Nixon chuckled and held up his coffee. “Well I would hate to break tradition. You know how Chase likes to pretend he’s helping when really he’s freezing his nuts off.”
“It’s masculine,” Chase piped up. “Nailing shit to the house.”
Mil rolled her eyes.
“So it’s settled.” Nixon set his coffee down, it clattered against the table. “The Family will all be together for Christmas. Breathing, alive, celebrating?” His eyes met Tex’s.
Without as much as a flinch, Tex lifted his coffee into the air and smiled. “Of course, wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I almost groaned and dropped my head to the table allowing it to bang a few times just so I felt the pain.
What. The. Hell. Was Luca thinking? We’d be lucky to survive that long.
Four more days until The Commission and things weren’t looking better. Campisi’s clan would be there, not just Alfonso but all of them, Luca had made sure of it with his ridiculous invitation through Phoenix, which meant only one thing.
Either Alfonso survived or Tex survived.
Either way one of them would have to make an example out of the rest of the families in order to stay in power. The Cappo di Cappo didn’t do small and if Tex truly wanted to see another Christmas, he was going to have to put on the show of a lifetime.
Luca had said to trust them.
I trusted no one but myself.
I had no choice but to drink my coffee and pretend to be ignorant of every side of the situation.
The girls easily fell into conversation with each other—everyone but Mo.
“So?” Bee directed her attention to Mo. “You think you can help me?”
“I’m sorry, what?” Mo licked her lips and shook her head. “Sorry, I’m tired.”
“Shooting.” Bee grinned happily. “Trace and Mil said they’d teach me, can you help?”
“Uh… sure.” Mo set her coffee down. “That would be fun.” When she reached for her coffee again it was at the exact moment Tex reached for another roll.
Their hands collided.
Awkward would be an understatement.
I decided to make it worse. Mainly because I could, and because after looking at the way Mo stared at Tex, I knew. She’d never be for me. I wasn’t him, it was as simple as that.
Didn’t mean I couldn’t at least get in a good jab so he realized what a complete and utter ass he was. “So the girl you’re going to shack up with.” I cleared my throat. “You see her picture yet? Rumor has it Nicolasi girls are really… bendy.”
Mo’s face paled as Tex pushed back his seat and stood. “I couldn’t care less.”
“Well,” I kept poking, “You are going to marry her, I mean the contract’s been drawn up, and you’d be an idiot not to take the protection of the only family still in Sicily… right?”
He closed his eyes briefly before a cruel smile plastered across his face. Phoenix nodded his head to Tex and returned his attention to the paper.
“It only makes sense.” Tex puffed out his chest. “The Cappo di Cappo marrying the Nicolasi clan, just think… we’d be unstoppable. Hell, the Alferos, De Langes, and Abandonatos combined couldn’t out buy us, out weapon us, or stop us. I’m thinking…” He nodded and offered another smirk around the table as he walked into the kitchen. “I’m thinking it sounds good. Damn good, after all what type of leader would I be if I wasn’t fully invested in all that power?”
Nixon clenched his teeth while Chase gripped his coffee cup so hard it almost splintered into his hands.
Phoenix, however, appeared indifferent.
“Good call,” I finally said. “Abandoning the family that raised you in order to join the devil… how… typical of a Campisi.”
Tex froze and then slowly turned his murderous gaze on me. I had the sudden urge to jump out of my seat and run. Like a complete coward. “They say a boss always has to order a first hit, Sergio. Don’t make me an enemy, you don’t want to know the pain I could bring you. The suffering, the absolute entertainment I’d feel at strangling you with my bare hands.”
With that he walked off.
Chase let out a whistle and set down the paper. “Happy Sunday.”
“God’s day.” Nixon added.
“I’ve got some prayer beads if you need them, Sergio.” Chase nodded. “You know, just in case.”
I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my chair.
What was Tex doing?
And why was Phoenix okay with it?
Hell, even if I did end up dead, I’d be okay with the situation as long as it was handled in a way that protected the family. What a completely morbid thought.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
The Mafia by definition should say. “Happy Endings die here.”
Tex
I HAD TO ADMIT, watching Sergio’s shit-eating grin fall from his face as he turned the color of a ghost was probably the highlight of my week, maybe even my month.
With a grunt I punched the bag harder. I needed a way to get out my aggression, and sitting at the table with Mo, pretending not to care when she was staring into her coffee like it held the secrets to the world? Hardest damn thing I’d ever done.
Damn contract. I barreled my fist into the punching bag.
Damn Luca. Two roundhouse kicks. Another punch.
Sweat was pouring down my face.
“Did you get the text?” Phoenix scared the hell out of me as he walked into the weight room and held the bag. I continued punching.