Grandpa DeAngelis keeps his back to us as he swirls the brown liquid in the middle of his glass and finishes it before slamming it down on a nearby table. He holds his head up and hightails it straight for the exit. “What the fuck was that about?” Marcus questions as we all meet in the middle, hovering over a table.
Roman clenches his jaw, glancing at the exit to make sure he’s going. “He had a few things to say and let it be known that he didn’t appreciate us running Father out like that. So I told him he can either get on board or fuck off. I’d be more than happy to put his body in the ground.”
“Shit,” Levi says, making me jump as he moves in from behind me with a drink in hand. He places it down on the table and a ring of condensation instantly forms around it. “He’s not going to appreciate that.”
“He can suck my dick,” Roman mutters. “He’s been in Father’s ear for far too long, pulling his strings like a goddamn puppeteer, but not anymore. Both of them can go to hell.”
I pick up Levi’s drink and take a sip before putting it straight back down, the foul taste practically burning a hole through my tongue. “You guys aren’t a big fan of your grandfather?”
“Hell no,” Marcus says, his tone darkening and sending a wave of unease over me. “The old fuck was the one to give me my first black eye. I was only five.”
I gape up at him, anger swirling deep in my stomach as the need to race after the bastard and gouge his eyes out slams through me like hot acid. Only, I don’t get a chance to even whine about it before a wicked grin settles over Roman’s lips. “Well I’ll be fucking damned,” he says, amusement thick in his tone as he watches the door. “The asshole found a set of balls after all.”
My brows furrow as I turn to look at the door and find Louis standing at the entrance, one hand on his wife’s lower back, the other reaching for a drink. He doesn’t bother getting a drink for his wife, and as he strides deeper into the room, I feel a sickening tension thickening in the air. “This isn’t good.”
“Nah,” Marcus laughs, watching the way Victor’s remaining four sons seem to pause and watch him like a hawk, their hands slowly reaching for their guns as every last guest in the room discreetly moves aside, determined not to be collateral damage if this turns ugly. “This is what I call entertainment.”
I roll my eyes and watch closely. Victor was only killed a few nights ago, and from the soft whispers I’ve heard throughout the night, all fingers are pointing to Louis, assuming it was payback for murdering his only son, and damn it, the hard set of his jaw proves it. If only these fuckers knew that both Antonio’s and Victor’s blood is on our hands … hell, Ronaldo’s technically is too. Though we weren’t the ones to pull the trigger there. Though, I have to give it to Louis, he hasn’t lashed out yet. He’s been cool, calm, and collected as he bides his time. Though I’m sure he’s upset that someone else got to Victor before he got the chance.
“Do you think something is going to happen?” I ask, my gaze flicking from one side of the room to the other, watching Victor’s remaining sons closely.
Levi shrugs his shoulders. “Hard to tell,” he says. “Louis is lethal. He’ll even give us a run for our money, but they’d be foolish to do something here with so many witnesses. Everybody knows that they’ll eventually go after him, but it’s bad taste to spill blood at a family event.”
I scoff. “I didn’t realize you guys actually had morals. That’s cute.”
Roman shoots me a hard glare and I don’t doubt that I’m going to get bitched out later for referring to anything that has to do with them as cute. “You want to see cute?” he tells me, grabbing what’s left of Levi’s drink on the table and throwing it back. “I’ll show you fucking cute.”
My brows furrow and I watch as Roman turns his back and starts walking toward the top of the room where the live band is vibing. Seeing Roman approaching, they put their instruments down and give him the floor.
“Ahh, shit,” Marcus mutters. “So, we’re doing this now.”
Roman stands front and center, but with the guests’ attention still waiting for a shootout between Louis and Victor’s sons, Roman pulls his own gun and lets off two perfect shots. One bullet sails past Louis’ wife and shatters the glass in his hand, while the other skims right over the top of Phillip’s head, making his wife drop to the ground and scream until her lungs give out, and his two young daughters turn into sobbing messes on the floor beside their mother.
All eyes snap to Roman while my gaze lingers on Phillip. He should have been killed during our little visit the other day. He’s a vile man and should be offered the most brutal ending, one that I would be more than happy to give. He gave us absolutely nothing in our quest to find Giovanni, though a part of me believed that he truly didn’t know. But what he did tell us sent a wave of nausea and terror through my veins—Giovanni is recruiting an army to force his way back in, or at least that’s what Phillip heard, and if it’s true … shit. The very thought has haunted me night after night, but I trust the boys. If they didn’t think they could handle it, they would have made the necessary arrangements.
Roman’s deep, booming tone fills the air and my gaze snaps back to him. He stands tall and with the eye of every man, woman, and child in the room on him. Half of them watch him with respect, knowing he is a leader among men, while the others watch him with fear, concerned about why he’s here addressing the family and not his father.
“My brothers and sisters,” he says, spreading his arms wide in a welcoming gesture. “Welcome to our home. My brothers and I duly welcome you to the annual DeAngelis Family Ball. It is an honor to host you, and an even greater honor to stand before such an impressive show of blood.”
The room cheers and I watch as Roman’s eyes darken with a sinister excitement, loving the way the crowd eats into his bullshit. “I must thank you all for making the trip out here. We all grieve for Victor DeAngelis. His death, among others, has saddened our hearts, but I believe that he would have wanted tonight to go ahead. So it is in his honor that we celebrate tonight.”
The room erupts again, and I don’t miss the way that Roman’s gaze quickly flickers back toward mine as though proving some kind of imaginary point. He turns back to his doting crowd and holds his hands out, settling them all down as a pained expression forces its way across his face. “However,” he continues. “News of Victor’s untimely passing is not the only devastation I must share with you tonight.”
A hushed silence falls over the crowd, and as if sensing that something big is about to go down, a thick tension spreads over the room, making chills run down my spine. “I am sure by now, you have all noticed my father’s absence tonight, along with his new wife, Ariana. My father is a complicated man, and his wife nothing but a whore who lives off the desire to betray those around her. My brothers and I have suffered at our father’s hands for too many years, and I feel that it is my duty to share with you all that from here on out, the three men you have all feared for so many years have officially inherited our rightful positions at the head of this family. Giovanni DeAngelis no longer rules over you …” he says, watching the horror, shock, and fear washing over the faces of the men, women, and children in the crowd. “We do.”