Luciano waited. It was always this way with Willie Boy. A simple question got him a simple answer. One that explained nothing.
Tedious didn’t begin to describe this convo. He glanced into the house. The group had moved into the family room, but Simone stood alone in the kitchen, staring at her phone. Her lips were slashed in a thin line, the divot between her brows still etched deep.
An urgent need to check on her had agitation streaking down his spine.
“I’ve done business with him,” Willie Boy said.
“Doing what?”
While clucking his tongue, Willie Boy stroked his shaven cheeks. These two tells alerted Luciano that his cousin was anxious or about to lie.
“I hired him to do a job. Jesus! Why is everything the fucking inquisition with you? He’s looking for boodle. You got it. It’s a simple exchange of services?—”
“What did we learn as kids?” Luciano asked.
“How to swindle people? I dunno. Whad we learn?”
“Family first, and never trust an outsider.” Luciano sipped the whiskey. “Don’t put me in that position again.”
“I’ll buy the boodle from you,” Willie Boy said.
His cousin didn’t have the finances to do a large deal like that. Moreover, Luciano still had no idea who Dante was.
“Take him to Papà,” Luciano suggested.
Fear clouded Willie Boy’s eyes. “Carlo Garibaldi won’t do business with me.”
Luciano glanced inside. Simone was gone.Dammit. As he made his way toward the door, he spotted her in the family room.
“Dante’s puttin’ the squeeze on me,” Willie Boy blurted. “I kinda owe him.”
“Well, I don’t.” Luciano strode inside as Simone vanished up the stairs.
“Goodnight, Simone,” he said.
When she turned, he couldn’t miss the concern in her eyes. “Goodnight, Luciano.” She continued on.
Every muscle in his body urged him up the stairs, but he didn’t want to hound her.
Fuck it.
He took the stairs two at a time. She was entering the guest bedroom.
“Wait,” he said as he pulled alongside her.
Intensity radiated from her, but it was the worry in her eyes that had him stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s been a long week.”
The longer she held his gaze the stronger the desire to pull her close, but she opened the door, stepped into the room. “I’ll see you Monday.”
She shut the door, leaving him wondering what the hell had happened in the last hour and a half. She wasn’t okay. Of that he was certain.
He would respect her need for privacy, but starting Monday, no more secrets.
14
COMING HOME
