“Work,” Mari said, but her eyes were on Corrado again. “He’s not far, though.”
“Amadeo,” Corrado said, taking a drink. “He the man with you at the store in Modica?”
“Yeah,” Mari said. “My husband.”
“My husband was the other guy.” Keely pointed to her neck. “The one with the tiger tattoo.”
“Yeah,” Corrado said. “I’m familiar.”
Keely grinned. “Seems it’s a small world.”
“Too small,” Corrado muttered into his glass. He pointed to the area in front of our booth where the men stood. “If you’ll excuse me, ladies, I have business to attend to.”
Mari moved out so he could. There was a moment in time when they were standing in front of each other. She looked up at him and he looked down at her. He nodded at her and went to stand with the men.
Mari slipped back into the booth. She nudged me. “Tell me all about married life.”
“He giving you silvers yet?” Keely laughed into her glass. “Hairs, I mean.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but it seemed like people were trying to move out of the way of oncoming traffic.
“Rocco and Romeo are here,” Mari said, peeking through the wall of men.
Romeo stopped to shake Corrado’s hand. Rocco stood on the other side of him. Rocco looked between the men and our eyes connected. I looked at Mari after a second, not because I was too weak to keep contact. Corrado was watching.
I downed almost the entire glass of water before I set it down.
“Have you tried the drinks here?” Mari said.
“No.” I smiled and touched my stomach. “I don’t think the baby would like it.”
It took a second, but Mari grabbed my hand, squeezing. “I’m so happy for you! Saverio will have a new cousin to play with. Do you have a number? We can make plans to get together more often.”
I squeezed her hand. She had no idea how much that would mean to me. I would not have to be stuck with the women in that house all of the time. We exchanged numbers.
“I need a bathroom break,” Keely said, lifting her hair and fanning her neck. “Who wants to come?”
“Yeah, all of these men in fine suits are crimping my style,” Mari said, sliding out of the booth after Keely did, laughing a little. “Come with us, Alcina. We can talk some more.”
I nodded, stepping out of the booth. Corrado slipped a hand around my waist before I could get past him.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” he whispered in my ear.
I put my mouth close to his ear and whispered back, “Bathroom.”
His grip on me didn’t lighten, even when I started to walk away. The heat of his touch still felt like it was burning through the fabric even when his hand wasn’t touching me.
Keely glanced behind her. Corrado was still watching me walk away, another glass of Amaro in his hand. “That was intense. Who’s the guy following us?”
“Nunzio,” I said. “He goes where I go.”
We turned the corner. Three guys dressed in nice clothes were coming too fast. The one in the middle grabbed me by the arms when I ran into his chest. I went to step back, but he held on.
He whistled. “You just getting here or leaving, sweetheart?”
Nunzio stepped closer. He looked at the man’s hands on my arms.
The two men next to the guy holding my arms put their hands inside of their jackets, like they were reaching for something. Nunzio grinned at them and did the same.
