“What do you think Carmine will share if you’re there? If he knows or can find out who put the hit on me, would he even tell you?”
“Only because we’re in a relationship.”
“Are we going to define that relationship?”
“You’re my girlfriend—for now.”
The way he says it doesn’t sound like he thinks we’ll break up. Just the opposite. It’s a precursor to fiancée, then wife, and that’s an irrefutable fact.
I like it.
I like it a lot.
“I should call Sera to make sure she’s home and not at one of her bakeries. Do I give her a heads up that I’m coming with my boyfriend? She’ll demand to know who it is before she lets him in her house. Do I admit it’s you?”
“Tell her you want to bring someone with you, but you can’t tell her over the phone on an unsecure line. She’ll understand that. She’s smart enough to guess it’ll be Joaquin or me.”
“How?”
“We’re the only two left standing. If it were someone outside the Four Families, you’d at least hint at it. All the rest of the men in the families are already married.”
“She’ll tell Carmine the moment we hang up.”
“I know.”
I stare at my phone and almost want to toss it away from me like a scalding stone. Instead, I take a breath and pull my big girl panties on. I unlock the screen and pull up Serafina’s contact. It rings twice on speakerphone before she answers.
“Toria?”
“Hi, Sera.”
“Is everything okay?”
“I’m in town. I hoped to see you.”
“You didn’t answer my question. What do you need?”
It could sound accusatory, like she expects I’ll demand her help or money or something. But she’s offering protection or a way to escape.
“To see you. Some stuff’s come up that I think you and Carmine should know about.”
“Car!”
Good thing the phone isn’t by my ear even though I know she held hers away from her. She’s always had a voice that carries.
“Fina, what’s wrong?”
I hear running footsteps approaching, and I can only imagine the panic the man’s in. He’s completely besotted with Sera even after a few years. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her.
“Do you remember my friend Vittoria? She’s in town, and she’d like to come over. She said she has something to talk to us about.”
“Hello, Vittoria.”
“Hi, Carmine.”
“Are you safe?”
That’s not the first question normal people ask each other, but it’s pretty fucking standard in syndicate life. I don’t know if Sera’s told him what I do now, but he knows my family because he knows Sera’s.
