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As much as Nino and I picked on the younger guys, when they outnumbered us, we got more than our share of it as well.
Siblings.
“Anyway. You fucks have any idea what Valley wants for her birthday?” I asked, watching them share lost looks.
“I think I’m gonna have Smush do my shopping for me,” Dante said, shrugging.
“I’m getting her a gift card,” Santo said.
“Not a gas one this time,” Dante said, chuckling.
“Hey, I thought it was a good idea! Who wants to pay for gas if they don’t have to?” Santo asked, letting out a sigh.
“If you can’t do better than a gas card, give her cash,” Dante suggested.
Valentina—or Valley, as everyone called her—was difficult to shop for. The only girl in a family of so many boys, we’d all kind of expected her to be a bit of a tomboy. But she shocked the shit out of everyone by becoming the ultimate girls-girl, which made it difficult for all of us to figure out what to get her.
She, again, being raised around so many guys, also wasn’t shy to let you know you fucked up with your gift.
So you had to at least try to get it right.
Maybe Dante was right in using Smush. She was the family’s best gift-giver.
The problem there was, if I used her, and the gift was too good, Valley would know that too, and I would get never-ending shit about not knowing my sister well enough even to get her a decent birthday gift.
Which, yeah, was fair.
Maybe I could drop in on my mother to ask her for some ideas after I had a meeting with Luca about this whole Colin and Cammie thing.
I had no idea what he was going to say about it. As a whole, the Grassi Family were big advocates for helping women in need. We were the biggest donors to the women’s shelter in Navesink Bank. Anytime they needed an upgrade or addition, one of us was happy to open our checkbook.
Aside from that, the guys had been known for finding their wives by helping them through a difficult situation.
They would understand why I felt pulled to help a woman stuck in an impossible situation with some shithead guy.
Though a part of me was worried what Luca would think about me feeling any sort of guilt or obligation to a loved one of someone I had killed.
Either way, though, I had to bring it to him. That was how shit worked. We didn’t get to handle a situation on our own without first running shit past the boss.
“I have to go talk to Luca,” I said, waving my brothers out of my office.
“Fine fine,” Santo said, shrugging. “Hey, that girl gardener,” he said, making me exhale hard. “Is she new?”
“She is. And she’s off-fucking-limits,” I told him, making my way through the front of the winery that was bustling with the afternoon crowd.
“Oh, come on. It’s not mixing business with pleasure since this isn’t my business.”
“No, but I’m not losing another employee because she feels weird about sleeping with the boss’s brother and catching feelings that weren’t returned.”
“I’ve always been up-front about wanting things to be casual.”
“Regardless. Stay the fuck away from the landscaper. She’s good. I don’t want to lose her.”
“Killjoy,” Santo grumbled, but was quickly distracted by an attractive customer instead.
“Any idea where I can find Luca right now?” I asked Dante.
“He’s at Lucky’s pizza place. The one in Navesink Bank.”
