Page 73 of When She Tempts (The Fallen)
After Sal’s meeting, I’m going to see my father. That conversation won’t take long unless he’s in one of his rare sentimental moods. I need to know if Sal’s been asking my father about me, and that’s something that requires a face-to-face conversation. My father knows better than to say anything sensitive over the phone, especially when he might already know war is afoot. Not to mention, he might lie. It’s a good thing I can see right through his lies.
The gravel crunches under my leather shoes as I walk toward the garage. Speed is my primary consideration for today, so I grab the key to my Ferrari from its hook on the wall and slip inside the car. The drive from Perugia to Naples takes about four hours, but I can make it in three by leaving this early. Unless there’s bad traffic on the road, I should be back by midday.
When I pull out of the garage, I see Polo hurrying over. I wait for him to approach.
He places his palms on the hood of the car and meets my gaze. “Where are you going?”
“Casal and Naples. I’ll be back later today.”
“Take me with you.”
“You know I can’t.”
“Are you meeting with him today?”
Irritation makes my nape prickle. “No.”
Polo’s eyes narrow. “I don’t believe you.”
“I’m going to see Nino.”
“Isn’t that nice? You can see your father whenever you want,” he says, his voice tense with barely contained anger. “I should be able to do the same.”
My hands tighten around the smooth leather of the wheel. “It’s too early for this, Polo.”
When he slaps the roof of the car with his palms, my patience runs out. I turn off the engine, get out, and stalk toward him until we’re chest to chest. Fear flashes inside his eyes, but he doesn’t back down. “I deserve to be a part of the clan as much as you do,” he says angrily. “Do you think I want to be a fucking gardener for the rest of my life? I want to bemade.”
“It’s never going to happen. I made a promise to your mother, and I don’t intend on breaking it.”
“My mother’s dead. I can’t live the rest of my life in accordance to the dying wishes of a sick woman. You thinkyourmother would have wanted this for you?” He takes a step back and spreads his arms. “You’re a fucking hypocrite, Gio. You’re no different than me, remember? But you seem to take pleasure in keeping me a rung below you.”
Does he really think this is about my fucking ego? I grab him by the collar of his shirt, my anger boiling over. “Watch your fucking tongue. I’m keeping youalive. Becoming a made man of the Casalesi is an early death sentence, especially for someone like you.”
“Someone like me?” He makes a disbelieving scoff. “Just because I don’t know computers or all of that security bullshit like you doesn’t mean I can’t be valuable.”
“You’d be made a soldier, sent to the streets, and left to die.”
His eyes darken. “You don’t know that. You don’t know what the don will say once he meets me.”
The naive confidence in his gaze is so disappointing, I shove him away. “I know it’s never going to be what you want to hear. I joined the clan because I didn’t have a choice. You do, Polo.”
His expression turns into a grimace, and he spits on the ground. “What choice? What fucking choice?” He points his finger at me. “You’vemade my decision.”
I check my watch. “I don’t have time for this.”
“Yeah, you never do,” he grits out.
My eyes scan him over. “While I’m gone, make sure Martina doesn’t wander off anywhere. Keep an eye on her.”
“You can’t keep me here forever,” he seethes. “I’m not your prisoner. One day, I’ll walk out of this place, and you’ll wish you helped me when I asked for it.”
“I am helping you,” I say as I get back inside the car. “You’re just too blind to see it. Did you hear me? I said keep an eye on Mar—”
“I heard you. I’ll take care of your pet while you’re gone, don’t worry.”
My jaw clenches. I don’t like his fucking tone. But I also need to get on the damn road if I want to get back here before nightfall.
I decide to let it go. Polo’s angry, but he’ll calm down. He always does. We have too much in common, him and I. When I was his age, I had the same restlessness inside my blood, but I put everything into my work, burying myself in projects. Polo doesn’t have any place to channel it—something I suppose is on me to provide. I knew what I was signing up for when I took him on. Have I been neglecting my duty? I guess I always thought that working for Sal would be the last thing he’d want after what happened to his mother. It sure as fuck was the last thingIwanted, but at the time, it truly was the only way for me to survive.
