Page 88 of Damiano De Luca (The Five Syndicates)
I leaned back into my seat, and he backed away from me. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Instinct.” He paused. “And even if it wasn’t instinct, I would have done it anyway.”
I couldn’t be mad at that. “Thank you.”
And despite everything, despite the years of deception from all sides, I realized that he always made me feel safe.
There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.
Arthur Conan Doyle
One Week Later
Damian: Still no answer?
Renata: Ask me again tomorrow.
Damian: It’s tomorrow.
Renata: Observant.
Damian: Cute.
Renata: Tomorrow.
Damian: I’m starting to think you just want me to text you every day.
Renata: …
Damian: Let me guess… Tomorrow?
Renata: …
I nodded a greeting at Bastian, who sat on the customer side of the empty bar. At midday, the bar was closed as it prepped for dinner service.
Ariana glanced from me to Bastian. “I’ll give you guys some space.”
“Actually, I came to see you.”
Bastian looked between us. “Fucking finally.”
Ariana shooed him away, then returned her attention to me. “I was wondering how long it would take for you to show up.”
“Hey, you could have come to me.”
She rubbed a rag across the counter in large circles. “We’re still short staffed.” A smug smirk crossed her lips. “My former bosses may have filtered out all the qualified job applicants, so I’d get the job.”
It still blew my mind that I, one, had a sister; two, she was a fed; and three, Bastian Romano fell in love with a goddamned fed.
“And those former bosses are just okay with you working here?”
“I don’t work for them anymore. There’s not much they can do.” She didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t ask. “You’re not like your dad, are you?”
“Fuck no.” I paused. “Technically, he’s your dad, too.”
“Is he that bad?”
“Worse.”
