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“What kind of answer is that? Was he or not?”
“He was. Tall. Expensive suit. Dark hair, a little salt-and-pepper in places. He smelled nice.” Very, very nice. I can still smell his cologne on my T-shirt.
“Gray hairs? How old was that guy?”
“Midthirties. Probably going prematurely gray.” I place the plate in the microwave, setting the timer to one minute. Not nearly enough time for the food to warm up sufficiently, but it’ll have to do. I’m too hungry to wait any longer than that.
“And he didn’t say anything? His name?”
“Nope. Just carried me inside the hospital lobby, set me down, then turned around and left.”
“Well, I can’t say that I’m surprised. You’ve always attracted weirdos.” Andrea laughs. “Is that anesthesiologist, Randy, still stalking you?”
“Yup.” I sit at the small table in the corner with my plate and dig in. “He sent me flowers again yesterday. Carnations this time. I mean, what the fuck? They’re for funerals.”
“Was there another creepy note?”
“Yeah. Something about my skin shining like moonlight. I threw up a little in my mouth.” My cat jumps onto the table,sticks his nose in my cup and laps my water. I tap him with a kitchen rag on the head. “Down, damn you!”
“Do you think that Randy guy is dangerous?” Andrea asks. “He’s been stalking you for months.”
“I don’t think so. He’ll find someone else to pester soon, hopefully. What’s going on in Chicago?” I load another heaped forkful of food into my mouth.
“I saw your brother the other day. He still thinks you’re in Illinois.”
“Good. Please make sure you don’t slip up in front of him. Angelo will flip if he finds out I’m in New York.”
“You should come back to Chicago, Milene. It’s not safe. What if someone from the New York Family finds out you’re there?” She switches to whispering. “Ajello doesn’t allow members of other Cosa Nostra Families on his territory without approval. You know that very well.”
“I doubt the notorious Don Ajello would tire himself out over poor little me,” I mumble between bites, “and anyway, I have to finish my residency. I’ll be coming back as soon as I’m done.” The cat jumps up onto the table again, steals a piece of meat off my plate, and dashes toward the bathroom. “One of these days, I’m going to strangle this cat.”
“You’ve been saying that for weeks.” Andrea laughs.
“He came home with a fucking chicken wing yesterday. And a piece of fish two days before. The neighbors will think I’ve trained him to steal food for me.” I yawn. “I’ll call you tomorrow. I can't keep my eyes open.”
“All right. If you run into that sexy stranger again, be sure to get his number.”
“Yeah, sure.”
I cut the call and drag myself to the bed on the other sideof my apartment. The whole thing is smaller than my bedroom back home, but it’s paid for with my own money, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I haven’t told Andrea or anyone else yet, but I don’t plan on going back to Chicago. Ever.
I’m done with all the Cosa Nostra crap.
A sharp rap sounds on my office door. I look up from the laptop to see my head of security enter and nod toward the chair on the other side of the desk.
“Did you find the girl?” I ask.
“Yes. And you won’t believe this.” Nino sits down and crosses his arms in front of his chest. “She’s Milene Scardoni. The youngest sister of one of Chicago’s capos, Angelo Scardoni.”
I lean back in my chair. What an unusual turn of events. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. She’s the only Milene who works at St. Mary’s. I checked her social media as well.” He takes out his phone, scrolls through it for a couple of seconds, then slides it across the desk toward me. “Not many photos there, but I found two where she’s with her sister. The one who married into the Bratva. They look very much alike. And I found several photos with Rossi’s sister-in-law, Andrea. It’s her, Boss.”
I pick up the phone from the desk and look down at the screen. The photo is a couple of years old. Her hair is shorter. She’s standing with another girl of about the same age. Milene is smiling, and her palm is fully extended in frontof her mouth, sending a kiss toward the camera. With full lips and a tiny nose, she is beautiful. But, it's not her flawless features that attract my attention. It’s her eyes. Big, luminous green orbs that seem as though they are looking right at me, twinkling with joy and mischief. I move my thumb over the screen until I reach her lips and trace their contours.
“The sister of a Chicago capo. In my territory.” I put the phone back on the desk, but I can’t stop staring at the image. It seems so genuine, her smile. How would it feel to have someone smile at me like that?
“Do you want me to send someone to drag her in here?” Nino asks. “Or will you call Rossi so he can handle the problem himself?”
