“Let’s go,” he said, nodding at Nick.
Nick took off, and Hudson and Gio lifted up the heavy wooden swing door at the end of the counter to get out of the cloakroom. “Hey,” Hudson said, halfway across the dance floor, putting a hand on Gio’s arm. “Here. Take this back.” He handed over Gio’s gun.
“You think I’m gonna need it?” Gio asked with a ghost of a smile.
“I think we both might if I’m wrong about this. Do me one favor, though?”
Gio gave him the crooked smile that had become very familiar to Hudson throughout the night. “Anything, Blondie.”
“If things go south, shoot me before Luca D’Amato gets his hands on me?”
Gio huffed a laugh. “Sure thing.”
CHAPTER
TWELVE
It wastrue that Hudson had once disrespected the Morelli Don. But he’d been out of his mind with worry about Connie, and he hadn’t really known who the tall, blue-eyed guywasat the time. But walking into that office boldly, even under the weight of Luca D’Amato’s icy eyes, Hudson figured it was official: hedidhave big brass balls. Gio came in behind him and closed the door.
Finch sat at his desk, Luca behind him with a hand on his shoulder. The four staff members working that night—Brady now with two bloody pieces of toilet paper stuffed in his nostrils—were seated on the sofas along the right wall. Against the other wall stood Nick Fontana.
“Hello, Hudson,” Luca said, breaking the silence.
“Don Morelli,” Hudson said, lifting up his chin. Hell, if he was going to have his ass handed to him, he’d do it with his head held high.
“And Carlucci,” Luca continued. “I must say I was surprised not to find you here with my husband.”
“My apologies, Don Morelli,” Gio began, but Finch gave a loud sigh.
“Come on, Luca, Itoldyou what happened.”
“I don’t like it,” Luca said simply.
“He was following my orders,” Finch said back. “AndIlikethat.” Finch looked to Hudson then. “Well? What’s the story? I told Luca what happened. Now Nick tells us you’ve Columboed your way into a solution.”
Hudson nodded, and the snicker that had started in the room at Finch’s comment died away. “I have. Yes. And—” He swished his mouth from side to side for a moment. This was a big call to make. “And I have proof, too.”
Finch looked something close to relieved.
“Let’s hear it, then,” Luca said. He came around the side of Finch’s desk and half-sat on the corner, arms folded.
Hudson took a breath, ordered his thoughts, and put his arms behind his back. He did that partly to seem cool, calm, and collected, and partly because his hands were shaking.
“First of all, we found the money,” he said, and nodded at Gio, who stepped forward and put the roll of cash on Finch’s desk. “So—there’s that.”
Finch let out a low whistle and actually gave Hudson a wink behind Luca’s back.
“And did you happen to find it because you’d taken it?” Luca asked.
“No.”
“So where was it?”
Hudson hesitated, but figured the truth was the better option. “Well, I found it in Gio’s coat pocket downstairs.” Luca’s gaze shot to Gio. “Only he didn’t put it there,” Hudson rushed on, putting up stop-hands. “It was put there by therealthief.”
“Is that so?” Luca asked.
“Yes,” Hudson said firmly. “And Icanprove it, but it’s kind of complicated, Boss, so—so give me a minute to say it all. Please.”
