“My life?” I said, narrowing my eyes against the glare of the sun. “I had something to live for, sosì, it was worth it. I was living for me—for the life mymammagave me.”
“You misunderstand,” he said. “Is the new arrangement worth your life?”
I hesitated, but then nodded. “Myfamigliawill be safe.”
We said no more as I found a place to park the van. After we stepped out and I opened the door, Corrado took the box I grabbed out of my arms, but neither of us tugged or let go. We stood that way for a minute or two until the men that came with him started to move around us, going for the boxes.
“Where do these go?” the chipmunk asked.
I pointed in the direction of the store with my chin. “There.”
“Inside,” Corrado said to me, nodding ahead of him, wanting me to walk. His eyes searched the crowded street. I wondered if he was looking out for himself or for me.
It did not matter. By October, he would be married, and so would I.
* * *
I was surprisedto see Mariposa—or as we called her, Mari—working behind the counter, holding her baby. Mari was Amadeo’s wife. He was my cousin.
The store was busy, as usual, but when our eyes met, a smile lit up her face.
“Bringing us some gold?” she asked when I got close enough.
I made a “give me” motion with my hands, reaching out for herbambino, Saverio, pulling him close and kissing his little head. He smelled like heaven. “Sì.I also brought these two along.”I nodded toward Nicodemo and Uncle Tito, who were coming up behind me.
Corrado stood off to the side with his men. He was still holding the box, as was the serious-looking Italian, but Chipmunk had already placed his down and was looking at the chocolate. He constantly had food stuffed in his puffy cheeks. If he didn’t, he was looking for it.
“Here is the gold,” I said, giving Saverio fat kisses on his delicious cheeks. “I also brought pistachios for thezie.”
“They’ve been waiting.” Mari pointed her finger behind her, about to speak, but hit a chest instead. My cousin Amadeo stood behind her, eyeing Corrado and his men. If Mari was close, so was my cousin. His cold blue eyes assessed them as he took Saverio from me, sticking the hand with the black wolf tattoo under the baby’s shirt.
This made Mari and me both eye them. Amadeo had been a wanted man in America. I did not know much about why, but I did know his father and brother were bad men. His father treated his mother, Noemi, so poorly that the family felt that was why she had committed suicide.
She had suffered with mental illness most of her life, and the life she had with him eventually took its toll. Then his father tried to kill him. The mark on his hand proved whatfamigliahe had once belonged to. He claimed them no more. But that was all I knew about the situation.
Corrado stared back at Amadeo, and I did not like the look on either face. I noticed one of the men Corrado came with, the serious-looking Italian, touch the guns he kept hidden underneath his shirt. The tension pushed me to take the box out of Corrado’s hands and stand between him and Amadeo.
“Where are thezie?” It took Amadeo a minute to answer me. I had to say his name.
“Back,” he said in Sicilian.
As he said the word, Stella, Eloisa, Candelora, and Veronica came out of the room in the back of the shop, arguing with each other. Theziewere hismamma’ssisters. They caused enough of a fuss to disrupt the tension between the men.
The aunts were followed by a red-haired woman laughing at whatever the aunts were arguing over, and a man with a tiger tattoo on his neck and a little boy in his arms. A little girl stood close to the red-haired woman. I had met her at Mari and Amadeo’s wedding, but I could not remember her name.
“Cash doesn’t do sugar.” The red-haired woman rolled her eyes at the man with the tiger tattoo. Cash was stuck behind the aunts and a few people shopping the store, so he didn’t see that she had done it. He was busy fixing the little boy’s hair anyway.
Mari popped up next to me, and she smiled at Corrado. He gave her a polite nod back. “We’re going to the beach. Keely and Cash and the kids have never been. Do you want to come?”
So Keely was the red-haired woman’s name. “No,” I said, kissing her cheeks. “I need to get back. The harvest.”
“I ordered you extra supplies,”ziaCandelora said, motioning with her hands to follow her into the back. “I figured you would want them.”
I touched Corrado’s hand, wanting to break the dangerous spell between him and Amadeo, hoping he would come with me.
I did not miss the look on Amadeo’s face when I did. Neither hadlo scorpione.
Amadeo nodded at Uncle Tito to follow him out.
