Indiana had come as a package deal with my brother’s wife Josette, the Golden-Great Pyrenees mix one special pooch.
“Not yet. I was thinking this weekend.”
“I guess now everyone will be getting a dog.”
I laughed. “Why not? They are part of the family.”
“Wait until you have a kid.”
“Cart before the horse, brother. I’m not married yet.”
Alexander grinned. “Not yet.”
Carmine’s housekeeper opened the door, immediately recognizing us. She dropped her gaze to Zorro, who was swishing his tail back and forth.
“We’re here to see Carmine.”
“Si, SeñorPrince. I’ll let him know you’re both here.”
We didn’t need to rehearse what we had to say. We’d done this shit before a number of times. In our earlier meeting, we’d laid out instructions for our men regarding the warehouses, what to look for with drugs and to keep an eye on both the Russo family and the Russians. I was beginning to think we’d never be in long term peace.
After the housekeeper’s footsteps faded, the quiet was almost depressing. No music. No sound of any life whatsoever. Maybe that’s why I opened my damn mouth.
“I talked with Anastasia.”
“Yeah?” he asked while still scanning the man’s impressive marble entrance foyer.
“Yep, I told her about Rose.”
That caught my brother off guard. He turned to face me, narrowing his eyes. “You’re kidding me.”
“Nope. I’m not.” I happened to notice there’d been some serious renovations on the house since the first and only time we’d been invited into the man’s home. That had been after his father’s death a couple of years before.
“A pet and now a person. Who are you? Wasn’t it a day ago you were certain this woman was working with Russo?”
“Yeah. So what?”
“So what’s changed?”
“I think she’s being used. In fact, I believe there are plans for her to marry one of the other Italian families.” I stroked Zorro’s back, enjoying my brother’s reaction. He was genuinely surprised at the changes in me.
He narrowed his eyes as if I was telling him about some romance book I’d just read. “That sounds plausible except she refuses to share with you which family she’s from. If you’re even correct about your assumptions.”
“I’m correct. I trust my instincts.”
He shook his head, studying me more intently than he’d done in a long time. No, since the first night he’d bailed me out of jail after almost killing the kid. “You’re in love with her.”
“I can’t say what we share is love. Call it passion on steroids.”
His smile was followed by a laugh. “Similar to the way I felt with Catherine. I’m glad to see you in the land of the living, but I’ll give you the same piece of advice you gave me. Tread carefully. Playing politics with emotions isn’t necessarily the best thing to do.”
“Maybe not, but I feel alive again.” We both heard footsteps, which was why he lowered his voice.
“What are you thinking of doing?”
“Getting married.”
Before he had time to rebut what I’d suggested, Carmine appeared. To say the man was nervous was an understatement.
