Page 2 of Entangled

Happy birthday, boss.

Dirty thirty, Gian.

The platitudes kept coming from everyone. Gian smiled and nodded, laughing when he needed to. He wasn’t shocked anymore that no one seemed to notice his cheer and good-nature was nothing more than a carefully-crafted lie.

He had perfected this shit in no time at all.

“Set it down,” someone told the server with the cake.

A table was pulled over, and the cake was set down. Another man passed Gian a knife, while paper plates, napkins, and plastic forks were set out on the table by another one of the girls who worked in Gian’s club.

“This one is all you,” Domenic said, nodding at Gian, and then to the cake. “Go for it. Might as well add some diabetes to the alcoholism these fools already have.”

Gian smacked his brother in the back of the head for that one. “You’re one to talk. How many nights a week are you in a club drinking, never mind at home alone?”

Dom shrugged. “It’s how I meet people.”

“Right. Good excuse.”

“Just cut your fucking cake, Gian.”

“You know I didn’t ask for a cake,” Gian said to his brother, lowering his tone so only Dom would hear. “I only agreed to a few drinks.”

Dom nodded. “They want to celebrate you, man. Let them.”

Gian sighed.

Right.

Celebrate.

It was only him that wasn’t feeling the party.

“Just cut the cake,” Dom said. “After that, they won’t even notice when you go. They’ll be too drunk and working on a sugar-high.”

“You get to be the lucky—or unlucky—fuck that stays behind to make sure they don’t tear my club apart,” Gian warned.

“I can do that.”

Fine.

As long as Dom knew …

Truthfully, Gian was grateful for his brother. Dom had been one of the very few constants at Gian’s side since he’d taken over the family. He had made his brother, as he promised to do, and given Dom his proper in to the family business. Besides, it was a hell of a lot easier to make Dom his consigliere when he was already a made man.

Dom became Gian’s right-hand man practically overnight. But that was how it needed to be, and Gian didn’t give fucking anyone the chance to argue or question it. Dom was better suited for the consigliere position rather than a Capo or underboss, simply because the men knew him, Gian trusted him, and he was not in the family for everyone else, only his brother.

As he had always been.

His underboss, on the other hand, had been something he allowed the men of the family to pick. It was unusual, and certainly not the norm, but they had their voice and vote in someone.

Stephan was who they chose.

Somedays, Gian wanted to kill the bastard.

Other days, he was worth his weight in arrogant, ignorant gold.

“Hurry up!” someone shouted from behind Gian.