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21

MONTE

I don’t answer the call. The instant I see the name flash on the phone screen, I shove the phone back in my pocket. A minute later, there’s the sound of a faint ping, indicating a voicemail has been received.

All I can do is hope the sudden flood of uneasiness doesn’t show up on my face. A few feet away, Sabrina is saying a lengthy farewell to her mother.

Anni and Luca already said their goodbyes back at the house. I offered to drive to the small airport where Vittorio’s private jet awaits to ferry Sabrina’s mother back to Sicily. Two of Vittorio’s men are here to escort her and we exchange glares.

The heavyset dude on the left was at my wedding. He bears more than a passing resemblance to the fucker I threw off the balcony and he looks like the sort to carry a grudge. Maybe he thinks if he just glares hard enough then I’ll get nervous.

That’s funny. If he wants to try something then he’ll be flying back across the ocean on a stretcher.

The other guy doesn’t appear to be in a friendly mood either but I bet his face is just carved that way. He checks his watch and frowns at the sight of Sabrina being tenderly embraced by her mother.

I clear my throat and send him a deep scowl that says he can go take a nap on the plane if he has a problem. Sabrina and her mother will have as much time as they need to say goodbye.

Giulia Barone holds the face of her youngest daughter in her hands. She kisses Sabrina’s cheeks. With tears in her eyes and heartbreaking reluctance, she finally lets go.

“You take care of her, Monte,” she says to me.

“I will.” I step up and slide my arm across Sabrina’s shoulders.

Her mother breaks into a faint smile at the sight of us together. She stretches up to kiss my cheek and I bend down to let her.

“I love you, Mama,” Sabrina says and her voice cracks.

With a wave of fresh tears, her mother breaks away and hurries to the waiting plane. The pair of mafia guards follows right behind her. The first guy, the one who was giving me a tense feeling, swivels around and smirks before he disappears.

I hope that’s the last we’ll see of Vittorio’s asshole underlings for a while.

Sabrina’s sigh is sad enough to yank on some heartstrings that only she has access to. I pull her close to my chest and wrap my arms around her. She and her mother have never really been separated for an extended period of time and now they’ll be living on different continents.

Sabrina sniffles a few times but she’s clear-eyed when the plane lifts into the air. She blows a kiss as the shape becomes a small dot against the bright blue sky and then disappears altogether.

Then she tips her head back and smiles up at me. “I’m hungry.”

“Let’s go get lunch.” I move my arm to her waist and steer her to the parking lot.

I’ve become used to ordinary gestures such as opening her door first and making sure she’s settled before walking around to the driver’s side. She never fails to look pleased.

Sabrina plays with the radio while we leave the small airport behind. “How old is this car?” she says. “Seems like it might be older than your dad.”

“It is. My grandpa bought it new in 1970, two years before my father was born. This car was his constant project and I remember him always working on it. He handed me the keys shortly after his cancer diagnosis. Driving it around feels like a tribute to him.”

She twirls the radio dial some more. I help myself to a nice long look at her bare legs while I’m paused at a stoplight. She’s wearing one of her cute little skirts today. Truth be told, I wouldn’t mind skipping lunch, pulling over, and burying my face between her thighs for a while.

“I know this song,” Sabrina says. “It’s on the jukebox at Gino’s.”

“The Rolling Stones. My grandfather was a big fan.”

She smiles. Rubs her hands on her legs. Looks out the window. Glances back at me.

“Something wrong?” I ask her.

“I was just thinking,” she says in a soft voice.

“Seems unpleasant. I guess that’s why I don’t do it too much.”

“Funny.” She wrinkles her nose. “But I wanted you to know Daisy already assured me that I can stay with her and Big Man Bowie for a while.”

Up ahead, there’s a sign for a hamburger chain. I slow down, flip the blinker on and turn right.

“Are you having second thoughts about staying at my place?” I ask.

“No!” she shouts. “Of course I want to stay with you. I just thought you might need a break or something. And if you do, that’s okay.”

Her expression is anxious. She nervously chews on her lower lip as she awaits my answer.

I swing the car into the nearest empty spot and release my seatbelt. Reaching for her, I push the hair away from her face and slowly rub my thumb over her cheek.

“Brina, I want to be with you all the time. I wouldn’t have asked you to stay with me if I didn’t. There’s no expiration date on the offer.”

She exhales and breaks into a beautiful smile. She tries to lunge across the seat but discovers she’s still held down by her own seatbelt.

My reflexes are quicker so I hastily unclick it for her and shift my seat back to give her room when she climbs into my lap.

She straddles me and wraps her arms around my neck. There’s no such thing as being this close to her without getting hard. I want her mouth and I take it, kissing her deeply and passionately while my hand impatiently slides beneath her shirt.

“Monte,” she breathes between kisses. “I need to tell you something.”

“What?” I suck on her neck. I’m ready to shove her panties aside and risk arrest.

“I’m still hungry,” she says. She pulls back with a smirk and opens the driver’s door. “Now feed me hamburgers and tell me I’m pretty.”

She climbs out of the car and starts strutting toward the restaurant. I trail after her, panting like a dog.

It’s when we’re seated at a booth and staring at menus that I remember there’s a voicemail from a sociopath waiting on my phone.

Sabrina just said a difficult goodbye to her mother. There are more goodbyes to come tomorrow when we leave for the drive back to New York. The last thing I want to do is give her something new to worry about.

“Do you think we’ll be back in the city by Tuesday?” she says. “There’s an exhibition at the game design school that I want to go to. I need to register for classes too.”

“That’s doable,” I tell her, flipping the menu. “As long as we don’t have a repeat of car trouble.”

