“What men?” Torq turned to face his daughter curiously.
“Don’t start Dad. I heard all about how you let Lorita do her own thing. I’m twenty–two years old. If I want to date I will.”
“No, you won’t. Not until he’s vetted.”
“Or she,” Antero added to his father’s words and moved to stand beside him.
Aya groaned as they both stood with their arms over their chests, folded, huge biceps bunching
under their suit jackets and then pointed to the bag of organic cacao nibs her mother asked for. “There’s the damn other thing she wanted, let’s go.”
“No, now hold up,” Torq grabbed her hand. “Which men are lining up the street? I’d like to talk
to them.”
“Not in a million fucking years.”
Antero shook his head, “swearing isn’t ladylike.”
“Good thing I don’t consider myself a lady.” Aya shot her father a grin, “don’t worry Dad, I don’t intend to auction my virginity off.” When Torq paled she gave a maniacal laugh, “I heard all about how you bought mom’s first time.”
“Who the hell told you?”
“Mom did.” Aya smirked at him. “She’s not ashamed.”
“Neither am I but there are things my kids don’t need to know.”
“She offered to help me make money if I wanted.”
“Like hell!”
“I already refused. It’s not like I have anything left to sell anyway. I got rid of the monkey on my back on prom night, four years ago.”
She was cackling as they chased her through the grocery store.
“Who?” Torq demanded as she rang their purchases through the self–checkout.
“None of your business.”
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Chapter 196
“Aya!” a man’s voice called from the doorway, “looking good, beautiful.”
“Thanks Tony!” she blew him a kiss.
“We still on for some one–on–one, later?”
The question barely left the man’s lips when Antero lifted the guy off the floor by his throat.
“He means basketball, asshole,” Aya kicked the back of Antero’s knee making him drop awkwardly. “Sorry Tony. My brother was born with a problem in the head. Makes him act like a neanderthal. Has to do with his jacked–up size. All meathead but no actual meat in there.” She flicked Antero’s forehead. “Ant, let him go or I’m telling the girls about the stripper.”
“Nothing happened with the stripper!” Antero looked at her angrily. “She hit on me and I told
her to fuck off.”
“Yeah but imagine the poor strippers face when the girls find out she hit on their man. She’ll die. They might fight like cats and dogs at home but they’re a united front in the street.”
“Who are you kid?” Torq asked Tony.
“Tony Milan, sir.” The kid bowed respectfully, “I work with Tank at your company. Aya and a couple of the other guys all play pick up basketball on our lunches. Aya and I usually play against them and today they trounced us, so we said we’d meet up to practice.”
“If I find out you touched my sister, I’ll kill you.” Antero gritted out.
“Are you kidding? I’d never mess with Barrone’s woman.”
“Barrone?” Torq looked at Aya with curiosity. “Susana’s boys? Which one? Tell me it’s not both. They’re younger than you!”
“Only by a year and pretty sure he has more experience than Antero given I know he was a man–whore from the age of fourteen until last Christmas.”
“What about Christmas?” Antero was glowering furiously and then his eyes lit up. “I knew it! I knew something happened between you and Ramone, but you kept denying it saying he’s like your little brother.”
“I lied. I gave him head in the pantry.” She grinned as her father staggered, and Antero nearly dropped to the floor. She collected her purchases, “see you at half–five on the court Tony.” She gave a wave and kept walking out the door.
Torq stood standing there watching his eldest daughter saunter out like she owned the world
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Chapter 196
and despite the news she’d dropped over them like a bomb, fierce pride raged through his chest. She was a strong confident woman without a filter, and it reminded him so much of her
mother it was awe inspiring.
“Aya Lozano,” he called after her, “does Jesus know you’re messing around with his son? I think he was hoping to arrange him to a family in Vegas.”
“I’ll slit her throat if she thinks she can sink her claws into him,” Aya slid into the vehicle waiting for them and winked at Tito who was grinning back at her.
“Did you know she’s messing with Susana’s boy?” Torq asked Tito and Tito leaned into the car with a raised eyebrow.
Tito shook his head, “nope. It’s none of my business what she does. I saw what she did to the guy last weekend when we took her on the job. I don’t need her slicing my throat with piano wire when I least expect it.” He grinned, “our little Aya is turning into the Piano Man. I love
it.”
“She can take care of herself,” Torq laughed. “Antero keeps thinking she’s like his girlfriends but she’s more like him and I with a good dose of Alcee tucked in.”
“She’ll make an excellent consigliere for Antero.” Tito laughed.
“She already is. She knows him better than he knows himself. She’s very observant.”
“That she is.”
“We should retire,” Torq commented as he moved to sit in the front passenger seat of the vehicle Tito was driving. “Let them take it.”
“No thanks. I’m not ready to retire and be stuck home picking out curtains and sofa fabric.”
“True. A trial run might not hurt though. Maybe I’ll take Alcee to Italy for a month.”
“You still have kids in high school. Are you stupid? They’ll throw a massive party at the house and invite the cops for shits and giggles.”
Torq thought of his other three children and grinned. One in college, two in high school and all of them as strong, independent, and willful as their parents. He listened to his eldest children bickering in the back seat and smiled. They weren’t ready yet, Tito was right, but someday, when it was time for him to leave this world, he knew the Lozano family was in great hands. The Lozano legacy would reign for generations to come.
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