Page 37 of My Big Fat Italian Break-Up

I blinked. ‘Is that it?’

Julian dipped his head. ‘For now. It’s still a good result, though, don’t you think?’

Result? I’d give him a good result.

‘What a waste of time that is,’ I shot back, putting dinner in the oven and grabbing my car keys from the counter. I was sick and tired of flailing despite my best efforts. I’d tried everything in and out of the book, but the Cascianis seemed immune to honesty.

What a crazy country we lived in. Was this the way it really was, only I hadn’t seen it behind my pink La Vie En Rose designer lenses? A country where rules are bendy-bendy and didn’t even apply to everyone – was it supposed to be a joke or something?

‘It won’t be very funny if we lose our business,’ I whispered to myself to cover my trembling lips.

Time to get off my ass and fight my own battles.

‘What? Hey, where are you going?’ he asked, looking up from his screen.

‘I’ve got some investigating to do.’

At that, Julian smiled. ‘Easy, champ. We don’t want any broken bones.’

‘Not at all,’ I smiled as I walked out the door. Just a few minor purchases.

The Cascianis were absolute fools if they thought I was packing up and leaving without a fight. I’d chain myself to this place before I left. Better, I’d nail them to their own bloody front door.

As I wound my way through the Tuscan hills, concocting my homicidal plan where I emerge victorious, Renata called my cell.

‘Erica, you’re nuts,’ she said when I let her in on my thoughts. ‘How on earth are you going to bring them down? They’re one of the oldest and richest families in the region.’

‘You know them?’

‘Everyone does. They own a chain of restaurants across the Chianti area. They’re infinitely too big for you to scare.’

‘Oh, I don’t want to scare them. Never mind Tasting Tuscany – I’m going to give them a taste of their own medicine. Gotta go.’

‘Erica—’

But I’d already hung up. There was no stopping me. So I dialed Julian.

‘Honey, I’m not coming home tonight.’

‘What? Where are you? Are you alright?’

‘I’m going to get our business back, Julian.’

‘In what way?’

‘I booked Paul and me into the hotel for tonight.’

‘To do what?’

‘I’ll think of something.’ I had to, or it was our butts.

‘Honey, we have a lawyer for that.’

‘But she hasn’t done anything. She’s all… Lamborghini and no Casciani. I want justice.’

‘No,’ came Julian’s voice. ‘You want blood.’

‘I thought you were mad, too?’