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“I told you exactly what happened.” Her anger turned into a pained tone. “Did you talk to someone after I asked you not to?”
I shook my head, sliding my hands into my sweatpants pockets. “Lucas overheard Gian telling someone he felt you up, and you were begging to be—” my voice trailed off.
She took a step closer. “That’s not even close to true. If anything, he was the one who wanted to.” She laid her palms on my chest. “I told you everything. You have my word. He only made the comment. That’s why I was acting weird. He gave me the ick.”
With that, I relaxed. Though I was close friends with his two uncles, Gian’s words bore no weight, but I was still fuming that he spoke about Maddie the way he did. Spreading rumors about her would be handled. Regardless of my promise to her, I’d have to speak to the Abruzzo brothers as soon as possible.
It was then that I realized my hands were on her hips again. “You and I really need to be care—” The door opened, and I bent down, snatching the refrigerator door open, looking at nothing.
“Heyyy!” Elizabeth greeted Maddie.
“Hey, you guys!”
I was eye level with her pussy, and I closed my eyes, trying to push dirty thoughts out of my mind. Suddenly, her fingernails were pressing into my shoulder as she tapped me. I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“Ciao,” Vincenzo’s deep voice followed. “Where’s Ja—”
Taking a deep breath, I grabbed two beers and stood. Elizabeth and Vincenzo’s eyes both widened as I set the bottles down.
“Hi! Beer?”
Vincenzo glanced at Maddie before taking the drink. “Hi, J, and sure. It’s only noon, but why not?”
“You got here early.” Elizabeth snickered.
Maddie offered a broad grin. “Well, I thought I’d do the nice thing and help.”
Thankfully, Elizabeth seemed pleased with that answer and didn’t push further. Vincenzo, however, stood just behind her and hadn’t taken his eyes off me for a second. He twisted the cap off the beer and put the bottle to his lips. I sauntered around the bar, hugging my daughter, then chugged my drink.
“Okay,” Elizabeth turned to Maddie, “I didn’t get to see your sexy swimsuits while I was on vacation, so you better be showing one off today!”
It took everything in me to appear disinterested, but the truth was, I was failing. Guilt was eating me alive for being the reason those photos never made it to my daughter’s phone. However, that was the only thing that I didn’t have control over.
“I have one with me,” Maddie grinned.
Why did she pack a bathing suit? Almost humming to myself as I lifted the bottle, I realized it was empty. Waltzing back behind the bar, I grabbed another. Vincenzo went inside for a second and returned, holding two cigars he’d gotten from the humidor I kept by the back door.
Elizabeth placed her hand on his forearm, stood on her toes, and pressed her lips to his cheek. A sight I’d still not gotten used to yet. Draping his arm around her, he whispered something in her ear.
“We’re going upstairs to get changed,” she murmured in return to whatever he said.
Maddie didn’t even glance my way as they vanished into the house. The moment they were gone, Vincenzo turned to me with pursed lips, handing me the cigar. I grabbed the tools off the table in the middle of the outdoor sitting area and clipped the tip off my smoke. He did the same.
“Jamie, do we need to chat about anything?” He clenched the cigar between his teeth and lit it.
In all the years of our friendship, I’d never fully lied to Vincenzo. I’d hidden the truth from him a few times in the business world, but it was only to protect him and place professional boundaries in our friendship. He did the same with some of the Mafia business he conducted. It was a silent understanding, and we kept it that way.
When it came down to it, I would’ve buried a body for him. I had my own secrets no one outside his business knew about. But right now, I wasn’t ready to discuss what I knew he wanted to. Instead, I brought up the other thing. The one thing I did need to involve him in. Waiting quietly, he took a puff from his vice, and sat back, stretching an arm across the back of the couch.
“Gian is going to be a problem, I think.”
That got his attention. Shifting forward, he propped his elbows on his knees. A thick, grey cloud floated from his mouth.
Before I continued, I glanced behind him, ensuring everyone was still away from the door and large windows overlooking the covered porch. He listened with eager ears as I explained everything Maddie and Lucas told me. Once I was finished, he sat back, sighing, swigging the rest of his beer.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head, placed the empty glass bottle on the table, then sat back again. “I warned Dimitri about that shit.”
