“Yeah, yeah.” That is absolutely not what he meant, but I can’t help grinning right back at him. “I don’t think so. I’m driving.”
“Whatever you want, Hellcat.”
Isaac’s head whips toward us.
Shit.
I didn’t realize how close they were standing, and Gage certainly didn’t know they were in earshot or he never would have let that nickname slip.
Isaac narrows his gaze on Gage. “What did you just call her?”
Shiiiiit.
Gage blushes slightly and rubs at the back of his neck, at least having the decency to give me an apologetic look. “Umm. Hellcat?”
Stone, Isaac, and even Coen all bark out laughs while Luca fights a grin.
The earth could open up and swallow me into it right now, and I would absolutely be okay with it.
Isaac shakes his head. “You really do have a death wish, don’t you, buddy?”
Gage grins at him, casting me a knowing look. “I guess I might.”
His warm gaze sweeps over me, and he urges me toward the SUV, away from the rest of the family quickly, like he can’t wait to escape the embarrassment and scrutiny that just brought on him.
But before I can even get my door open, Luca steps over, the hint of humor that’s so rare for him completely faded. “Where are you two headed?”
“Lunch.” I force a smile. “Then we’ll be back.”
To return to the hunt.
The last part goes unsaid, because at this point, we’re all exhausted with running around and getting nowhere. But we also aren’t going to give up.
Luca nods. “I’m going to call my contacts in Europe again, see if maybe they might have anything on who he’s gotten into it with this time. Knowing him, it could be any number of people.”
Gage leans against the back door, watching the conversation, one ankle casually crossed over the other. His brow furrows deeply, his lips twisting as he slides his hand into his jacket pocket. “What’s his endgame?”
Luca raises a dark brow. “What do you mean?”
“This Satriano guy. He’s got hotels and casinos built up all along the Gulf Coast now. He must be making millions. Roselli and his crew are gone from New Orleans, leaving a power vacuum Satriano stepped into. So, what does he ultimately want? Everything? Is it as simple as that?”
Releasing a heavy sigh, Luca shakes his head. “It’s never that simple with these types of people.”
He would know.
He is one of them.
“It never is.” I tighten my grip on my keys. “He seems to want what we’ve built. He wants our reputation, our hard work, our connections and power that’s totally separate from his own. That’s why I’ve had this feeling for so long. Why I can’t shake it…”
Luca nods. “Neither can I. It’s only a matter of time before something happens that’s going to set off a chain of events we won’t be able to stop.”
Gabe and Savage finish their conversation with Dad, and Dad starts to walk toward his car, offering me a tight smile that says we are on the same page about feeling agitated after that call with Satriano.
I return the smile…
And the entire world around us explodes.
18
