“And you read it.”
Dante: Rookie will pick you up at eight, Star. He’ll take you to
my place, and I’ll meet you there soon. Make yourself at home.
Growing up with a mafia boss for a father, I learned that evening meetings are the norm in their line of work. They don’t do business lunches like the working class. Allie heads home when Rookie enters the driveway at eight o’clock sharp.
“Dante went to get even with Cannon and Loki. Spades was hunting them all day but only found them half an hour ago,” he explains when I take the passenger seat.
Frank keeps his business private, so I expected nothing less from Dante. Honesty is refreshing.
“Is Spades his right-hand man?”
Rookie starts the engine, casually resting his elbow on the armrest and leaning toward the car’s center. “Spades and Nate.” He smiles a boyish smile, the ivory skin contrasting sharply with almost black eyes and long eyelashes. “As you probably noticed by now, I’m his favorite driver. You met Luca last night, and there’s also Cai and Jackson. We’re the main entourage. You’ll meet everyone tonight. We gather in Delta with our girls on Saturdays for a few drinks.”
My outfit leaves a lot to be desired if I’m to meet their girls. My mother and Allie are excellent examples of what a mafia woman should look like—flawless hair, make-up, and revealing dresses. My long sleeve knitted dress is best suited for a nerdy schoolgirl. I should’ve let Allie try out the flashier make-up options.
“How did you convince your father to let you go without Burly?” Rookie asks, toying with his lip piercing.
We speed through the city more than a hundred miles an hour and whizz past a cop car, but they don’t follow. Dante must own the cops down South just like Frank owns those up North.
“It didn’t take much. I’ve been erased from the list of things Frankie cares about. If you lock me up, Daddy won’t come to my rescue.”
Rookie smirks, shaking his head as if dealing with a misbehaving child. “I wonder when you’ll realize that Dante wouldn’t have freaked out last night if he wanted to use you.”
“I see news travels fast.”
“You’d be surprised... you clean up well, though. Luca says they roughed you up pretty badly.”
Those weren’t the words he used yesterday while on the phone with Dante. He played it down as if he didn’t want his boss to see me.
“Why, thank you. I guess Dante’s reaction last night was out of the ordinary?”
“Hold on to something,” he orders.
I grab the seat when the lights change at the junction ahead. Instead of braking, Rookie slams the gas, turning the wheel left to send the car flying sideways.
My heart pumps blood faster when a healthy adrenaline rush shoots through my nervous system. I’m buzzing, eyes wide, lips parted. Rookie looks unaffected, as if we hadn’t just drifted through a busy junction in the heart of Chicago.
“Again!” I cry out, digging my fingers into the seat.
Rookie chuckles, fulfilling my wish at the next traffic light. “You make for a fun passenger, but don’t mention it to Dante. He’d have my balls if he knew I’m endangering you.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not the type to kiss and tell.”
Ten minutes later, he parks the car outside of Dante’s two-storey, modern, all-glass house. “Going back to your questions, Dante acted very unlike himself last night and still acts odd today. Cai, Jackson, and Luca take care of the dirty work.”
“He doesn’t like getting his hands dirty?”
“Definitely not.” Rookie taps a code on the control panel outside the main door, disarming the alarm. “I’ll see you at ten.” He turns around, leaving me alone in the empty house.
I switch the lights on, crossing the short entryway that opens onto the spacious living room. Dante’s leather jacket hangs over the back of the couch, representing the only misplaced thing in the otherwise tidy space. His cologne mixes with cigarette smoke in the air, making me feel at home as I take a moment to search through the CDs before deciding on Kaleo. “No Good” plays from the speakers as I dance toward the bar to make myself a drink.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Dante
“I’ve got him,” Spades says when the hands-free system activates. “He’s in Amber. Can I fuck him up? Pretty please.”