Page 64 of One Step After Another

Without another word, she stepped out from behind the table and shoved the chair in with a rough hand. She didn’t even glance over her shoulder as she walked away, sending Luca to his feet to follow after her.

The man at the table held up a hand, stopping him when he said, “Let her go. Penny has always handled her issues far better when she’s given the opportunity to do so alone.”

Luca wasn’t sure he believed that—no one wanted to be alone. Hadn’t Penny spent enough time without the comfort of people who cared about her?

Nevertheless, with the chance to speak to the familiar man without Penny close enough to hear his questions, he couldn’t pass up the chance. Instead of retaking his previous seat, he sat down in the one Penny had exited. Folding his arms over his chest, he observed the man staring him down.

“Renzo,” Luca murmured.

The man cocked a brow. “What about it?”

“Renzo Zulla. Husband of Lucia Marcello—daughter of the former Marcello crime family underboss. Niece to the previous boss and cousin to the current man sitting in the seat, correct?”

Renzo’s jaw tightened. “You know, when people start naming names in my personal life, I tend to take that as a threat.”

“Cut the shit,” Luca returned. “I recognize you. I’m sure you know who I am, too. Our connections intermingle.”

“And that means what to me, exactly?”

A lot of things.

Or possibly nothing at all.

Luca figured ... nothing ventured, nothing gained. It was a motto he could get on board with for his current situation. Penny wasn’t telling him shit about her work or the people pulling the strings. Nothing he hadn’t learned on his own. There was a chance he wouldn’t get anything from Renzo either, even with their mutual connections on the table as encouragement, but he wouldn’t know if he didn’t at least try.

“I heard your boss came from the Marcello family,” Luca said, smirking when Renzo’s gaze darkened. “Is that where hers came from, too? Is someone from that side of the city pulling her strings and calling her moves?”

The silence grew between the two. It continued long enough to tell Luca that the other man wasn’t going to feed into the conversation more than he had to.

Then, Renzo leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and clasping his hands together, never moving his gaze from Luca’s when he said, “I’m not sure what your business is with Penny—other than being a pest for her handlers when she’s trying to work—but it would be wise for you to mind your business. Before you become a problem for someone who doesn’t care about making you a sacrifice in this game.”

“People keep telling me to back off,” he noted, nodding to himself, “but every time I don’t listen, I keep finding myself right where I need to be.”

“Then, you’re a fool with a suicide complex.”

Not at all.

Luca pointed at Renzo, his fingers forming the shape of a gun. “And I’ll be following along to Nevada. Just a heads up.”

That had Renzo laughing.

“I don’t think so, man.”

“That’s funny.”

“What is?” Renzo asked.

“That you think any of you have a choice at this point. If I was only a pest for The League before where Penny was concerned, imagine the hell I can cause them now. The things I know ... what I’ve seen, well, it could make a big problem.”

“See, and that’s where the suicide complex comes in. They will kill you before they let you close enough to do anything, Luca.”

It was Penny’s approach, and her voice that stopped him from replying when she said, “No, I think he’s right. Luca will have to come along with me now. Better we can control what he’s doing and where he’s doing it than letting him run wild.”

Renzo glowered.

Luca just smirked.

“See,” he said. “She knows.”