I reached out and grabbed his hand. His jaw ticked as he hauled me to my feet. “You scared of me?” His voice was rough, gravelly.
“No.”
“You sure?” His hold on my waist tightened.
I stood on my tippy toes and kissed the underside of his jaw. “Yes.”
“Good.” Luca held me at arm's length. “It’s always going to be you above everything else.”
“I know.”
He smirked at me, letting me go to tuck his dick back in his pants. Picking up the gun, he shook his head. “I have to go talk to the cops and make sure Angelo’s okay.” He slid the gun under his suit coat and patted his pocket. “You stay here, and I’ll send Frankie up to take you home. I won't be long.” He stopped at the door when I snorted. “I mean it. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Okay. I love you. Be safe.”
“I love you too.” He opened the door but didn’t walk through. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
He looked over his shoulder with a tender smile on his face and then closed the door behind him. And with that, I was left in a sequined mini dress waiting for my babysitter.
SEVEN
Deep voices yelling downstairs startled me awake. The words were muffled, but it sounded like Luca and Marco. They’d had enough late-night chats escalate into more in our house for me to recognize the timber of Marco’s outrage and Luca’s annoyance.
The sound of something breaking, then a voice bellowing, “What the fuck?” got me moving. I struggled to untangle the sheet from my feet and dislodge the pillows from around me. My sleep had been restless without Luca. I tried to wait up for him, but by three a.m., I was out like a light.
Our wooden floors were a little noisy, so I kept close to the bed and stayed on the large rug. When I reached the edge, I tip-toed across the old planks to the door. I slowly turned the knob, lifting it slightly to keep the latch from making a noise. With the door cracked, I could just make out what the loud oafs were saying.
“You’re paying for that.” Luca huffed.
“Fuck you. Why would you think I took out Yanni?”
“Who else has been pushing me to make that move?”
“Everyone! Not to mention Cy Chronis gunning for the top spot. Shit, the shorter list would be who wasn’t trying to kill Yanni,” Marco yelled.
It got quiet, and Luca asked, “I’m going to ask you again, where were you today?”
“Not killing Yanni Chronis.”
I held my breath, afraid even an inhale would get me caught.
“Angelo has a hole in his arm, and the cops are setting up shop across from one of our clubs. Bodies are about to pile up. I need to know you had nothing to do with his death.”
“How many times do I have to tell you it wasn’t fucking me?”
“As many times as it takes for me to believe some other asshole had the fucking audacity to make the kill without getting the go-ahead from me. You’re the only other person in this city that can order that kind of hit without being questioned.”
“You’re paranoid.”
“No, I’m realistic. Shit’s happening without my okay, and my underboss is nowhere to be found, missing meetings, not taking my calls, and not at the fucking club when he’s supposed to be.”
“Mickey said—”
“Mickey wasn’t fucking there!” Luca’s voice boomed through the house, followed by a thud and groan.
“Where’s Tootsie?” Marco asked, his voice dripping with accusation. I kept myself pressed against the wall as I got as close as I could to the top of the stairs while staying in the shadows.