Page 10 of The Taste of Deceit

“On what?”

“What they did.”

Sarah waits.

“Maybe they lose money. Maybe they lose their business. Maybe Mikey finds something they don’t want found and uses it against them.”

Her eyes widen slightly.

“And if that doesn’t work?”

I hold her gaze.

“Then Mikey, Marco, or I beat the shit out of them.”

Silence.

“And if that doesn’t work?”

“Then they die.”

Chapter 5

Sarah

It started raining twenty minutes ago, forcing everyone inside Luca’s mom’s house. The noise level has doubled since then. Conversations overlap from every direction while children dart through the crowd and somebody argues loudly from the kitchen.

Meanwhile, I can’t stop looking around the room.

Every person here seems completely normal. Sofia is cooking. Bruno is laughing. People are talking about work, sports, and vacation plans. The only problem is that most of them are somehow connected to the Mafia.

Michael and Katie are late as usual. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. The man is responsible for a billion-dollar corporation and an entire criminal organization. The fact that he still finds time to look at Katie like she’s the center of his universe is honestly impressive.

Luca stands at the kitchen island with a beer in one hand, the other resting on the counter. He’s talking to a group of his cousins when he catches me looking at him. He winks, and I smile despite everything.

A hand settles against the small of my back, and I relax immediately.

“Whatcha doing?”

I smile at the sound of his voice.

“Making you a plate.”

His hand slides under my shirt as he pulls me against him.

“You know I’m a grown man, right?”

“Trust me,” I say, turning to look down between us. “I know just how much of a man you are.”

A laugh rumbles through his chest as I add another spoonful of food to the plate.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know.” I scoop some pasta onto the plate. “But I haven’t seen you touch a single piece of food since we got here, and I know you didn’t eat at home.”

He rests his chin on my shoulder.

“How did I get so lucky with you?”