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4

MONTE

M y intentions were noble when I offered Sabrina a piggyback ride to the car.

But I should have factored in the way my sex drive would spontaneously combust at the feel of her tits pressing against my back while I held her legs around my waist. My cock got hard enough to dig against the zipper of my jeans and my balls ached while I pretended all was well and babbled stupidly about horseback riding.

That can’t be helped now and what’s done is done. At least we’re finally here at Gino’s.

I hold the door open and motion for Sabrina to walk right in. A second later, the place erupts.

“Look who’s here!” my father bellows. He has returned from his Brooklyn trip and swiftly abandons the cans of peeled tomatoes he was stacking to give Sabrina a warm welcome.

“Hi, Sal.” She leans into his quick hug and grins up at him.

He beams at her. “Nobody told me the Empress of New York was back in town. How are ya, kiddo?”

Sabrina barely gets the chance to answer because Nico charges over here. My brother actually shoves me out of the way to get to her. The way he grabs Sabrina and spins her around as she squeals with laughter leaves me with a feeling that’s inexplicably close to jealousy.

The drive from the airport was a nonstop explosion of Sabrina’s animated chatter while she leaned out of the window and pointed out city landmarks like a tourist. Then she abruptly switched gears and launched into a lengthy description of the menstruation-themed game she planned to invent and how she’d just decided to call it Crimson Cave.

All the while, I tried to keep up and occasionally grunt out responses. But the real challenge was the supreme effort to quit sneaking looks at her bare legs as she constantly squirmed around in her seat.

I should have let her sit in the back to avoid the distraction. Instead, she was inches away. Within a minute I felt like a starving man who’d been served his favorite dessert but was ordered not to touch it.

Sabrina Barone is still in a class by herself. With layers of long brown hair to get lost in, soft hazel eyes framed by thick lashes and a wide, tender-lipped mouth, she’s beyond adorable whether she’s smiling or pouting.

And don’t even get me started when it comes to her body. Her shape is a fucking funhouse. An outrageous rack, curvy hips, and an ass that deserves its own fan club. She looks like a vintage pinup girl no matter how she tries to cover up her curves with weird clothes. She’s also highly intelligent with a sharp wit that is often difficult to match.

Yet Sabrina’s vulnerability always catches me off guard. And it’s what keeps me in check. She’s too sheltered, too na?ve. I’m not convinced she’s ever touched a flesh and blood dick. For all Sabrina’s snappy comebacks, there’s a shy uncertainty about the way she moves through the world, almost like she’s afraid of it.

When she rushed into my arms in front of the airport terminal I thought I might dissolve into the concrete. A crazy thought skated through my mind that I would wade through lava for this girl if she asked me to. No hesitation.

Now as I stand back and watch, it’s clear she’s found her fan club. My dad hasn’t stopped smiling since we walked in. In the days when I was Sabrina’s acting bodyguard, I’d often bring her here. She always managed to charm everyone in sight. My father, who can be a tough judge of character, seems ready to adopt her on the spot. He leads her to a table with a promise to deliver a massive homecoming feast with all her favorites.

Even Nico is practically giddy. I’m not sure he’s even noticed I’m in the room as he drops into the chair across from Sabrina. The two of them instantly become engrossed in a rapid conversation featuring obscure video game references. Unlike my brother, I’m not an avid gamer. I’m not used to feeling left out. I don’t like it much.

But for the first time I see that we’ve got company.

Angry company.

FUCK.

Rochelle never left.

She and Livy are huddled at the same table and keeping tabs on the scene. Rochelle’s seething eyes fire invisible daggers at Sabrina, who is oblivious as she laughs with Nico. Rochelle leans over and says something to Livy. To her credit, Livy seems far less hostile. She gives Sabrina a curious inspection and then shrugs before walking over to claim the chair beside Nico.

I keep my eyes on Sabrina as Nico makes introductions. Livy smiles and Sabrina responds with a shy smile of her own. My chest tightens and an unnamed force squeezes my heart.

No one would ever accuse me of being mushy and romantic because I’m not. But the sight of this girl’s smile threatens to take me out. I’ve always been cautious with her and I intend to stay that way.

Even so, I have limits. Just because I’ve successfully fought temptation before doesn’t mean I always will.

“Oh!” Sabrina squints at her phone and starts smacking the table. “My order is ready for pickup.”

