Page 88 of The Beast Who Begged Me

I put my hand over his, and together we leave the cemetery.

CHAPTER 28

DAMIANO

Seb’s in the ground, Big Gee’s still breathing, and I can’t get my goddamn fucking tie straight.

I yank it loose and start again. It has to be perfect.

Because today’s the day.

The day I make my vows to Caligula Clemenza.

Sammy appears in the bedroom doorway. “Uh, we’re all headed out now. Rosa told me to tell you.”

“Have a good time,” I mutter at Sammy, still trying to figure out this tie.

Vito is taking Rosa out to dinner. Rosa never takes time off, and this was one way to force her into it. But she made the bread for the ceremony herself when Caligula mentioned we’d need some, and it’s fresh out of the oven.

Sammy and Ricky Benedetti—who seems to fucking live here now—are going out to a movie, and then on to Kismet with a Clemenza guard shadowing them. I picked the guy myself, Nino Bertinelli. I’ve watched him on the door; he pays attention, and I’ve never had to tell him anything twice.

I asked Sammy first how he felt having a Clemenza on his tail all night. He said if I trusted him, he did too.

We’ve both come a long way. But I still didn’t want Sammy to have to put up with a bunch of Clemenzas in his home, not after last time. We’ll work up to that.

Instead of heading off, Sammy comes closer. “You want a hand with that?”

“I know how to put on a fucking tie.” I pull one end, making the whole thing worse. Sammy’s eyebrows rise, and I let my hands drop. “Fine. Knock yourself out.”

He crosses to me, picks up the ends of the tie, then starts looping it together.

“Since when do you know how to do this?” I ask as he draws the knot up. He made it look easy. “Never even seen you in a tie.”

“Ricky taught me.”

“Glad he’s good for something,” I mutter. Sammy laughs and smooths the tie down against my shirt.

“There. You look good.” He steps back to inspect me. “Damiano…”

“What?”

“Thanks for everything you’ve done for me. I want you to know I appreciate it. All of it.”

I shrug. “No big deal.”

“We both know that’s not true.” Sammy looks dead serious. “And listen, I’m sorry I was such an asshole about Cal. He’s…well, he’s okay.”

I’m so surprised I don’t say anything.

“Good luck,” he adds, and turns to go.

“Hey,” I say before he can leave the room, and then I have to find something to say that feels just as weighty as what he just told me. “I’m glad you and Ricky are doing so good,” I say at last.

He rolls his eyes. “You hate him.”

“I don’t hate him,” I protest. “I just worry about you.”

With a grin, he shakes his head. “You don’t need to worry. Ricky takes care of me.” He slaps the doorframe as he turns to go. “He’s good to me,” he says over his shoulder.