“You sneak the glass bottles around,” I added, fearing the worst. “Is it—Are they things the old bat makes you take?”
“Oh,” Arabella breathed with a light laugh. “No, I don’t take them.” She fidgeted with the dress again.
I crouched and caught her wrists gently. “Arabella.”
Her midnight eyes were wide. “Rae.”
“You can tell me,” I insisted. “We’re friends.”
The words came out softer than a whisper. “I put a few drops in the don’s oatmeal.”
I frowned. “The don’s oatmeal?”
The girl nodded. “My godfather is so unhealthy.”
“Oh, I get it,” I breathed, giving her a small squeeze. “You’re justtrying to make him well.”
“Something like that,” she muttered. If the look on her face told a different story, the strange look was gone a moment later.
“Now stand up so I can fix this,” she commanded.
Relieved that she wasn’t dosing herself with supplements to be thin, I rose and changed the topic to something lighter. I managed to stay still long enough for her to mark a few more places on the gown, before I reluctantly had to change back into the sweaty, icky reality.
But the maid uniform wasn’t forever. I’d seen the possibilities reflected in the mirror. And the woman staring back at me had more potential than the girl I left behind in Georgia.
Chapter 41 – Nico
The lock sprang open, and Luigi jumped back. I turned the knob. The door swung open. A multi-million-dollar brownstone likely had an alarm system, but we had that end covered. Sure enough, the telltale beeping started a second later. Rushing through the kitchen, we emerged in the living room as Tony shot to his feet.
“Shut off the alarm,” I commanded.
Tony pointed his gun at us, eyes narrowed. “You picked the wrong house, boys.”
I had ten men pouring inside. Each was armed, and the blood slowly drained from Tony’s face.
“Get your grey ass over there, and shut it off,” Luigi barked. “Now, Tony.”
Recognition flashed through him. With a curse, he holstered his weapon and made a beeline to the panel on the wall near the front door. I didn’t relax until he punched the number into the system and the beeping stopped.
“So, you’ve come for me too,” Tony snarled, turning around. “I should be honored you saved me for last.”
My grandfather’s capos had disappeared over the course of the last week. Like a frightened flock of birds, they’d pestered the old man daily about the situation. Don Grimaldi hadn’t taken their chirping seriously.
But it seemed Tony was much smarter.
“If you’re going to shoot me in cold blood, at least let me see your faces, cowards.” Tony planted his hands on his hips.
“We’ll pass,” I quipped. “Don’t want to leave any physical evidence of a break-in.”
Tony peered at me, eyes narrowed. “No matter, I’d know your voice anywhere, kid.”
“I wasn’t hiding.” I lowered my weapon. “I’m actually here to make you a deal.”
Tony snorted. “Help you turn on your old man?”
“His time is up, and you know it.”
Grey Tony was the smartest of the capos. Unlike the others, his head for business made him valuable. The issue of trusting him was easily solved by assigning some coolheaded soldiers to watch him. They could learn the ropes, and eventually I would promote them to Tony’s position, sending the middle-aged capo into an early retirement overseas.