While we were stuck in airport traffic, I handed Sabrina my debit card and told her to place an order at the drugstore down the street from Gino’s for whatever she needs. Until this cyberattack mess gets sorted out, she’s without funds and there’s no telling when her suitcase will be found. In the meantime, she shouldn’t have to suffer without her favorite shampoo or whatever.

“I’ll go get it,” I say. “Be right back.”

I’m already heading for the door. Glancing over my shoulder, I catch my brother’s eye and give him a nod, meant to be a message that he’s in charge of defusing any drama while I’m gone. He returns the nod with a smirk.

I don’t know what that fucking smirk is supposed to mean but as long as he makes sure there are no catfights happening in my absence, I don’t give a shit.

Rochelle still sulks at the back table while pretending to scroll through her phone. There’s no reason for her to stick around. She ought to return to Queens where she belongs and get back to planning her wedding to that Bianco asshole. If she’s stupid enough to get in my face and throw a tantrum, I’m going to have to get nasty.

“Wait,” says Sabrina. “I forgot to add Chapstick to my order. Can you grab some at the store?”

“Yeah, I can do that.”

“Preferably cherry scented. Thank you so much, Monte. I really do appreciate you.”

“No problem. Anything else?”

“Well, since you asked, can you also check whether they carry cinnamon flavored gum? Any brand is fine.”

“Uh, sure. Is that it?”

“Um,” she says, thinking.

I might as well take my hand off the door handle.

“What is it?” I ask with as much patience as I can muster.

Sabrina flashes a pretty smile. “Can you see if they have those six packs of tiny cereal boxes? I could never find them in Sicily.”

I swear, at this point she’s just trying to bust my balls. It’s working.

“You know what, Sabrina? You’re kind of like that girl from the chocolate movie.”

Her face scrunches up into a cute grimace. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“Sure you do. The girl who says shit like, ‘I want a golden goose NOOOOW!’”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re implying that I’m spoiled and my feelings would be kind of hurt. But now that we’re talking about chocolate, I’d really love some Toblerone bars. I always crave them when I’m on my period. Can you look for some?”

“Toblerone bars,” I grumble and shake my head with a hiss.

“Here.” My dad walks over with a fistful of bills that he grabbed from the tip jar. “Quit being a jerk and get the girl her chocolate.”

I’m the jerk?

I’M THE JERK???

My dad throws me a look. I may be bigger and stronger than Sal Castelli but there will never come a day when my dad can’t silence me with one disapproving glare.

I’m careful to carve all the sarcasm out of my voice before asking Sabrina, “Is there anything else at all I can get for you while I’m out?”

She considers the question for a lengthy period of time. “I can text you if I think of something.”

“You do that,” I mutter and escape while I can.

The walk to the nearest CVS where Sabrina’s order awaits will take less than two minutes. But the second I step out of Gino’s my phone rings. Luca’s calling so I slow my pace and answer.

“How’s fatherhood treating you?” I ask him. “Getting any sleep?”

“Not much,” he admits but there’s a smile in his voice. “Annalisa has a tougher time because she’s breastfeeding so I try to take the baby whenever I can.”

Babies and breastfeeding are foreign concepts to me and I have no follow up questions.

I’m truly happy for Luca. He’s living his small town dream with his beautiful wife and newborn daughter. I just miss having him around. Friends you’d trust with your life are hard to come by.

Luca clears his throat. “I hear you’ve got a surprise visitor.”

“Yeah, she’s happily installed at a table at Gino’s. My dad is busy cooking the entire menu for her while I’m out shopping for her favorite chocolate bars.”

He chuckles. “Sounds like Sabrina. Hey, thanks for stepping up today. Anni had to talk their mother out of a breakdown when Sabrina took off with no warning.”

“Sabrina’s an adult,” I remind him. “She ought to be able to go wherever she wants whenever she wants.”

“True,” he says. “But everyone still thinks of her as the accident-prone baby of the family and any situation gets extra sticky whenever Vittorio gets involved.”

This news is less than fantastic. I’ve only met Vittorio Messina one time. It was the day of the Valentine’s Massacre, as it came to be known. Albie Barone, Sabrina’s father, decided he’d been double crossed and last year on Valentine’s Day he attempted to wipe out every member of the Amato family, including Luca.

He didn’t succeed. A few hours later, Albie’s brains were decorating a wall in his Long Island mansion. Vittorio Messina, the most feared mafia boss in Sicily and Sabrina’s uncle, swooped in to sort out the chaos. When Vittorio returned to Sicily, he took Sabrina and her mother with him.

