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?”

can

we don’t get to listen to your conversation with your girlfriend?” Isabella

my girlfriend. And no,

“Awww,” Ludavica complained playfully.

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

she’s a fuck buddy,” Ludavica

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

“…hello?” she answered warily.

“It’s me.”

said, her voice suddenly

being my girlfriend but quickly brushed

ready to see me

“Of course!”

something we need

Caterina sounded worried. “…oh?”

didn’t work with his

he know about

and he bought it. But in order to get out of the house to

“…which is…?”

Isabella with me and

was a long

that her name?” Cat

in annoyance.

Another long pause.

from finding out about us

“She already knows.”

“SHE ALREADY KNOWS?!”

before.

doesn’t want to get married to me, either, but she wants to go out

“And you believe her?!”

father has her on lockdown. She’s only

bewilderment in

not the important part

your future wife about us isn’t

yesterday I saw what he did to somebody who crossed him,” I

Silence.

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

want to run the

Of him finding

the house right under the nose of Niccolo and Don Rosolini. If either of

wouldn’t have done anything to you – they would’ve just

wouldn’t be so nice about it if

anything to you,” I

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

“What?! No! Absolutely not!”

“Are YOU afraid?”

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

she added, “But if something happens to me,

dark,” I said with a

don’t care. I only want to be with you. So if you’re asking

Don Vicari’s consigliere had

admit, I was relieved

I said happily. “Alright,

I

pretty far from Ragusa

better get

text me when you get there. Or call or

will. I can’t

warmly, a huge swell of emotion surging

I stopped myself.

had been about to say something I had never said to

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

Shit.

to get laid in a few hours, I was

Isabella had said last

Do you love her?

comes all the way here for you – and you

to think about it,

stood there for a long

through the other calls on Paolo’s phone until

Alessandra’s number.

many Lars had

number and waited, my

a familiar voice

“Alessandra?”

are

lent it to

“So it’s going okay?”

Caterina a couple

Alessandra

“…you do?”

texting me. I’m so happy for you

it lifted my spirits the

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