We’re sitting side by side and she hugs my arm, pressing a kiss on my shoulder. “What else is doable?” she teases. “Erotic answers only.”

The menu suddenly becomes very uninteresting. Instead, I’m riveted by very X-rated mental images of having Sabrina all to myself night after night. Indefinitely.

But then the waiter shows up and wants to take our order so I try to stop thinking naked thoughts. I end up copying Sabrina’s order because I can’t be bothered to examine the menu.

“Be right back.” She kisses my cheek and scoots out of the booth.

“Where are you going?” I’m already tense, looking around for possible threats.

“The bathroom. Relax. It’s right over there.” She tosses her hair and walks in the direction of the sign that says ‘Restrooms’.

My eyes remained glued to her ass amid very nice thoughts about bending her over the hood of my car and fucking her from behind. That can go on the road trip itinerary.

But I hiss out a breath when I remember the dreaded voicemail waiting.

Sabrina has already disappeared into the ladies’ room. I pry my phone out of my pocket, press a button and put the phone up to my ear so the whole restaurant can’t hear my business.

“Hey, Monte. What a nice surprise to hear that you’re vacationing nearby. It’s long past time for you to pay us a visit and southern Colorado isn’t far at all. We’ll all be expecting you here at the ranch tomorrow. Let’s hope you can still find the place. The boys and I would hate to be forced to go looking for you. After all, you’re family. See you soon.”

Some of his words still betray a New York accent but a slower western drawl is more prominent. I guess that’s to be expected when he hasn’t lived in New York since his teens.

I listen to the message again to make sure I heard it right the first time.

Outrage mingles with questions.

First of all, how the FUCK did he find out where I am?

It’s not as if I broadcast my location on social media. Nico and my dad sure as shit wouldn’t tell him.

There’s not much time to brood over these new developments because Sabrina returns from the bathroom. She’s smiling and she slides back into the booth, cuddling close to me.

“I’ve got to ask you something,” I say.

She sips her soda through a straw. “If it’s dirty, the answer is yes.”

“Not this time. Have you posted anything on social media about me?”

She puts the glass down and gives me a strange look. “No, I haven’t posted anything at all, outside of my gaming forums, for over a year. Why?”

“No reason.” I curl my arm around her with the instinct to keep her as close as possible for as long as possible.

Sabrina notices that I’m picking at my food. She jokes that she’s going to tattle to Peggy and then I’ll be sorry. I force out some laughter and choke down a few bites.

When we get back to the house, Anni is getting Jane ready for a walk around the block. Naturally, Sabrina wants to go too. She’s trying to get as much time with Anni and Jane as possible before our departure tomorrow.

Luca, always perceptive, takes one look at my face and knows something is up.

“I’ll stay back,” he says. “And I need Monte’s input on something so he gets to keep me company.”

He drops into one of the durable wooden rocking chairs but I’m too keyed up to sit down. I’m watching Sabrina walk slowly beside her sister, who pushes Jane’s stroller. Sabrina suddenly throws back her head with laughter.

“Trouble in New York?” Luca says.

I shake my head and lean against the porch pillar, facing him. “I’ve been summoned by the Tempestas.”

Luca goes completely still. “What for?”

“I don’t know. But somehow my uncle knows I’m here and now he’s expecting me to drive to the ranch tomorrow.”

“Shit,” Luca says and runs a hand through his hair. “What are you going to do?”

“It’s not as if I can refuse.”

“No,” he says with a sigh. “I don’t suppose you can. When was the last time you saw them anyway?”

“Uncle Cass sent Julian and Fort out to pay their respects when my grandfather died. They only stayed for one day so we barely spoke but I’ve had other reasons to stay in contact with my uncle.”

This is news to Luca and his eyebrows lift. “What reasons?”

Might as well come clean at this point. Luca can be trusted.

“About ten years ago my grandfather got into some financial trouble. He could have asked any of the wise guys who hung around Gino’s for a loan but he knew the interest would have been outrageous. So he reached out to his son-in-law and used the pizzeria as collateral. He didn’t want my dad to know. My dad still grits his teeth whenever Cass’s name comes up. Anyway, my grandfather had been steadily paying off the loan until he got sick. Then he took me aside and begged for my help. He was panicked about telling my dad, who would have been crushed. So I agreed to assume the loan payments for as long as it takes.”

“As long as it takes,” Luca repeats. “How long might that be?”

“I’ve made a big dent, but it’ll still be a while.”

“And your dad still doesn’t know?”

“He has no idea. Neither does Nico.”

Luca lets out a low whistle. Then he nods. “Look, I get it. You do what you’ve got to do for family.”

Yeah, he does get it. After all, Luca once took his own brother’s place at their uncle’s side so that Cale could be free.

But there’s more to come. He hasn’t heard the worst yet.

“There’s something else,” I say. “It’s about Sabrina.”

His shoulders tense up but there’s a ripple of confusion across his brow. “Does she owe the crazy Tempesta boys money too?”

“No. But do you remember when I told you that Vittorio was accepting marriage bids on her behalf? Guess which psycho mafia family was at the top of that list of suitors?”

Luca leans back in the chair and looks a little sick. “Fuck,” he mutters.

“I have no clue if they’ve heard about the wedding or not. They’re expecting me to show up at the ranch tomorrow. I’ll play dumb and figure out what the fuck they want. But there’s no way I can bring her into the middle of that nightmare with me.”

“No.” He shakes his head immediately. “You definitely can’t bring her with you. But she’s expecting to leave with you tomorrow morning, Monte. What are you going to tell her?”

I raise my eyes in time to see Sabrina turn the corner with Anni and the stroller. “Hell if I know.”