Page 39

I grab her hand and drag her out of the bar.

“Don’t do that,” she says, pulling her arm free.

“Do what?”

“Protect me, fight for me. I can do it myself,” she yells, and storms down the alleyway.

I follow her, my voice rising as I shove her against the brick wall. “Yeah, guess what? I’m gonna keep doing it, so get used to it.” My mouth slams down on hers, and Aurora wraps her arms around my neck. Pulling me tighter against her.

Chapter Fifteen

“Aurora, why does it feel like forever since I’ve seen you?” my grandfather asks, pulling me into his arms.

“It’s been a week, Nonno. I was here last Sunday and the Sunday before that.” I laugh. “And every Sunday of my life.”

“A week is too long. You should visit more often. I’m not getting any younger, you know. Soon I’ll be dead and you’ll wish you’d visited more,” he says, laying the Catholic guilt on thick.

Which then has me thinking about last weekend when I was at the church with Connor. Not something I need to be thinking about when talking to my grandfather.

“How are you feeling after the Idaho incident?” he asks.

“Fine,” I tell him. “Does this mean I can become a made woman?” I already know the answer. Women in the family don’t get made. It doesn’t mean they can’t be useful or work for the family. My Zia Izzy is probably more lethal than any of my uncles combined. And she learned from her mother, my nonno’s sister, Angelica.

Nonno laughs. “If ever there was a woman who’d take over this family, I have no doubt it’d be you, sweetheart,” he says, kissing my forehead. “But as long as I’m alive, that is not happening. I want a better life for you.”

“Better? Or lamer? I don’t want to be kept,” I tell him. “I don’t want to just marry some guy and have him take care of me.”

“What female in this family gives you that impression?” He lifts a challenging brow.

“None,” I admit, because all the females in this family are strong-willed and don’t take kindly to being ordered around.

“Exactly. You can be whatever you want to be, Aurora. I just wish you’d choose a safer path. I’m too old to be worrying about my grandchildren.”

“You’re not that old, Nonno, and I’m not the one you need to worry about. I’m the good one.” I give my grandfather the most innocent smile I can muster.

“Yeah, and I’m the fucking Easter Bunny.” He laughs. “I got you something to celebrate. But if you tell your mother, I’ll deny it.”

“Celebrate what?” I ask, curious as to what he could have for me.

“Your first kill,” he says casually, then adds, “And hopefully last,” as he passes me a white box with a pink ribbon on top.

“You got me a gift? I should kill people more often.” I grin.

“I can take it back.” Nonno reaches out a hand to grab the box, and I pull it away.

“It was a joke. Jeez, you kill one guy and suddenly everyone thinks you’re unhinged,” I mutter.

“Yeah, that’s why people think that.” Nonno shakes his head.

I peel the ribbon off the box and lift the lid. “You got me a stun gun? I love it.” I smile up at my grandfather while swiping up the sparkly pink device.

“It won’t kill anyone, but it will give you time to get them down and walk away,” he says.

“Yeah. Okay, I’ll just walk away.” I smirk.

“Now, let’s go eat before your grandmother sends a search party in here,” Nonno says.

When we walk out to the dining room, everyone is already seated. I pull out the empty chair next to Mabilia and pick up the wine glass in front of me. “Hey, you’ve been oddly quiet this week.”