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“Natalia Carprio. They studied at Fenimore Prep together.” He shifts in his chair and taps his finger along the side of his glass. “I’m not surprised Vinny took an interest in her, but how the hell did she get caught up in his web?”
Damien has never been a Vinny fan. They didn’t get along growing up, and I lost count of the number of times they fought each other in my parents’ backyard. He’s never feared Vinny’sI’m next in linethreats.
I grit my teeth. Of course Vinny would hide that from me.
My free time has been limited, so I haven’t kept tabs on Gigi as much as I’d prefer. Lucky Kings is the busiest it’s ever been, and Vinny is a regular no-show. My father suffered a stroke two months ago, so I’m picking up both of their slacks now. All while balancing my own duties and trying to be a decent parent.
“I can look into it, if you want?” Damien asks.
“Are they going out in public together?”
“Yes.”
I press my fingers to my temples. “Fuck.”
My brother is contracted to wed Serena, the granddaughter of Jacob Silverman, a casino tycoon who owns a chain spanning the Florida coast. Before putting a pen to paper, Jacob insisted Vinny maintain a low profile with women, stick to brothels, and not embarrass her.
His dating Natalia will void their agreement. Vinny is also possessive over women and sees them as property. The ones who’ve tried to leave him disappeared. We don’t need Jacob terminating the contract or Gigi asking Cristian to get involved because Vinny killed her best friend.
I knock back my drink, the taste of malted barley sweeping down my throat. “I’ll talk to him at dinner tonight at my parents.”
Damien scratches his head. “Those are always fun.”
“They’re a fucking nightmare.”
Twice a month, my father requires us to have dinner at his home. As much as I hate it, Amara enjoys spending time with them and getting out of the house.
“You’re late,” I tell Vinny when he enters the parlor room.
“Too much pussy, too little time.” He shrugs.
Glaring at him, I motion toward Amara on the floor, practicing spelling in her workbook.
He plops down on the suede leather couch and inches closer until we’re out of earshot from her.
“When did you plan on telling me you’re hanging out with Gigi Marchetti’s best friend, a womannotinvolved in this life and who isn’t your future wife?” I sneer.
“I didn’t think you’d care. She’s just another cunt on my list.” He cracks a smile. “You’re only concerned because you have a thing for Gigi. I can set something up for us, if you want?”
I scrub a hand over my face. I’ve had no contact with Gigi since the Mayor’s Ball, and as risky as it is, I can use my brother’s stupidity to my advantage at least once. He owes me for covering all his problems.
“Next time you meet with Natalia, tell her to bring Gigi,” I say.
“Look at this.” He rubs his hands together in excitement. “My younger brotherfinallywants to have a double date.”
My jaw tightens at how high school he sounds.
“I’ll talk to Natalia,” he continues. “I’mverypersuasive with her.” The ridiculous expression on his face looks just as fucking high school too.
Our mother walks into the living room, interrupting us. “Dinner is ready.” Her tone is sweet, but the problem is that even her sweetest tone is laced with animosity.
She turns without bothering to wait for a response, and the click of her heels fades in the distance.
I help Amara to her feet and carry her school supplies to the foyer as she trails behind me. I drop her stuff by our jackets so we don’t forget them. Clara takes her homeschooling very seriously.
“Your father should arrive at any second.” My mother takes a seat at the dining room table. She glances at Vinny while delicately draping a napkin over her lap. “I’m gladeveryoneshowed up this week.”
Marsha Lombardi is your stereotypical Mafia wife. She went into her marriage hoping for true love but received nothing but malice.
