Page 48 of Made in Love and Blood

He meant something.

To her.

7. — pills and priorities...

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Union, New Jersey

Salvatore, Big Mike’s Deli

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Salvatore pinched the bridge of his nose and eyed the restaurant windows. He dry-swallowed the acetaminophen with codeine tablet that had been melting on his tongue for a minute.

Holding it there allowed the bitterness to do the real work of tricking his brain. His headache lessened immediately but that was the mind game of addiction. Pain management toed a fine line for him. Since he agreed to an IV painkiller after the accident, the demon chased him.

“Where the hell are you?” hissed Carina through the phone.

Grumbling, he replied, “Not there, obviously.”

“What?”

Panic edged her voice.

He tried to reign in the anger. It wasn’t at her, and she had no hand in the fact that he was in an entirely different state than his daughter’s final soccer game of her high school career. The game. The location and time of the finals didn’t matter to the boss of the Russo mafia when he demanded a meeting with Salvatore and a certain capo.

A demand to make face with the boss wasn’t a request, and he pressed his luck with Giorgio enough recently. Best not to push it.

“I’m fifteen minutes away,” Salvatore lied.

“What does that even mean?” Carina shrieked.

The phone crackled. He pulled it away from his ear, squinting. “Could you not, Carina? Please, just don’t be you for five fucking seconds,” he said when he thought it safe to put the phone back against his ear.

It wasn’t.

“What does that fucking mean?”

“I have something to deal with in a few minutes, so if we could make clear between us whatever you called for, that would be great, darling.”

The darling did it for her every time, and he knew it. Her tone softened to sweet in an instant.

“I told you when you picked up the call. Where are you? We’re here, the game is starting shortly. She hasn’t exactly asked where you are, but everyone can see it.”

A smile trickled out of Sal. “Everyone?”

“Sissy grabbed a ride with Larkin. A couple of his guys showed up, too. Why do they have so many freaking kids, anyway? I never see them at the estate.”

“Because the guys are working, maybe?”

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, Nico pulled up in his Mustang with ten minutes to start-time. It’s only you left, Sal.”

“Who drove Frankie?”

“She took the Supra. Something about a party tonight. Sissy knows.”

Why didn’t he know about it?