Carlotta spots our targets and squeals with delight. “Jimmy! Luke! My two favorite exes!”
“You would have favorite exes.”
“Cheer up, Lot.” She snickers. “Give it enough time, and Foxy and Sexy just might dump you. Then we’ll both have a couple of hot exes after that.”
“In your dreams,” I say. “Those men aren’t going anywhere.” I hope.
Within seconds, Meg appears next to us with the efficiency of a sister who’s perfected the art of navigating crowded spaces in heels. She’s clad in black—her own unofficial uniform—and her expression suggests she’s trying very hard not to laugh at our chocolate-covered appearance.
“Lottie?” she says, blinking at my now very black eye. “What happened to you? And why do you look like you’ve been dipped in a chocolate shake?”
“Long story short, it involves chandeliers and social climbing,” I reply. “More importantly, why are my husbands here having dinner with mobsters?”
Husbands? I didn’t mean that. Mostly. But I’m tired, injured, and one second away from licking the chocolate right off of my skin.
Meg barks out a laugh. “Yourhusbandshave been here for over an hour talking business with Jimmy and Luke,” she says. “And they both look like they’d rather be getting root canals without anesthesia.”
Carlotta ticks her head to the side. “Good thing they’re surrounded by boobs. Lot here knows how much that calms them down.”
“Do I ever,” I mutter.
We stride over to their table, and I’ve got a look on my face that suggests I’m about to demand explanations for a lot of questionable life choices. Noah spots me first, and his face goes through a series of expressions that would make a mime jealous—surprise, horror, guilt, and what might be relief.
“Lemon,” Everett says, as both he and Noah stand up so fast they nearly knock over their chairs. “What happened to your eye? And why are you covered in chocolate?”
“I’m with Carlotta,” I say. “That should say it all. More importantly, what are you two doing here?”
“We needed to talk to Luke and tracked him down here,” Noah explains, gesturing toward the mobster in question.
Jimmy actually owns the place, but Luke is a frequent flyer.
Luke Lazzari looks exactly like what central casting would order for an intimidating but well-dressed criminal—expensive suit, perfectly groomed hair, and an almost supernatural awareness of his surroundings, which doesn’t bode so well for his enemies. He’s bald, has gray eyes, and a pointed chin that could serve as a weapon and most likely has. But he’s also someone who’s helped my family out of more than one dangerous situation, which makes him more friend than foe in my book.
Jimmy Canelli, on the other hand, looks like he stepped out of a movie about charming criminals who steal hearts along with everything else. He’s got salt-and-pepper hair, laugh lines around his large, deep-set eyes, and the kind of smile that probably convinced dozensof women to make very poor dating decisions. He’s also been surprisingly helpful during past investigations, even if his methods are somewhat unconventional.
“You all look comfortable,” I say, gesturing to their shared nachos and casual demeanor.
“We were just discussing business,” Noah explains while squinting in the dim light to get a better look at my eye. With the pulsating music and the swirling lights, it might look better than it feels.
“Lottie!” Jimmy calls out, standing to embrace me despite my chocolate-covered state. “Always a pleasure, even when you look like you’ve been wrestling with a dessert cart.”
“And losing,” Luke adds with a grin, also standing to greet me. “That’s quite the shiner you’ve got there. Occupational hazard of solving murders?”
“Something like that,” I reply, because these two know exactly what my life entails when it comes to finding dead bodies and asking inconvenient questions.
My sister reappears with a bag of ice, and both Noah and Everett help me into a chair as I settle the frozen goodness over half my face.
Carlotta belts out a laugh as she pulls both Jimmy and Luke into a quick hug. “Jimmy Canelli! You gorgeous devil! And Luke Lazzari! Still looking like trouble in an expensive suit!”
“Carlotta.” Jimmy laughs. “You look absolutely stunning. Chocolate becomes you.”
“She was always the most beautiful woman in Vermont,” Luke adds, not to be outdone in the charm department. “Still is.”
“Boys, boys,” Carlotta purrs, clearly enjoying every second of having two dangerous men competing for her attention. “There’s no need to pull out your weapons and duel to the death. I’ve got enough love for both of you.”
“She’s dating Mayor Nash,” I’m quick to rat her out. “So what’s going on here?”
“Actually,” Noah interjects, “we were just discussing the Whitmore case.”
