escape Danilo’s open wrath.
My eyes met Dante’s but his expression was a mask of control. It must be bad if he acted like that.
Glass smashed.
I jumped then realized Danilo had flung his glass against the wall. He gripped the edge of the table tightly, rage burning on his face.