But I didn’t say any of that to her. I kept a tight leash on my anger. If I stood a snowball’s chance in hell of hunting down the truth of what was happening, if I was going to undo this mess, I needed to keep Glenda friendly.
Keep her breathing.
Snorting at my own bloodthirsty urges, I gave her a fake smile. “It’s all good, Glenda. Have a lovely rest of your weekend.”
Her mouth dropped open, but I left through the front door before she could say anything.
Chapter 27 –Vincenzo – The Past
Mandy: What’s the word for the female version of a mobster?
I grinned down at my phone. “What the hell has gotten into that brilliant head of yours this time?”
Cristiano looked up from where he was working the ratchet. The bolts hadn’t loosened when we’d stripped the pieces, but now as he reassembled the parts, there wasn’t much for me to do but stand by and wait.
“What was that?” my brother called.
“Nothing.” I flicked the blowtorch on and off.
We’d used it to loosen a particularly resistant bolt an hour ago, which was always my favorite part. The aspects of mechanics requiring more finesse bored me. I didn’t have my brother’s patience for tinkering with pieces.
The sound of the tool, the tick-hitch-buzz, filled the garage. Death metal crackled from the iPod docking station. My leg bounced with anticipation as I stared again at the screen. I wanted to go to her, but our brief conversation over the tutoring session this afternoon in the prep school’s library revealed that her dad and stepmom were in town.
I turned the knob again. Blue shot into the air, fierce and hot, only to be cut off with a twist of the knob. The vibrant color was tantalizing, making me wonder what it would feel like to run my fingers through it. Just to taste the burn, for a brief, heavenly moment before the pain blistered over my flesh. I bit my lip and resisted the temptation as the dulcet tones of the woman screamed about bringing her back to life.
Cristiano grunted.
I want to see her….
I could sneak in the window.
Flippingmy phone shut, I tucked the rectangular brick cellphone in my pocket. “You about done there?”
“Got it!” Cristiano rolled out from under the hotrod. “Let’s start her up and see how she runs.”
“That was easy,” I muttered.
My brother pointed a greasy finger at me. “Don’t say that!”
I frowned.
Cristiano crossed himself superstitiously as he slid behind the wheel. The engine cranked over. The wheels moved effortlessly.
“Seems like it worked,” I insisted, flicking a glance out into the night. By the time I drove across town, it would be nearly eleven.
“Won’t know till we drive her.” Cristiano wiped his hands on a rag before setting the keys on the workbench and gathering his tools. “But next time, don’t try and jinx it!”
I set the blow torch down. “I’ll take her for a test drive.”
“Oh, no!” Cristiano shot up. “You’re not going alone!”
My lips thinned. “You don’t want to come with me.”
Hands on his hips, he just stood there, the picture of determination.
“Fine,” I snapped. “Let’s go.”
It was probably astronomically stupid to take the car farther than down the block. But there wasn’t another vehicle we could use. Plucking the keys, I slid behind the wheel. My brother grabbed his iPod then joined me in the passenger seat. The tunes picked back up after he plugged the AUX cord into the device.
