“Like Cy Chronis was handled.”
“We didn’t have anything to do with that.”
“That’s not the word on the street. It’s being pinned on the Morettis.”
“You say Morettis like you aren’t one.”
“After all this, am I?”
Marco rolled his eyes, but Luca immediately answered. “Yes. I understand you just wanted to protect Zoe.”
“You been telling stories, Sasha?” Tootsie’s tone was playful, the relief in his voice palpable.
“I told the truth.” I looked at Luca, and he nodded. “Luca wants to help you guys. It does no good for you to be out there alone.”
A soft feminine voice said something, and Tootsie sighed. “Even if I believe you and the Morettis aren’t a threat, Cy still tried to kill his own cousin. Until he’s handled, we aren’t coming back.”
“We can keep you safe.” Luca gritted out, glaring at Marco, the tension between the two rising yet again.
“No, you can’t.”
And the line went dead.
“Fuck!” Luca slammed his hands on the desk. “This is why we don’t do secrets.”
“I know,” Marco said, his voice strong and clear. “At least we have confirmation they’re alive. I’ll try to get a bead on them. They’re going to need money. There’s no way Tootsie called just to chat.”
“Do that. Besides us and those fucking Marino twins, no one on our side knows they're alive. Keep it that way.” Marco nodded and left, taking the remaining tension with him.
“Are they going to be okay?”
Luca sat in his leather chair, looking exhausted. “I don’t know. He should’ve told us where he was. I can’t help him if I’m in the dark.”
I rounded the desk, perching on the edge of the desk. “He’ll come around.”
“I don’t know. Marco and the twins fucked up big time.”
“Why are they still around?”
Luca smirked. “Their time is coming.”
I kicked the arm of his chair, pushing it back a little. “So mysterious.”
“Nope. Just keeping my promises.”
EIGHTEEN
“Can we talk?” Ashley stood in the doorway of my office, not bouncing in like usual, which made me sit up in my chair.
“Sure. Frankie, can we get a minute?”
“You got it. I’ll be in the lobby.”
Ashley closed the door after him and stood in front of my desk.
“You going to sit?”
Her face twisted with indecision before she finally sat in what was, in my mind, her chair.