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She sits up and eyes me. “Good And who is ‘We’? Last I checked it’s all in my name. And you’re dead.”

I salute her. “Yes, my Queen. But you should know if we don’t take Enzo out and turn the ports over to the FBI to crack down there’s a war about to begin.”

“Do I have to go to ground? I don’t think I could do it. I’d go stir crazy.”

“Good thing you’re not there, and Enzo’s running shit through a couple of idiots. The Greeks. The Chinese. The Yakuza. The Bravata are all going to be ruthless to get control of the thing Cady wants. Not to mention dealing with the cartels and the LA gangs. They’ll all want a taste. It’s why it’s the last piece I maintained control of. I didn’t want the war, and the status quo was working for everyone. And with me dead and no one to change shit, it was supposed to stay as is. But that short fucker stirred it all up. He needs the ports to run dope through his high-speed fucking rail system.”

“Cross continental cartels?” I nod and she yawns. “I know I asked, but this is a lot.”

She yawns and I rest my head on hers. I snuggle closer, shut my eyes drifting off to thoughts of what life would be like without those fucking tunnels.

Chapter

Thirty-Six

Poppy

I lean over as we’re landing and rub my neck. “I miss the private plane. Is that wrong? Am I a money snob now?”

He takes my hand and leans to my ear. He’s so bulked up that he spilling out of his coach seat. I basically slept on his lap. Which I didn’t mind. But I do miss certain amenities when I’m this close to him.

“Nah, that shit is awesome. Everyone misses a private plane. But most of these poor saps have no idea.”

“Idiots.” The pilot comes on, and Sal hums a bit. I don’t know the name of the song, but it’s calming. I love it as much as him.

“Do you think Lou is dirty? I couldn’t have thought that when we saw him in LA but…” He’s got that I know something smirk. “Mr. Pietro. The time for holding back secrets is done. I have not become the Queen of the Italian underworld only to be kept in the dark.”

“Christ, I’m taking the money back. When I’m pronounced alive, I’ll relieve you of your unsavory title.” He elbows me.

“Lou! Tell me.” The plane parks and the doors fly open. He’s out of the seat and down the jetway before I can catch up. One perk of having no luggage I guess.

“Hey!”

He turns back and yells in Italian so no one even glances our way, “Piccola donna, mi stai uccidendo. Sbrigati, dannatamente.” I bolt up to him.

“Little woman? Oh, I’ll hurry the hell up.” I plow past him and his big booming laugh fills the jetway. I turn around while walking backward. “Do not laugh at me.”

He laughs harder, and I turn toward the exit. Customs takes us forty minutes, but Fiona Salvatore and Josh Whittier are in country. I love that his passport is our friend’s name.

“Keep your head down, hurry but don’t rush.” He buys me a new local ‘football’ cap. “Go into the bathroom. And tuck up that hair as much as you can. Head back to our gate, relax for a moment, and then meet me at the exit. Head down while you walk.”

“How the hell are you going to hide? You’re huge.”

“I’m not hiding. I want him to know I’m here. I don’t want him to know you’re here. I’m going to go get in a cab, and then pull just past where I believe the cameras are.” He checks his phone, taps it, then puts it back into his pocket. He does that for luck. He looks at me. “Boomer said that Sonoma is locked down, and the local situation is handled. He said he can’t speak for all of it.” He shrugs. “As long as Sonoma is secure, the rest of his babble sounds good to me.”

“That’s a relief. I have the same message. Now about Lou!”

“Fool will get himself killed over my damn sister.”

“Why? Not that he’s not a loyal brother and soldier and all that shit, but he seems to be going out of his way to get killed.”

“What the fuck do you think?” Sal says.

“How am I supposed to know?”

“Why would I hang out at a café in Sonoma for hours on end or come back from the dead?”

I gasp, “G! Gia. It’s all for G. He loves her.”