Page 68 of Unlock My Heart

“But—”

“What’s this I hear about a fed shaking you down?”

“Michele’s busy pointing a finger, so five don’t point back at him,” Fabien spits. “It wasn’t a shakedown; it was a cost of doing business⁠—”

“A man comes into my city and attempts to extort me? He’s leaving in a pine box,” Vitto says coolly.

“We can’t just go around killing feds,” Fabien argues.

“And this is why I question if you’ll ever be ready to lead this family.” Disapproval wafts down the hallway.

“I’m trying to play it smart; sometimes, money talks more than murder,” Fabien argues.

Vitto snorts. “Fabien, my boy, work with what the good Lord gave you. And it ain’t smarts.”

Anger bubbles in my chest. Fabien is incredibly smart.

“Yes, Papà.” My boyfriend sounds so dejected, it makes my heart ache. “So do you want me to handle Ringer?”

“Too late now,” Vitto says dismissively. “But his monthly payoff and expenses will be coming out of your pocket. It’s not the capos’ fault you’re weak as water.”

“What are you doing?” Al appears beside me, and I startle.

Shhh. With my finger over my mouth, I lead her back to the dining room. “I was looking for the bathroom,” I say, refusing to cry out of sheer willpower.

“If you’re going to eavesdrop, put your ear against the door,” Al suggests. “Don’t push on it; that’s how I saw the you-know-what.”

“Sienna, let’s go.” Fabien appears, his face unreadable.

“Nooo. What about dinner?” Al grumbles.

“Next time, little sis.” Fabien ruffles her hair before taking my hand in his and silently leading me out.

Only when we’re in the safety of his car do I speak. “Fabien, I overheard⁠—”

His glacial eyes pierce mine. “And you shouldn’t have.”

“Well, I did,” I say hotly. “Your parents think I’m a whore, and they’re not exactly on board with a wedding. What does goomah mean?”

“Something you’ll never be,” Fabien promises adamantly. “My old man doesn’t have much time left, and once I’m boss, you and I are going to get married. That I swear to you.”

My poor, inexperienced heart desperately clings to his words as he seals the vow with a kiss, but a deep foreboding plays in the back of the mind, like a haunting second line to heaven.

Chapter Twenty-One

Sienna

The Present

“Interesting wedding look.” Saint releases a sardonic breath as he takes in my attire.

“Thank you.” I smile brightly beneath the funeral veil, my hands straightening the black fabric of my dress. “Where are you parked?”

“This way.”

Saint leads me to a town car, and my heart stalls when I see my soon-to-be-husband.

As if on cue, Fabien steps out of the vehicle. He’s dressed in a gray sweatsuit, holding the door open for me. “Wedding or funeral?”