I was getting too far ahead of myself, though, and being sidetracked by the Faustis again. I had to be in the moment and think like a professional.
There was a dead body on the floor, and it was missing its heart.
It felt cold to think of Tigran that way, as a body, but it was even colder to keep thinking of him as he was before. Because I was a firm believer that as soon as a heart stops beating, all that’s left behind is the shell we inhabit. Tigran was long gone.
Here, on earth, I had to think fast. It had been a while since our morning tryst, and someone from his criminal family was going to come looking for him. I wasn’t in the best position, my hands and feet covered in the boss’s blood.
Especially after I took the photo, and it looked like he just had a gaping hole in his chest with no obvious reason for it.
Yeah, I was going to take the picture. It was obvious to anyone who knew the Faust family they had done this. Not many criminal families stole the hearts of their enemies. But I still didn’t want to be the one to explain that to a man who came looking for his boss. Because I knew for a fact Tigran was loved and respected among his men. They might think I’d set him up.
My phone chirped.
I stuck the picture in the hidden pocket of my blazer and washed my hands. The steady, slow drip of water from the bathtub was grating on my frazzled nerves as I went in search of my phone. It was right where I’d left it. I had three missed calls and a bunch of unread text messages. I couldn’t worry about any of those, though. I found a number I’d favorited and called it.
He answered on the second ring. “Ava.”
“Joe.”
Joseph Fabretti was a young detective with the NYPD. I’d met him when he was only a beat cop, and I had established a relationship with him. I respected what he did, andsometimeshe respected what I did. I went to bed with him a few times, but when he started wanting more, I knew it was time to cut off whatever we had completely.
There was also the line between us. His side was the law. Mine was getting in good with the guys who broke it and reporting on it. Which meant…sometimes I did some shady shit to get the info. I was also hell-bent on reaching a family who were known to step right out of the bars they were locked in—someone like me slipping them the key, hoping to get even closer to their wildness.
Joe once told me, though, that if something ever happened to me, I didn’t have to worry about anyone forgetting about me. He’d bring me roses every week. I knew then he’d be a favorite in my contacts, even if our relationship could never leave the bedroom.
I gave him the address. “I’m already here. With a dead body.” I hung up.
Fifteen minutes later, he arrived with a crew. They started doing what they do to secure the scene.
Joe set his hands on his hips and stared at the body. “I’m sure you have a story to tell me about this, Girardi.”
I stared at the profile of his face. He was tall, dark, and blessed with warm, Italian good looks, along with so much charm, it should be illegal. Even though he was in his mid-thirties, the job was already starting to get to him, streaking the sides of his hair with a few strands of silver. It worked for him, though. It made him seem wise and mature. So did the shiny new gold wedding band on his left hand.
It was the oddest thing. As soon as any man I was with accepted my forever-wild status, he seemed to marry right after. Joe told me it was because I pulled out the lonely in them. Whatever the fuck that meant.
I blew a piece of wayward hair out of my face. “Sonny was assaulted and ended up in the ICU.” Sonny was my sperm donor, or as my sister Lucila called him, our father. “A few guys broke into his house and almost killed him. You can make a call and confirm he’s there. It’s also where I ran into Tigran. My sister, Lucila, is married to Brio Valentino—he’s Tigran’s nephew. But you know all of this.” I waved a hand. “Tigran came to check on things at the hospital. Not long after, Lucila and Brio left New York for unexpected reasons.”
I gave him a look he knew meantthat’s all you’re getting out of me.Brio was ordered out of New York by the head of one of the Italian families, and he couldn’t return for a certain length of time. He took Lucila and my younger sister Minnie, and they split. Probably headed to Italy or wherever he had a place ready. Lilo liked to prepare and had safety nets. Lucila promised to call me once they were settled.
I continued after Joe nodded. “Tigran offered me a ride home, and one thing led to another. We slept together. I left not long after. As I was grabbing a cup of coffee and a bagel, I realized I’d left my phone at his place. Came back and found him like this.”
Joe planted his hands on his hips, closed his eyes for a second, and took a deep breath. He opened them. “You slept with Tigran Macaluso?”
“Yes.”
“The head of the Armenian mafia?”
“Yes.”
“And your sister’s uncle?”
“Joe, we both know who he is. Going at him from different angles is not going to change that.”
“There’s no changingyou.” He took another deep breath. “And you have some damn good luck, Girardi. My gut is telling me you were only minutes from being here when he was killed, if your story checks out.”
I doubted the Faustis would have touched me, but yeah, he was right. The proof was stashed away in my hidden pocket. I nodded, dug in my pant pocket, and handed him my receipt from the coffee and bagel place. It was a habit to keep them. I’d found myself in a few situations like this and learned my lesson early on.
With the receipt in his hand, he nodded to the door. “Go clean yourself up. Eat something. Take a nap. I’ll be in touch.”
