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“Tell Dom to wait for us.”
He nodded and typed out a quick reply.
“Babe, we gotta go. We’ll drop you off on the way.”
Gia peeled her head from my chest and frowned. “I want to come with you. Like old times.”
“C’mon, G. How many times do I have to tell you this is not a game?” I pushed myself up from the couch, taking Gia with me. “Enzo was most likely behind this. The last thing I need or want is to put you in the middle of this shit.”
Gia took my suit jacket in her hands and pulled me to her, staring up at me with sad eyes. “Please be careful. Come see me when you’re done.”
“No can do. I could be out all night. I have no idea what we’re walking into. You know how much I hate making promises I can’t keep.”
She hugged me tightly, her head rested on my chest, and I squeezed her back even harder. If anything were to happen to Gia, I would never be the same. Gia was the only normalcy in my life, even if the combination of us together was fucked up and twisted.
“Fine.” She pouted. “Bring me breakfast in the morning.”
I kissed the top of her head. “Done. Now, go get your stuff.”
Gia grabbed her purse and shoes and met Sonny and me at the front door. Sonny had a nervous look about him that he was hiding from Gia. She didn’t pick up on his awkward mannerisms, but I’d lived with him long enough to sense when something was wrong. He bit the inside of his cheek whenever Gia wasn’t looking. She knew that tell well. It was more than his usual fidgety behavior.
I switched between crashing at my house with Sonny and my dad’s compound in South New Jersey. The estate was more guarded than a prison, but it was easier for me to stay with Sonny when Gia was around.
After high school, Gia’s family moved to the outskirts of Philadelphia. She preferred the old neighborhood to the new house she shared with her dad. Plus, she didn’t want her dad to hear the kinky shit we did in the bedroom. I couldn’t blame her.
Sonny drove us to Gia’s house, while I sat in the backseat, holding her as she slept on my chest. She was exhausted after another night of mind-blowing sex. I was still on a high, fueled with nervous energy about the situation at Vitale’s. After I walked Gia inside and spoke with her security detail, I got in the passenger seat next to Sonny.
“Cut the shit now that G’s gone. What’s going down at Vitale’s?”
Sonny clutched the wheel and turned off Gia’s street toward the highway. “There was a fire there, but Dom thinks one of Enzo’s guys set it.”
“He wouldn’t benefit from burning down a restaurant he has no stake in.”
“He did it to send a message.”
I held out my hand, waiting for him to elaborate. “And? Spit it out. What are you not telling me?”
“Three of our guys were inside, tied to the urinals in the men’s bathroom when the place burned down.”
My jaw clenched in anger. “Who did we lose?”
“Fig, Sal, and Carlo.”
“Don’t get too close. The cops are probably crawling all over the place.”
“You got it, Boss.”
I shook my head, unsure of how to respond. I hated when Sonny called me Boss. He was so sure I would one day take over for my father instead of Pete. We sat in silence for most of the ride back to Philly. It was a peaceful drive no matter how short-lived.
Sonny parked two blocks down from Vitale’s, creating enough of a distance for us to check out our surroundings. The building was the same as I’d remembered it. I had taken Gia to Vitale’s on our first real date. The place held so many memories, which was why I kept the details from Gia.
I looked at Sonny, confused as fuck. “What happened to
the fire?”
He shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t get it. Dom told me there was a fire at Vitale’s.”
“You thinking what I’m thinking?”
