I’m the underboss, second only to my father, but that does not make me safe. My father has made it clear to me many times that if I ever become a threat to his control over his men, I will be removed, and I know better than to think he would bluff. He wouldn’t. I stepped outside the circle of his control to propose to Eve. When she refused me, I met with her father to ensure he knew about the deal and would pressure her to end our feud. I had every opportunity to walk back my mistake and pretend it had never happened, but I doubled down, and now I, and I alone, will pay the consequences if anything goes wrong.
My father nods once to let me know we understand one another, and then he places both his feet flat on the floor, rests his elbows on his knees, and looks up at me, a mischievous sm
