“Irish guards can take me home.”
That was the wrong thing to say after my conversation with Conor. “You’re Sicilian now, Jennifer. I’ll sendSicilianguards to collect you.”
An impish smile curved her lips. “Nice to see you there, Stan.”
“What?” I snapped, aware that my shoulders had bunched.
Eyes wide, she leaned into me. “She’s real, huh?”
I had no idea what it said about me that the only person I’d told about the angel/Kitty situation was my sister-in-law. I didn’t think it was solely down to her being a connection to Conor O’Donnelly that I could exploit, either.
Somewhere over the years of her marriage to my asshole brother and after popping out the little queens that were my nieces, she’d become someone I could call a friend.
Because I owed it to her, I nodded.
Jen fist-pumped the air. “Did Conor get you a name?”
“He did. Her first name. But he won’t tell me much else.”
“Why not?”
“Because she’s Five Points.”By association.He’d called her a daughter and a sister, not a wife. And she was a nurse. Not waiting for a mobster husband. That mattered.
“Of course she is!” Jen hooted. “God, your luck, Stan.”
Another voice slipped into the mix, asking, “Who’s Five Points?”
I did a visual sweep over the large expanse of Manhattan real estate and found two women listening in to our conversation—Star Sullivan and Savannah O’Donnelly.
Sweet fuck, my reflexes were on the fritz. I hadn’t thought to check the perimeter for anyone else and I’dknownthere were other people in the fucking apartment.
Cristu.
I was out of practice. Years out of it. My reaction time had dulled to the point of being shameful. That I hadn’t been grievously injured in my work as Capo provedPatriand Accursio truly were watching over me.
But these women, while my sister-in-law’s friends, were Irish royalty and I was the Sicilian Capo on their turf, so that meant politics.
“Ladies.”
My greeting had Jen hooting for a second time. “You don’t have to be polite to these bitches.”
“Charming!” Star stirred her coffee but looked like she could use her spoon to slit my throat if she wanted.
On the other hand, Savannah only sliced into a piece of cake with her fork before waggling it at us. “I’ll graciously take it. Even if he does look a little worse for wear.”
“I love my brother-in-law, Savannah,” Jen complained. “If Aidan finds out you’re drooling over him, he’ll throw acid in his face, so don’t be too nice!”
“I’d like to see O’Donnelly try,” I grated out.
Delight cascaded in Jen’s eyes, her glee as effervescent as a freshly popped bottle of Dom Perignon. “Stan?”
“What?”
She blinked. “Nothing.”
“No. Not nothing. What, Jen?”
“I-It doesn’t matter.”
