It’s been thirteen years since I accepted the cash from Angel’s great uncle, Carlo Mariani, sealing my position as Angel’s best friend and bodyguard. In that thirteen years, I’d seen Carlo deal with a lot of shit, but I’d never seen him look as unsettled as he did today. Suit rumpled, he waved me into his office and paused in front of his desk long enough to extinguish his cigarette before lighting up another one. He took a long drag and turned his attention to me.
“Sit.”
Parking my ass in the nearest chair, I watched him as he resumed his pacing.
“We got a problem, Bones. One of the Durantes has popped his head out of whatever hole he’s been hiding in.”
The Durantes had run the underworld of Las Vegas before Angel’s dad, Dominico Mariani, took them down about twenty-five years ago. The Marianis didn’t just take the Durantes down, they wiped them out. Every male—regardless of age—was supposed to be dead. That was how families made sure the younger generations didn’t come seeking revenge.
“Someone lived?”
Carlo snorted, spearing me with a look. “Turns out the inside man I trusted to do the job didn’t get it done. Joey Durante lived. He’s Maurizio’s youngest, and was only a few years old when Dom took over Vegas. This Joey son-of-a-bitch is back in town now, talking about how he’s come to reclaim his throne.”
One guy, talking shit out of the side of his mouth. He didn’t even have a family to back him. Wondering why this had Carlo so keyed up, I said, “I’ll set him straight.”
Carlo stopped pacing and stared at me, taking another drag from his cigarette. “This asshole could destroy everything we’ve built, Bones. I don’t want him talking to anyone, you hear me?”
I nodded. “Yessir.”
“Whack him and anyone he’s with, regardless of sex, age, whatever. I want this loose end tied off.”
I couldn’t help but wonder why one man had my boss so unhinged, but the whys were far above my pay grade. Besides, I couldn’t help but feel relieved that Carlo wasn’t calling me to the carpet over a weasel named Matt Deter who used to be one of my distributors. Matt had stiffed me and disappeared on Halloween. I’d been after the little piss ant ever since, but he always seemed to be one step ahead of me. I’d paid out the money Matt owed to Carlo, but I couldn’t let that shit slide. It was bad for business. I had every intention of catching Matt and snapping his scrawny little neck… for several reasons. First, I planned to do whatever was necessary to get him to squeal about who was flooding the streets with dirty dope.
But, apparently revenge on Matt would have to be tabled for now.
Nodding, I said, “You got it, boss. What do we have on Joey Durante?”
CHAPTER TWO
Ariana
THE ROOM WAS spinning. It could have been from lack of sleep or lack of food, but my money was on the empty bottle of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill still attached to my hand.
Most likely, it was from a combination of all three. Or, maybe it was the three hard lemonades I drank before stooping to the cheap wine.
Releasing my death grip on the neck of the bottle, I tried to sit up. Bad idea. The spinning intensified.
Fuck it.
Lying back down on the pristine bamboo floors, I stared at the high ceilings that led to huge windows offering a breathtaking view of the strip. I’d appreciated that view for the approximately two minutes I’d been vertical upon entering my new apartment. Yep, this place with its granite countertops, caveman shower, and enormous walk-in closets was my new home. At least that’s what my sister’s boyfriend, Angel, said when he handed me the keys.
“We put you up in the condo next door, so you’ll be close. Everything’s taken care of.”
‘Put me up’ like I was some sort of invalid who couldn’t take care of myself. I’d helped Bones and a few of Angel’s relatives move my measly belongings into this place, but between the bed on the floor (because I didn’t own a frame) and the rest of the mismatched, second-hand furniture, and the fact I hadn’t paid out a penny, I felt like an outsider invading someone else’s space.
Home sweet home.
It’s not that I wasn’t grateful, because I was. Currently jobless with twenty-four dollars and thirty-three cents in my bank account, and my ex-boyfriend bailing on his half of the rent, I was on the fast-track for eviction when Angel and Bones rescued me. Now, I had a beautiful apartment. I couldn’t be happier.
Or more pathetic.
I grabbed the bottle of Boone’s Farm and put it to my lips, tipping it up to get the very last drop. My twenty-first birthday had sneaked by while I’d been in the hospital with my sister, and now I was celebrating, alone, with the first bottle I’d legally purchased for myself.
See? Fucking pathetic. The only thing more pathetic was this stupid little pity party I couldn’t seem to drag myself out of. My life wasn’t all bad. Markie was out of the hospital and recovering next door. No doubt she’d eventually realize she’d missed my twenty-first birthday and feel like shit. I was just petty enough that her inevitable guilt made me feel better, especially now that I knew she was going to live.
Markie had almost died.
I still couldn’t wrap my mind around that. She was my big sister, the strong one, the daring one, the humanitarian. For all her good deeds and amazing strength, it had taken Angel’s money, power, and influence to save her. There was a message in that, but my mind was too lit up to focus on it.
