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?”

at him. “So I can talk

we don’t get to listen to your conversation

my girlfriend. And no,

“Awww,” Ludavica complained playfully.

Isabella exclaimed. She was having more fun than I’d ever seen before. “What is she, then

buddy,” Ludavica said, which

both girls collapsed into

at them in the rearview mirror, then looked at Paolo. “Pull


– and had shut the door on the girls’ playful taunts and Paolo’s obvious panic –

“…hello?” she answered warily.

“It’s me.”

said, her voice suddenly full of

about Cat being my

to see

“Of course!”

we need to

Caterina sounded worried. “…oh?”

Vicari found out I didn’t

he know about us?” she

drinking, and he bought it. But in order to get out of

“…which is…?”

with me and

a long

Cat finally

wife,” I said in annoyance. “Yes, that’s her

Another long pause.

out about us if you’ve got to show her

“She already knows.”

“SHE ALREADY KNOWS?!”

scream before. It took me by

with it. She doesn’t want to get married to me, either, but she wants to go out

“And you believe her?!”

lockdown.

bewilderment in Cat’s voice.

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 who crossed him,” I said

Silence.

notch, “I called you to warn you. If you don’t want to run the risk, I’d understand

to run

Of him

right under the nose of Niccolo and Don Rosolini. If either of THEM had found out I was going to see you, I

done anything to you – they would’ve

I’m sure they wouldn’t be so nice about it

to you,”

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

“What?! No! Absolutely not!”

“Are YOU afraid?”

me. I’m afraid for you. If anything happened to you… I don’t think I could live with

to me, I’m pretty sure it’ll happen to you, too.

said

is.” She sighed. “Look, I KNOW this is dangerous. I don’t care. I only want to be with you. So if you’re asking me, then I’m in. All the way. We’ll just have to be

wondered how careful Don Vicari’s consigliere had

I had to admit, I was relieved by

said

I meet

place called Cefalù. It’s pretty far from Ragusa – about

better

there. Or call or text Paolo,

will. I can’t wait

swell of

I stopped myself.

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…

finally just said, “I’ll see

Another long pause.

you soon,” she said sadly,

Shit.

going to get laid in a few hours, I was

remembered what Isabella

Do you love her?

woman comes all the way here for you – and you

to think

stood there for a long time,

I looked through the other calls on Paolo’s phone until I

Alessandra’s number.

one of many Lars had made

the number and waited, my

a familiar

“Alessandra?”

are you doing calling from THIS

lent it to

“So it’s going okay?”

Caterina a

know!” Alessandra

“…you do?”

texting me. I’m

lifted my

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