"Didn't Angel tell you about the bombs? Why the hell didn't you scan the vehicle?" Father asked.
"Because I fucked up!" Dante snapped. "You think I don't know that?"
"Everyone just calm down," Mamma said, rubbing Dante's back while she cast a warning glance at Father. "What's done is done. Now we've got to move forward."
"We'll get those bastards, Dante," I said.
"Of course we will," Father agreed. "We'll get every fuckin' one of them."
His voice had a deadly edge, sounding like he was already preparing for war. The last time the Vegas families were at war, I was just a baby. That war had killed my grandfather and crippled my uncle, and I wasn't looking forward to the next one. Regardless, I knew my old man was right, and we'd have to strike back. This time the Pelino family needed to be wiped from existence.
An alarm went off on Father's phone. The sound filled me with dread.
I stood. "What is it?"
"Something's haywire with the house alarm." He dialed a number and then put the phone up to his ear. "Tech, why the hell is my house alarm showing as offline?"
Pause.
"What do you mean it's been disabled?"
Pause.
"I got that system becauseyouassured me it couldn't be disabled. How could someone hack into our system?"
Pause.
"Nonna and the twins are there. Have they been contacted?"
I stared at my father straining to hear Tech's response.
"What? What about the guards? How the fuck could you lose all contact with my house?" Scarlet crept up Father's face, and that tell-tale vein throbbed out of his forehead.
Mamma stood on wobbly legs, and I grabbed her, steadying us both.
"Try Markie," Mamma said.
I dialed Markie's number. It rang once, and then went to voice mail.
"You get her?" Father asked, ending his call.
"No sir."
"I'm coming," Dante said, standing.
"You haven't been released yet," Mamma argued.
He glanced at his arm. "Really? This is nothing."
"You're both staying here," Father barked at them.
"Like hell!" Mamma shouted back. "I can shoot twice as well as most of your guards. Dante and I will lag behind and watch your backs."
I could tell Father wanted to argue, but their marriage hadn't lasted this long from him underestimating her. He pulled her against him and kissed her deeply. Dante and I both looked away.
"Be careful," Father said.
"You too," Mamma replied.
