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"Iknewit," he seethes. "Please tell me you just wanted to nail her for the hell of it because getting emotionally involved with the motherfucking enemy is a terrible idea,amico."
Damn it. They weren't supposed to find out—no one was. Quick as a flash, I grip Marcus's arm and shove him back again until he's standing beside Bruno, rubbing it with a scowl. I give them my most crippling look, which makes both of them blink in surprise and take a step back.
"Do not fuck with me about this," I warn them quietly. "You keep your mouths shut. If this gets out and I trace it back to either of you, what happened with the Abatis will look like a fucking picnic. Understood?"
The Abatis squealed. In my family, snitches Don’t just get stitches. They get everything, all the most brutal punishments just shy of death, and I've had a hand in dealing out that punishment since I became an underboss.
Bruno swallows. "Holy shit. Okay. You're serious about her—I get it. Loud and clear."
Marcus is silent but folds his arms when I glare at him. "I'll keep quiet, but that doesn't mean I like this. She's using you as an angle for her family, Roberto. She'll rip your heart out, and it'll end up putting you in danger."
Before I can tell him to shove it, Bruno shrugs. "Hey, he could use this to hurt her, too."
"I wouldn't hurt her," I mutter.
"I didn't say you would. I'm just saying if a Russo and a Giovanni can…you know." He gestured vaguely at the panties. "Get along to this extent? Be together—even love each other someday? Anything is possible."
"He didn't say he loved her," Marcus snaps.
He's worried. I can always tell my cousin is scared when he uses both hands to rub his neck like that. Knowing he's concerned that I'll get hurt by Giulia makes me a little less irritated that they marched in here, nosing around like a couple of bloodhounds.
But since they already know…they might as wellknow.
"I might."
Bruno blinks at me. "You might what?"
"I might love Giulia Russo." I look away, back at the phone in my hands. I should text her before she thinks I'm ignoring her because I want to see her for dinner.
"Fuck. You mean you'reserious, serious? Roberto…”
Before he can finish whatever statement was probably about to earn him a swift punch to the ribs, my phone rings in my hand. I squint at the unfamiliar number. Only important contacts get a hold of my direct number, and I don’t get spam calls.
"Don’t answer that right now," Marcus sighs, but it's too late because I've already answered.
"State your name and make it quick."
"Oh! Shit, you're so much more serious over the phone. You sound serious, but maybe you're just one of those people who sounds angry over the phone when you're really just, like, super focused on something else, right? Oh—this is Amanda, by the way."
Amanda? I'm blank for a second before I remember that's the name of Giulia's best friend. The one I met in the cafe to get Giulia's attention a little better.
"Mandi," I greet, nodding once. "Right. How'd you get my number?"
"Don’t tell Giulia," she laughs. "But I sort of grabbed it from her phone while she was cleaning up a mess I made on purpose to get her to set her phone down… Long story—butanyway, I'm sure you know her birthday is in two days—"
I didn't, but now I'm definitely staying in LA for at least two more days.
"—and I'm trying to set up a small but high-end birthday party for Giulia. I even rented out an entire ritzy bar, and there will be gold flakes on her cake and everything. And I know you two have been working together, and I've beendyingto ask Giulia for more details, but you know, with your two families being pretty hostile, I wasn't sure how to go about it—"
Pretty hostileis a very mild way of putting it, but I cut her off before she can continue because I glance over to see Marcus glowering and Bruno coming closer to hear better. I'm sure they can hear most of this, given how loud Mandi is over the phone. He seems more intrigued than annoyed, but I still want to get the call over with.
"So you're throwing a party," I try to get her back on track. "Can I ask when?"
"Oh—you can ask when, where, and what to bring because you're invited to the surprise. That's why I'm calling. I think, you know, whether Giulia is hiding something more between you two from me or she's still fighting it tooth and nail, she'd probably secretly like it if you came by briefly. And I mean briefly—because I Don’t want to start another spat between your families or anything, and other Russo members might be there. You know?"
I smile. Suppose Giulia's best friend was already suspicious that Giulia was hiding something between us. In that case, I feel a little better about my closest confidantes also finding out. "I'll be there."
"Of course you fucking will," Marcus scowls savagely behind me.
