"You know you are starting to test my patience, Em." The words came out as more of a rough sigh of exasperation than frustration. AN agitated hand ruffled through already disheveled locks. Green eyes bore into her baby blue ones—one of the few traits she had gotten from her mother. The same baby blue eyes that used to be filled with such unwavering affection for Marcus were starting to soften once again the longer their gaze remained locked.

The look that the older Vedova Nera cousin fixed her with a stark contrast to the one that leveled everyone around him. It was almost as though a personality switch had been flipped the moment he looked at Emily.

"I know that I am. I believe that you will find it well worth listening to me at the end of everything." Emily continued to press the other, wanting to move them far enough back to put space between them and everyone else in the room.

"And how can you be certain that taking one more night won't ruin everything? Sam could take the chance to leave and do as he pleased." Marcus's gaze flickered from the petite woman over to his younger cousin. It wasn't an option to have Samuel leave. Everything needed to be finished up before he left the estate again. "Because I'm not planning on going anywhere since Lena and I haven't worked things out. Where else would I go to stay?" Samuel took the opportunity to speak up. Without moving from the chair, he shrugged his shoulders.

"That is why I came here first; I tried to explain. The problem is one that I want to be able to work out before we go ahead with anything else." Marcus opened his mouth to the object but found fingers firmly against his lips. The scent of vanilla and cardamom filled his senses, and he seemed to relax again.

"We can work out going over all of that later, Samuel. Things may not turn out how we want them to, but we will work on it. The important part is that he won't go anywhere before we do the induction." Emily didn't remove her fingers from the other's mouth until she was sure he wouldn't try to protest again. Samuel would have done better to keep his mouth shut now. The kind had no idea what could trigger Marcus. Not like she did.

"I think we will go better off leaving this matter be tonight. We need to take some time to breathe. Eat something, and we can plan when everything is fresh in the morning. Wouldn't you agree that is a much better idea?" Emily's gaze met the others as she looked for any sign that Marcus might decide to change his mind at the last minute. She didn't want to have come so far only for him to return to doing what he wanted.

"We can afford to take one night off this matter if everyone agrees to stay where they are and not go anywhere. We can go back to planning everything in the morning." Marcus conceded on this matter though the look in his eyes didn't seem as thrilled as his voice made him out to be.

"Why don't we then go about figuring out something to eat? I think Jovani might have sent everyone home earlier." Probably for the better that he did that. Marcus couldn't be trusted around people he didn't know that well.

How Emily handled, Marcus reminded Samuel of someone trying to deal with an unruly child—patient, careful, and level. In a way, it also reminded him of Lena's relationship. Suppose the roles had been swapped around. Something about that thought made his chest ache. He needed to be able to find time to speak with Lena. "Why don't you guys come along and join us later?" Emily cast a glance back at Richard instead of Samuel. A knowing look that only the other mafioso seemed to understand.

"Don't worry. We won't go anywhere and can figure out what to do alone." Richard gave a reassuring nod as he took the cigar out of his mouth. The ash at the end broke off and fluttered to the floor, leaving behind a burning ember.

Richard didn't like the situation but chose to remain where he stood instead of moving over to Samuel until Marcus was out of sight. He was done with dealing with scuffles for the night.

Emily somehow managed to do a masterful job of keeping Marcus's attention on her until they had disappeared through the doorway. The complex cousin didn't leave without one final warning to the two staying behind. No matter the circumstances, he didn't want them going anywhere far from his sight. action

"Why don't we go about figuring out where Jovani is now that they are going." The silence spread between them for another five minutes before Richard decided to break it. Richard walked past Samuel to put the cigar on the previously empty ashtray.

"How is it that Jovani and Marcus are cousins?" The questions started as the mafioso ushered Samuel to stand up from his chair. A low tsk was the only sound that met the question as Richard directed the kid to leave out the opposite door Marcus and Emily disappeared through.

"Shared blood but different family. Marcus isn't the only one from his side of the family who is like that." Richard had Samuel go through the narrow door frame ahead of him. It wasn't like Marcus would burst through the door to come back after them. At least not s long as Emily kept his attention.

It seemed some things didn't' change no matter how much time passed. Those two, though? Richard wouldn't have even been able to guess that one. It made Richard have some questions, but right now wasn't the time to ask them. There were a few more essential things that they needed to focus on at the current moment in time.

Such as finding Jovani so that Richard could give the other a good cuff or two more for causing all this unnecessary trouble.

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