Of Grief And Gratitude: Neretti Mafia Book One by Lyra Blake

Author:Lyra Blake [Blake, Lyra & Blake, Lyra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blake Publishing
Published: 2023-03-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

The world could go fuck itself.

And by the world, I meant my father.

The fucker permanently assigned Dario and Vito to me. He didn’t give a fuck about my safety after the bombing. They were only around to report back on everything I did. So I was determined to give them something to talk about.

I started taking walks at two in the morning. The black SUV would sit at the end of the block, trailing me until I returned home. I made it my goal to try to lose them, darting around corners when they got stuck at stoplights and standing in alleyway shadows as they drove past searching.

It only took two nights of that before they stopped trying to be covert, and one of them would hop out of the car, following ten feet behind me wherever I went. They could probably use the exercise, anyway. All weights and no cardio created muscle for show. Neretti men needed to be able to chase somebody down before pulverizing them. Really, I was doing them a favor. Call me a fucking philanthropist.

I’d switched up my timeframe tonight, leaving my apartment after three. I caught sudden movement when I passed the tinted windows of the SUV, chuckling and hoping I’d thrown somebody off. Sure enough, when I’d made it halfway down the block, I heard the engine's purr and the slam of a door, followed by a mumbled curse.

“I hope you brought your running shoes!” I called back over my shoulder. “I feel like a jog tonight!”

Setting a pace that would leave me breathless, I broke into a run. Whichever man was on foot swore again before I heard the distinct sound of dress shoes pattering on the sidewalk. That was going to leave blisters.

After ten blocks, I slowed and stretched at the corner. Vito was an entire block behind, puffing as he struggled to catch up. I shook my head as he braced an arm against the brick building.

“You should really have appropriate footwear for your job requirements,” I taunted, jogging in place.

“Fuck you,” Vito hissed.

“Didn’t know you swung that way,” I fired back, knowing it would piss him off. “I don’t think Daddy Dearest would approve.”

Any hint of an alternative lifestyle could get one of my father’s men killed. I didn’t breathe a word of Luca’s activities when he went out of town because even being my cousin wouldn’t save him from my father’s homophobic wrath. I wasn’t sure those with old-world ideals would ever catch up with how progressive the world was.

“I don’t get paid enough for this shit,” Vito mumbled, transferring his weight from one foot to the other.

His complaining had crossed the line, and I couldn’t let the disrespect fly. I was on Vito in seconds, slamming him against the building and holding him by the throat.

“Are you unhappy with the family, Vito?” My voice was smooth, cajoling. I squeezed hard enough that he couldn’t speak, feeding the anger that had taken the place of my despair. The violence came naturally, and I smiled as Vito struggled.

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