I found Mrs. Abate alone in the living room, making tidy piles of broken furniture and décor. “Oh! Let me help.”
She let out a heavy sigh and wiped her hands on her thighs. “Leave it for tomorrow. Maria’s gone to bed, and I’m sure she’ll want to look through all this.” The older woman gave me a sad smile. “You did good today. You’ll make a fine Mrs. Moretti.” She patted my shoulder as she walked past me to the stairs.
“Thank you,” I said to her back, getting no response.
I spotted my purse on the couch and grabbed it before heading back to the kitchen. Checking my phone, I nearly ran to the kitchen. “They texted again!”
Luca put a plate in the dishwasher and wiped his hands on the towel next to the sink. “We need to go.” He looked around the kitchen and grimaced. “I guess we’ll leave the dishes forthe wives.”
The front door opened, and the middle-aged wife brigade stormed into the kitchen, pushing past me.
“Oh, Luca, honey. What are you doing?”
“You shouldn’t be cleaning up.”
“Sasha, how could you let him clean up?”
The wives of the Capos sounded off. The old guard hated me and used every opportunity to remind me I didn’t belong.
Too fucking bad. Soon, new would completely replace old, and they could retire their old-fashioned bullshit criticism.
“Ladies,” Luca hollered over the squabbling, quieting the wives of his father’s inner circle. “Sasha and I were just leaving. The mess is all yours.” He dropped a kiss on each of their cheeks, took my hand, and pulled me from the house.
Once we were in the car, he called Marco. “I need you at the house in fifteen.”
“Got it.”
And that was it. The car ride home was quiet, anticipation building. Tootsie hadn’t answered any of our calls, and Luca worried the Chronis Family had caught them or whatever traitor was inside the family.
Marco stood on our porch when we got home, and the three of us silently went to Luca’s office. I couldn’t help but stare at Marco’s face, marveling at the destruction Luca’s hands delivered. “Are you okay?”
Marco frowned, wincing when the cut on his cheek pulled open. “I’m fine, Red.” He turned to Luca. “They called?”
“No, they texted Sasha again. Ready?”
I nodded, and we all hovered over the desk as the phone rang. The line picked up, but no one spoke. Luca lifted his chin at me.
“Uh. Hello?”
“I’m on speaker?” Tootsie’s harsh voice came through, and relief flooded my body.
“You are.”
“Hello, Luca.” Tootsie let out a humorless laugh.
“Tootsie, it’s good to hear your voice. I assume Zoe is okay?”
“She’s fine, no thanks to you.”
“I had nothing to do with it.”
“Sure you didn’t. I want to speak to Sasha alone.”
Luca glared down at the phone. “No. There’s no reason for that.”
“Are the Marino twins still working for you?”
Luca and Marco shared a look. “It’s being handled.”