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“You cancel him, you hate him.”

“I hate him, but I love you.” I gasp. His playful tone drops away as he kisses the top of my hand. “I love you so fucking much. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” I squeeze his thigh.

“I can’t give you zucchini races.” He looks straight ahead and bites back emotion.

I say it even if it’s not true. I need to pretend a little bit more. “Someday.”

“My love—” His voice chokes up, and I lean over and put a hand on his scruffy face.

I say it again, “Someday.”

“Ok, Gingersnap. Let’s pretend, someday.”

“Let’s pretend,” I whisper with a kiss to the edge of his mouth.

“Hold this for me.” He hands me a dirty little medallion. He wears a similar one, as does Lou.

“Where did you get this?”

“Lou.”

“You took his necklace.”

“No. He took Enzo’s.”

“Why?”

“Because Lou’s my real family.”

If it comes down to it, I will kill Enzo Pietro Catalano. One way or another, that man dies tonight. And I’ll become someone else. Not bad or good but tonight I officially become Mrs. Pietro, head of the Los Angeles crime family. And then I blow it all up.

I sit back in my seat as he swings into a steep and stunning driveway lined with thick, bright hot pink bougainvillea that reminds me of California. It forms the most beautiful backdrop as we head up the thick stones.

I look up toward the house at a set of rocky stairs. There’s no Ana, or Frankie. There’s no Farmer’s market or school play. The only thing lying in front of us is the task of saving his sister. And Becca and Brick standing in our driveway.

Chapter

Forty

Sal

I slap the steering wheel proud as hell of my girl. “Why didn’t you tell me you called the calvary? Fuck, you’re better at this shit than you thought.”

She sits up and I see the pride. “No. I’m better at this shit than you thought.” She kisses me soft and warm one last time before we cross lines we won’t be able to uncross.

I swirl the cube around in my glass, grateful the electricity is working and the ice trays were filled. It’s hot and sticky here but the ocean breeze brings relief. The vineyard villa was stifling. I got word that Lou is critical but will live. He’s being guarded by made men from the north. Storied families with a longer history than mine but loyal to the code and me and have his back. This favor might bite me in the ass later. I’d made sure my ledger with the made families was clear before I ‘died’. But I warned them what was happening and asked for protection for Lou. Not one hesitated, but it’s a marker out there.

The housekeeper’s family has maintained this house for decades. A job passed down through the generations. I’m in the front room with the fifteen-foot windows open to the ocean. The rich orange tile still gleams, and the complicated but colorful pattern creating the border around the room glistens with the colors my ancestors picked out. The old rattan furniture creaks underneath me as I turn to look at the large archway door that flows to the main dining room area. It’s a massive open room and all the other rooms except this one hang off of it.

There’s an inner square balcony that overlooks the ancient inlaid wooden table. My mom told me that the dining room was spotlighted because that’s where a family comes together. It’s where a family will be built or fall apart. If the kitchen is the heart, then the dining area is the soul. Once you come to the center of the house, it’s all a large archway that leads to that table. And there’s not a place in the house you can’t see it.

Poppy’s still upstairs with Becca, and Brick’s pacing between several laptops.

I’m grateful for his military training and his ability to live through all kinds of shit. I’ve never seen a Navy Seal prep for a mission, and I think it’s fucking hysterical he’s calling this staged dinner a mission. We’ve got four hours to prep. They flew in from Ireland, where they were laying low. High alert: no communication with Sonoma. There’s something going down there and I can’t get to Boomer either.

Becca’s trying to focus, but she is worried about her family right now. We have to believe Boomer has that shit handled, and Mel’s got them locked down based on Poppy’s 911 text. We’ll figure that out tomorrow. Tonight, we have shit to do.