Gio

“Begrudgingly,” Gemma added.

“I need some help and she’s not doing anything.” Giuseppe winked. It was true, the only thing Gemma had been doing since graduating college six months earlier was sleeping or clubbing. She had no in-between.

Gian’s shocked filled face looks at me.

“Okay then,” I mutter just as surprised.

“I’m just going to be his secretary’s secretary. Don’t get too excited.” she mumbles, using her fork to stab at the pasta on her plate.

“Consider me unenthusiastic.” Gian smiled.

My cellphone begins to ring, which draws everyone’s eyes to me. The DelGado’s only had one rule for family dinners, no phones.

The caller ID reads Annie.

“I just need to take this.”

“No business at the table.” Giuseppe scolds.

“Just a sec, dad.” I excuse myself from dinner. “Hey sweetheart,” I answer coolly, entering my father’s study and shutting the door to block out my family’s conversation.

“Gio,” the voice on the other side was Annie’s but not the cool collected one I have come to know. She sounds scared and like she’s crying.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Um, I-” she stutters over the words.

“Just tell me, Annie. What’s going on?”

“It’s Johnny.”

Her fucking brother. “Yeah? What happened?”

“Rob just called me. They’re at the casino in Boston and Johnny’s losing. I’m scared they’re going to hurt him. I didn’t know who to call, I didn’t know what else to do.” she hiccups a quiet sob.

My vision blurs with red. I take a deep inhale before I respond to her. “It’s okay, I’m gonna come over to your place now, okay? We’ll go get him.”

“Please, I don’t want you to hurt him.”

I sigh. Part of my frustration is her lack of trust with me. I guess I can’t blame her, but I also don’t understand why she’s still defending that piece-of-shit brother of hers. After all he put her through, why is she so damn protective of him?

“I won’t,” I tell her, hoping I’m not lying.

I hang up the phone and send a quick text to Frank to grab one of the guys and head to the casino.

“I need to head out, I’m sorry.” I give my family a brief apologetic look. Gemma is amused, but my father on the other hand looks annoyed.

“ For what?” He questions.

“Business.”

“Everything okay?” Gian asked.

“Yep.” I grabbed the black bomber jacket I had hung over the dining room chair. “Just need to handle something real quick. I’m sorry pops, I’ll stop by this weekend, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.” he grumbled.

I quickly exit. I need to get a certain blonde that’s currently scared and crying in her apartment, my family can wait.