Gio

My heart is racing. “What about Johnny?” I ask frantically.

“Frank will get him.” Gio presses his arm to the small of my back and continues leading me out.

“Can I-”

“No.” he doesn’t even let me finish, just rushes me out of the casino.

I stay silent as he ushers me into the Porsche and pulls us out of the casino and onto the road. Inside, I’m boiling.

I know how this arrangement works between us, but is it really necessary for him to treat me like a worthless child? My hands tremble and my voice shakes when I finally talk again. “So I can’t talk to my brother?” I accuse.

He turns his head to give me a pained look. “I never said that.”

“Then why did you rush me out of there?”

Before he can answer me, his phone starts ringing through the car speakers.

“Frank.” He greets, answering via Bluetooth so I can hear the conversation.

“Skip,” he returns. “We have Johnny, we’re heading back now.”

“Good, put it on speaker. Annie wants to talk to him.”

“Oh,” I mumbled, surprised. Was this his plan all along and I’m sitting here bitching at him? I feel like the stupid child he’s made me out to be. “I didn’t realize he was calling.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot you don’t realize, hmm?” he gives me a pointed look.

I ignore him and focus on the fact that my brother is on the other end of the line. “Johnny?”

“I’m fine, Annie.” his voice is exasperated, dripping with accusations I’m not ready to listen to.

I exhale a long breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Are you okay?”

“Why would you call him, Annie? I was fine.” Days ago Johnny was overly excited to have Gio in our life, now he’s acting like calling him was the worst form of betrayal. What was I supposed to do?

My chest burns. “You’re mad?”

“I didn’t fucking need your help!” he rages.

I feel sick in my stomach. I vividly remember my father screaming the same thing at me after I drug him from a bar for the one-hundredth time. He had a habit of throwing punches with his words. For the first time since we’ve left the casino, I’m happy he’s in another car.

I take a deep breath and try to suck in my tears. I don’t want to cry in front of Gio.

“Don’t speak to her like that.” Gio’s tone is

calm when he talks to Johnny, but I can see his hands tighten around the steering wheel.

‘Fuck you.” Johnny shouts through the speaker.

This time the tears do break through and I hiccup a sob.

“Where do you want me to take him, skip?” Frank’s voice comes through the speakers now.

“Home.” Gio responds. “I want a soldier outside his apartment and I want to know if his moves an inch, got it?”

Frank makes an affirmative noise and ends the call.

I feel broken as we drive in silence. Johnny is all I have, and he’s pissed at me. For helping him of all things. I wrap my arms tighter around myself.