Page 101 of Joey

“I figure I might at least hear what he has to say.”

Sal snorts. “Nothing he has to say will be worth listening to. I guarantee it. He was always a useless sack of shit. He stole your mother, might as well have killed your father himself. Because thatiswhy he died, Maximo, and you can’t forget that. And now he comes here looking for—what? Forgiveness? Does he want to be your uncle again now that he has nothing and nobody left?”

“I don’t know what he wants, Sal.”

He rubs a hand over his beard and frowns. “I can guarantee no good will come from meeting with him.Weare your family, Maximo. We have always looked out for you. Protected you when you needed it. We’ve always had your back and we always will.”

He stares at me pointedly and his eye twitches. Does he know what happened? No. He can’t. Neither Dante or Lorenzo would have told him about what happened the other night. But maybe he saw something. This is his house and Salvatore Moretti sees everything.

“I know that, Sal,” I say, trying to keep my tone even and calm even while my insides churn and I feel like I might throw up.

“If you choose to meet with Vito, just remember that he is my enemy.” He pauses for a long beat. “And any friend of my enemy, Maximo…” He doesn’t finish the sentence. Doesn’t need to. The threat is implicit.

What do I hope to gain from meeting with my uncle after all these years? To hear his fake apologies and excuses? For him to tell me how much my mother suffered so he can share his grief with someone else who loved her?

I check my watch, feeling torn. If I’m going to make the meeting, I need to leave now.

“Lorenzo is going to speak to the Russians. They’re causing some problems at the shipyard. I’m sure he could use your help.”

I sigh and nod my agreement. “Sure, Sal.”

ChapterForty-One

MAX

Istare at the ceiling with my hands behind my head, my brain swimming with unanswered questions. It seems like there are a lot of pieces to this puzzle involving the Russians and my little sister, but I can’t piece them all together.

I spoke to Vito again last night, just the two of us, but I didn’t get much sense out of him once Kat gave him more drugs. We moved him to a guest room, and I let Kristin stay with him. He’s her dad, and despite what I might think of him, he seems to have been a good father to her. Still, I’ll never forgive the mistakes he made when I was a kid. I might wonder if him coming back for me should mean something, but I know better. He was seven years too late. He kept my sister from me for eighteen years, and I don’t think I can ever get past that. The only thing the man has ever done for me is corroborate Joey’s version of events regarding Fiona Delgado and removing every last shred of doubt that Salvatore Moretti framed me for her murder.

Joey comes out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. My perfect distraction. Sitting up, I watch her walk to her dresser.

“What are your plans today, baby girl?”

“You know what my plans are, Max. I’ve been talking about them all week.”

“I know you’ve been talking about a party, but I don’t believe we agreed you could go.”

“Well, luckily for me, I don’t need your permission. Mo is my best friend. It’s not my fault that you don’t like her, and I’m going to her party, Max,” Joey huffs as she tosses a black swimsuit over her shoulder in disgust before continuing to rummage through her dresser drawer for something she deems more appropriate.

I walk up behind her, grabbing her waist and pressing myself against her perfect ass.

“I thought I was your best friend?”

She stands up straight, blowing a strand of hair from her eyes and holding something blue in her hand. Turning in my arms, she gives me a snarky smile. “You are, tough guy. I just meant she’s one of my best girlfriends. Look, I know you don’t like her…”

“Nope, not even a little bit,” I agree.

“I’m going to her party, Max. You can even come with me if you’re that bothered about it.”

I take the bikini from her hands and inspect it. At least it’s not one of those stringy ones and it will cover her ass and tits. “I wish I could, baby, because you will look fucking hot in this, but I have to speak to Vito some more. We still don’t know who kidnapped me or why. Andthatis the only reason I don’t want you going to this party today. Not because I don’t like Monique, and not because you’re going to spend the entire afternoon in this sexy little number.”

“It’s hardly sexy. I mean I can show you a much sexier one if you’d prefer?” She flutters her eyelashes at me and sinks her teeth into her plump lower lip, making me want to do the same.

I grin at her. “Definitely later.”

“I’ll be safe though, Max. This whole thing with you and Vito and the Russians is something to do with Kristin’s baby daddy, right? Even Dante and Lorenzo agreed I could go.”

“But your brothers no longer get to decide what you do and where you go, baby girl,” I remind her as I trail my lips over the sweet-smelling skin of her throat. “I do.”