Her forehead scrunched up. “And you think you can get away with that little of an explanation?” she asked. “No. You tell me what is wrong right this instant.”
I tried to shrug her off again. “Leave it be. You can’t fix it.”
That was apparently the wrong thing to say, because her eyes flashed with anger. She glared from me to the door leading back to the dinner.
“Don’t you talk to me like that, Dominico. Your father may have forgotten who I am, but I haven’t. I may not have been born the son my father wanted, but I am far from the helpless girl he thought I was. You would all be wise to remember that and not underestimate me.”
I’d never seen Mamma so pissed before. Somebody must have set her off. Lowering my gaze, I apologized. She patted my cheek and demanded again that I tell her what was wrong.
“Just a girl.”
A smile softened her features, smoothing away some of her previous anger. “It’s always a girl, my boy. I take it Valentina Pelino isn’t the girl who has you sulking outside your brother’s engagement dinner.”
“I’m not sulking and I… It doesn’t matter.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on, and I’ll decide whether or not it matters.”
Against my better judgment, I broke down and told Mamma all about Annetta. I’d planned to make it sound like a meaningless fling, but once I started talking, I couldn’t stop.
Mamma waited for me to finish before frowning. “It’s worse than I thought.”
Stunned, I stared at her. “You knew about her?”
“Of course I do, dear.”
“But—” Shit. If Mamma knew about Annetta, then Father must…
“I know everything that happens in this city, Dom,” Mamma said. “And I let your father in on only what he needs to know.”
Sometimes I felt like I didn’t know Mamma at all.
“I knew you were sneaking off to be with her, but I didn’t realize it had gone this far. What is she to you.”
“She’s…” How could I even answer that? “I love her, Mamma. I know it doesn’t matter, because of the Pelinos, but I do.” Admitting it aloud didn’t change anything, but it did make me feel better.
“Her family has loose connections on the east coast, but they were never involved.”
And how had Mamma found that out? We’d done a thorough check before hiring her at the restaurant and hadn’t found anything.
“Her father owes some money to Don Rocchi… loans he took out for Annetta’s schooling.”
Another fact I knew nothing about.
“Well, what’s she made of? Think she can handle all this?”
Did I? “I don’t know, but she’s strong like you. She hasn’t freaked out about my absences or tried to manipulate me into anything.”
Mamma sighed and pulled me down into a hug, rubbing my back like I was five years old with a scraped knee again. “Let me think about this,” she said. “Don’t do anything crazy.”
I chuckled at the idea, wondering what she thought either of us could do. No matter who Mamma had been and how much information she had, it was suicide to go against my father. Especially with his growing paranoia.
“Yes, Mamma,” I said to appease her.
She kissed my cheeks and sent me back inside to do my old man’s bidding.
***
The next day, Michael and I were trailing one of our delivery vehicles when it got hit. We’d stayed a few cars behind, trying to stay out of sight, and were caught behind a light. When the light changed, Michael sped up to catch the van, weaving in and out of vehicles. Michael was still speeding when I spotted the van parked in a vacant lot, partially blocked a black SUV.
