Another upside of not having to work on Rocco’s crew was that I didn’t have to get up at the ass-crack of dawn anymore.

I was eating breakfast around 8 the next morning with Isabella and Ludavica – under the watchful and disapproving eye of an older kitchen servant – when Paolo walked in.

“Hey, boss,” he said cheerfully.

Guess he was happy about his promotion to Isabella’s bodyguard.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Signorinas,” he said respectfully to Isabella and Ludavica.

Isabella smiled back at him and said Ciao.

Ludavica said Ciao but didn’t smile.

Then Paolo turned back to me.

“Hey, boss,” he said excitedly, “take a look at this!”

He opened his suit jacket to reveal a shoulder holster and revolver.

“You know how to handle that thing?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said, offended.

“Okay.”

“So – where’re we headed this fine morning?” he asked Isabella.

“I asked Papa if we could go to Cefalù, and he said yes.”

“Where’s Cefalù?” I asked.

“About an hour and a half north of here,” Paolo said. “On the coast.”

I frowned. “How far is Cefalù from Ragusa?”

Paolo looked at me with wide eyes and a fake smile like, What the fuck are you asking THAT for? “Uh… three and a half hours, give or take?”

Shit. That meant Cat’s taxi would have to drive pretty far.

I needed to call her as soon as we got out of here.

“Alright, then – let’s get going,” I said.

We all walked out to the SUV. I got in the front passenger seat beside Paolo, and both girls got in the back.

As soon as Paolo was on the main road, I said, “Let me see your phone.”

He laughed nervously and looked at me like, Are you crazy?! “Uh… why, boss?”

“So I can call Caterina.”

I said it mostly to see what his reaction would be.

He didn’t disappoint.

He swerved into the oncoming lane, although he recovered quickly enough.

Luckily nobody was coming in the opposite direction.

“Jesus, don’t kill us!” I barked.

Paolo laughed nervously again. “Who’s Caterina?”

“We already know,” Isabella informed him from the backseat.

Paolo looked around in bug-eyed terror. “You do?!”

“Yes.” Then Isabella looked at me. “Is that her name? Caterina?”

“Yeah,” I said uncomfortably.

It was a little weird talking to your future wife about the girl you were banging.

“That’s a pretty name,” Isabella said sweetly.

“Yeah,” I said lamely.

What was I supposed to say?

Thank you?

I agree?

Instead, I focused on Paolo. “Your phone.”

Paolo was sweating now. “This is a bad idea.”

“Now you know why you got your promotion.”

He glared at me –

But he got distracted when Isabella said, “We can keep a secret.”

Paolo looked at them in the rearview mirror, then shook his head and swore under his breath.

“PHONE,” I said.

He pulled it out and slapped it into my palm.

“Pull off the road up ahead,” I ordered him.

“Why?”

I can talk

to listen to

my girlfriend.

“Awww,” Ludavica complained playfully.

than I’d

buddy,” Ludavica said, which made

then both girls collapsed into gales

the rearview mirror,


– and had shut the door on

“…hello?” she answered warily.

“It’s me.”

she said, her voice suddenly full

being my girlfriend but quickly

ready to see

“Of course!”

something we need to talk about

Caterina sounded worried. “…oh?”

found out I didn’t work with his son

about

it. But in order to get out of the

“…which is…?”

have to take Isabella with me and show her around

a

Cat finally asked.

in annoyance. “Yes,

Another long pause.

keep her from finding out about us if you’ve got to show her

“She already knows.”

“SHE ALREADY KNOWS?!”

scream before. It

quickly. “She’s fine with it. She doesn’t want to get married

“And you believe her?!”

lockdown. She’s only left her house a couple times

in Cat’s voice. “And she’s

Look, that’s not the important

the part where you told your future wife about us isn’t the important part,” Cat

he did to somebody

Silence.

bring it down a notch, “I called you to warn you. If you don’t want to run the risk, I’d

to run the risk,”

him finding

Rosolini. If either of

you –

about it if they found

anything to you,” I said in

to back out?” she asked softly. “Are you just trying to just let me

“What?! No! Absolutely not!”

“Are YOU afraid?”

I’m afraid for you. If anything happened to you… I don’t

Then she added, “But if something happens to me, I’m pretty sure it’ll happen to you, too. So

said with

want to be with you. So if you’re asking

wondered how careful Don

I was relieved by Cat’s

I said

I meet

called Cefalù. It’s pretty far from

I better

you get there. Or call or text Paolo,

I can’t wait to

here, babe,” I said warmly, a huge swell of emotion surging in

I stopped myself.

had been about to say something I had never said to any

wasn’t a good idea to say

Especially now.

“…yes?” Cat whispered hopefully.

I struggled to answer…

said, “I’ll

Another long pause.

she said sadly,

Shit.

laid in a few

Isabella had said last

Do you love her?

here for you

to think about

there for

calls on Paolo’s phone

Alessandra’s number.

one of many Lars had made

and waited, my heart

a familiar

“Alessandra?”

joyously. “What are you doing calling from THIS

lent it

“So it’s going okay?”

Caterina a couple of times in the last couple

Alessandra said

“…you do?”

me. I’m so happy for you

sounded so joyful, it lifted my

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