We get back to work. Eventually, all the glass is swept up and the blood scrubbed away. Jake and Marco take care of the bodies, burying them far enough out that no one would—or should—ever suspect they died here. We board up the shattered windows with plywood, doing what we can to make the house look whole again.
By the time we finish cleaning and patching everything up, a sedan pulls into the driveway. Kevin and Lucy step out.
FIVE
VANESSA
Juliet and I work side by side in the kitchen, getting dinner ready. She decides on baked chicken, potatoes, and vegetables. According to her, it’s the easiest thing to make when you’re feeding a crowd.
“So, was that your first gunfight?” Juliet asks casually.
“Um… yeah, I guess. I’ve shot guns before and all, but I’ve never been in an active gunfight before.” I stop what I’m doing to face her. “Why did I think most mafia homes are crawling with people, but there seems to be barely anyone here?”
“Gino doesn’t really want a lot of people here. He likes his space.”
“Isn’t that unsafe, considering anyone could just show up?”
“Yes, but there’s a standing agreement between the families not to come to each other’s houses. Normally there are one or two bodyguards nearby—not always on the property, but close enough to get here if something happens. That’s what Drew and Ryan were doing before they got here.”
“Uh huh.”
She studies me for a moment. “How much did you know about all of this before today?”
“Bits and pieces,” I say.
Juliet turns to look at me as I continue.
“My father told me he worked for a mafia family, but I didn’t realize how important he really was. He had Uncle Kevin teach me how to fight and shoot—a few basics, you know.”
I take a deep breath and exhale slowly. “Dad also told me that one day I’d work with him. That’s obviously not happening now. But I became a nurse because I wanted to help people—and maybe help him, if something ever went wrong. From what I’ve seen in movies and read in books, mafia guys tend to get shot a lot.”
“You could say that,” Juliet snickers.
“Yeah. After my mom died, I wanted a job where I could help people,” I admit. “Since I couldn’t help her.”
Juliet hesitates. “How did she die?” She quickly follows up with, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
“Kidney failure, when I was two.”
“That sucks. I’m sorry,” she says softly.
I give her a small smile. “Thanks.”
For the next hour or so, we talk about our favorite things. I tell her about running cross-country and how much I love the lake and the beach. I learn that she loves to read and that Gino has given her full access to the massive library in the house.
By the time we finish, I realize I could be friends with her.
Voices drift in from outside. Uncle Kevin and Aunt Lucy are talking to Gino. Juliet and I walk over to the entryway, both of us start giggling softly at the interaction in front of us.
Aunt Lucy stands squarely in front of Gino, Mateo, Gabe, Jake, and Marco. She’s smaller than me, but next to them she looks downright tiny, yet somehow completely unbothered by the fact that she’s facing down a wall of men.
“Gino, is that you?” Lucy exclaims, her face lighting up. “Well, of course it’s you—you’re not a baby anymore.”
Lucy has a wide smile on her face as she shifts her focus to the next man. “Mateo, you don’t have those chubby cheeks anymore. Look at you, you’re so handsome.” She reaches up, pinches his cheeks anyway, and pulls him into a sweet hug.
Then she looks over at Gabe, Jake, and Marco, smiling knowingly. “And let me guess, you are the Cambio brothers.”
They nod in unison.