“Sabrina will be safe,” I tell Luca. “Reassure Anni that her little sister is under my protection and the minute this cyberattack bullshit gets resolved I’ll ship her out to you on the next flight.”

This should be a plan everyone can agree on. And I ought to feel eager to see this temporary wrinkle in my life ironed out as soon as possible.

So why does a sour taste fill my mouth at the thought of waving goodbye as Sabrina’s plane takes off?

I’m going to blame leftover adrenaline from the Florida job. Can’t be any other reason.

On Luca’s end there’s a sudden outbreak of crying. His tone changes in an instant.

“Aw, look who woke up from her nap,” he says. It’s a trip listening to him get all goofy with baby talk as he comforts his daughter.

“Sounds like you’ve got your hands full,” I say. “I’ll keep you updated if there are any changes in the Sabrina situation but for now everything is under control.”

“All right, man,” he says as the baby quiets down. “Don’t let her boss you around too much.”

“Not a chance,” I scoff, amused at the thought that I’m in any danger of being bullied by a five-foot-tall video game pixie.

No sooner have I clicked to end the call when the phone pings with an incoming text.

Sabrina thought of another addition to her shopping list.

I’d love a pack of cards. I need to practice my shuffling. THANK YOU!!!

She’s added an entire line of pink hearts beneath the text.

With a sigh, I push open the door to the drugstore and mentally sort through the revised list of Sabrina’s requests.

Fifteen minutes later, I’m leaving the drugstore with three shopping bags full of Chapstick, cinnamon gum, tiny cereal boxes, assorted toiletries, tampons, six Toblerone bars and multiple packs of playing cards.

Then, because I’m sure Sabrina couldn’t possibly have many clothing options stuffed into that pink backpack, I cross the street to duck into a souvenir shop where I buy two ‘I Love New York’ t-shirts and a pair of women’s gym shorts. The shorts have the words BIG APPLE BOOTY plastered on the back but fuck it. That’s all they had in stock.

Back at Gino’s, my dad is busily serving a cornucopia of food to Sabrina’s table. Nico’s attention is focused on a laptop screen where he’s firing green lasers at giant furry goblins. The laptop is covered with anime stickers so I’m guessing it’s Sabrina’s. Livy hangs on my brother’s arm and watches him play whatever goblin-killing game he’s entranced with while Rochelle still mopes at the back table alone with her arms crossed and a murderous scowl pinching her face.

Sabrina, however, is perfectly cheerful as she holds a large hunk of stromboli in one hand and waves at me with the other.

“You’re back,” she says. “Did you get my chocolate?”

I dump all the bags on a nearby empty table. “I got every single blessed thing you asked for, Sabrina.”

She sucks on the straw hanging out of her soda glass. I do my best not to picture what she’d look like sucking on more exciting things.

The straw pops out of her mouth and she cocks her head, giving me a fond smile. “Thank you so much. Sometimes you really are a prince, Monte Carlo.”

“I’m positive that I have never told you my middle name.”

“You don’t like it? I like it. It’s classy.”

“No, I don’t like it. It was the bane of my existence all through school and I still hold a grudge.” I glance pointedly at my father, who just finished helping the kitchen staff stretch some pizza dough and now boxes up an order.

“That was your mother’s idea,” he says. “Don’t blame me.”

“I didn’t know it was a secret,” Sabrina says, glancing at Nico. “You should have warned me his name was such a sore point.”

“You told her?” I kick my brother under the table. “What else did you feel the need to reveal while I was gone?”

“Huh?” He continues to play his game.

“Relax,” says Sabrina. “It’s not a big deal. Nico just happened to mention it on the phone once.”

My irritation rises by the second. “I wasn’t aware you two were such tight buddies.”

“Sure, we talk all the time. At least once a month. Right, Nico?”

My brother finally looks up from his game. “What?”

“We talk,” Sabrina says. “We’re friends. You tell me things.”

“Sure.” He turns his attention back to the screen.

“You, on the other hand.” She reaches over and pokes me in the chest. “You’ve cruelly rebuffed a number of my sincere friendship efforts.”

“Cruelly rebuffed ,” I scoff with an eye roll.

“Rejected. You’ve rejected my friendship. But hold on, I’ll send you a link to a dictionary app so you don’t feel left behind.”

