By Sin I Rise: Part Two (Sins of the Fathers 2)

I pulled his head down and inspected the cut. It wasn’t very deep. “You should get stitches.”

“It’ll heal by itself. I don’t go to doctors.”

“I could do it,” Matteo said with a shrug.

Maddox grimaced. “Yeah, right. It’ll be a cold day in hell before I want any of you near my head with a needle.”

I gave him a look. I didn’t want them to start provoking each other again. “All right,” I said. “I think we need to discuss how Maddox and I can work together.”

“Maddox will work with Matteo or trusted soldiers, not with you. I want you to lay low for a while until you’ve really gotten over the kidnapping.”

Marcella’s expression became frosty. Vitiello really couldn’t stop coddling her.

“Dad,” Marcella said impatiently. “I don’t need to get over anything, and even if I did, it would help me if I could make sure the men who worked for Earl are eliminated. Hiding at home won’t make me feel better in any way. And it won’t improve my standing among our men if you treat me like I can’t take care of myself. You have to trust me if you want your men to take me seriously.”

“I trust you and my men will eventually see how clever you are, but it’s crucial that they don’t resent us for working with a White. That’s why we have to introduce our cooperation slowly.” Vitiello looked my way. “And first I need you to tell me everything about the men you talked to in the last few days. They’re in my territory and thus pose a threat.”

“The men my brother’s with aren’t a threat. They were never in favor of the kidnapping and turned Nomad before it went down.”

“Not all of them,” Matteo butted in. “Your brother and that Gunnar guy were part of our welcome party when we attacked your clubhouse and I assume you talked to both.”

I gritted my teeth. “They aren’t a danger. I think it would be good to consider recruiting them to help us. My standing among many bikers isn’t the best right now, thanks to you leaking the information about Earl, but Gunnar and these other guys could talk to other clubs for us and gather new information. And once the dust has settled over the thing with Earl, I can start talking to other clubs and maybe look for new co-operations for you.”

I was being selfish. I wanted the Famiglia to cooperate with MCs, so I could stay in touch with the lifestyle I loved.

“No,” Luca said firmly. “That’s out of the question. I don’t want any co-operations with other motorcycle clubs or with former Tartarus members. I’m not even sure I want you working for us, but I definitely won’t have more people around I don’t trust.”

I bit back an insult. I had half a mind to tell Vitiello to suck his dick. The only reason why I even considered helping him and the Famiglia was Marcella.

Marcella stepped between us as if she feared Luca and I would attack each other. “Maddox is an asset. Without him, you couldn’t have landed the hit on Tartarus. Maddox is right, we should let him bring together the Tartarus men who left before the kidnapping or were against it. We can use insiders if we want to eliminate the rest of our enemies within the biker scene.”

I stifled a smile at Marcella’s stubbornness. She fought for me and herself like a lioness.

“You really think he’s going to be faithful to you once he’s back to his biker lifestyle? That’s why he probably wants to recruit his old biker buddies,” Amo said.

“He’s present and I’m not a wild animal. Marcella is a woman that compels any man to be loyal.”

“Not that it is any of your business how Maddox and I handle our relationship, Amo. I don’t tell you how to treat your one-night-stands either.” She turned to Luca. “And you, Dad, should really consider Maddox’s suggestion. I think it’s a great idea.”

Silence in the room.

“Marcella, as everyone else, you are bound to my judgment, especially when you become part of the business. It’s my word that counts and you’ll have to abide by it.”

Marcella swallowed but gave a sharp nod.

“If I recruit bikers for some of your runs, that would get your soldiers out of the line of fire, right?” I said. “For now, I’ll help you track down possible dangers and while I’m at it, I’ll keep an eye open for possible allies. The Bratva has been cooperating with MCs before and it can help you as well.”

Luca ignored my comment. “Growl told me you didn’t want to take me up on my offer to live in one of my apartments?”

I didn’t miss the heavy note of suspicion in his voice.

“I changed my mind. But I want to pay rent. I don’t want any pittance. I’ll earn the money I spent with honest work.”