“Sabrina, I don’t need help with my vocabulary. But you need help with your memory. I didn’t reject you. If you’d called, I would have answered. You haven’t called.”

“You’re telling stories, Monte Carlo. I’ve been in touch.”

“Stop calling me that. A handful of times you sent me random cartoon memes and TikTok videos with no comment.”

“They were conversation openers. All ignored by you.”

“How was I supposed to know they were conversation openers ? You should have just called.”

Nico tears his eyes away from the screen again in order to lecture me. “That’s not cool. Why’d you ignore her?”

“I wasn’t ignoring her. I was – know what? Get the hell out of this conversation and go back to killing fucking demons or whatever.”

“Did you skip lunch?” Sabrina makes a face. “You’re even grouchier than usual.”

I did skip lunch. “I’m not grouchy. I’m never grouchy.”

“Here.” She grabs a pizza slice and steers it toward my face. “Eat a few bites and your mood will improve.”

The pizza collides with my mouth. And I really am hungry.

Sabrina breaks into a grin of triumph when I snatch the slice from her and devour it in four bites.

“Better now?” she says while I’m still chewing. She hands over her drink. “Take a sip to wash it down. You could use the sugar.”

The only reason why I cooperate is because I’m thirsty.

“Answer me this,” I say as I set the half empty glass down. “If you and Nico are such great buddies then why wasn’t he the one you called to rescue you from the airport?”

“Alphabetical order. Your name popped up first in my contact list. By the way, I’ll be occupying your couch for a night or two. Nico already gave his approval. Hope that’s okay.”

“Hell no, it’s not okay for you to sleep on the couch. You’ll sleep in my bed.”

That came out wrong. So very fucking wrong.

Nico starts cracking up so hard he nearly falls out of his chair. My dad stops wrapping up meatball heroes and clears his throat as a stern warning. Sabrina stares at me with wide, innocent eyes.

“I meant that I’ll be the one sleeping on the couch!” I yell since the whole room has jumped to the conclusion that I’m a goddamn pervert. “Sabrina can have my room. Without me in it.”

At least this whole miscommunication is the last straw for Rochelle. She stalks over here in her obnoxious stilettos and ignores everyone except Livy.

“Let’s go,” she says. “The food here sucks anyway.”

Livy scoots even closer to Nico. “I’m gonna stay and hang out.”

Rochelle’s nostrils flare. “Whatever,” she mutters and wobbles to the exit.

I’m glad she’s gone but now Sabrina is frowning.

“That girl such a shitty liar, Sal,” she says to my father. “Your food is superb. I haven’t eaten this well since I left New York.”

My dad chuckles and drops two pizza slices on a plate for his current customer. “Thanks, kiddo.”

“Good riddance to bad company.” I toast to the recent departure by sticking a garlic knot in my mouth.

“Maybe this is the end of Rochelle Rossi’s obsession with you,” Nico says.

“It kind of has to be,” Livy agrees. “I mean, she and Derek are getting married in October.”

Sabrina is intently listening to every word with a thoughtful expression. This shouldn’t make me feel like I’m under a microscope.

After all, Sabrina’s not mine and I’m not hers. I don’t owe her an explanation. But I hate the idea that she’ll think all I do is run around the tri-state area in search of a place to insert my dick.

“Did you have sex with her?” Sabrina asks, quite suddenly and far too loudly. It’s like the thought popped into her head and simply had to come out of her mouth.

“Jesus.” I choke on the garlic knot.

And everyone, including my father, waits for me to answer.

“NO!” I shout with my face aflame. “I did NOT have sex with her!”

“There’s no need to scream,” Sabrina scolds and pushes her drink on me again. “Have some more soda.”

I feel like an idiot for obeying. At least draining the rest of her soda buys me a few seconds to recover.

While I’m recovering, my dad delivers plates of fried mozzarella and bruschetta. Sabrina holds her phone out to show off the latest photo of Luca and Anni’s baby girl.

“Her name is Jane,” Sabrina says with loving pride. “She looks so much like Annalisa. I can’t wait to hold her.”

“What an angel!” Livy catches a glimpse and puts her hand to her heart. “She’s precious.”

My dad examines the photo and grins. “She really is a cutie. Luca sure did good, marrying a wonderful girl and making this little miracle.”

Maybe my dad forgot that Luca and Anni didn’t exactly have a traditional love story. They couldn’t stand each other when their marriage was arranged as part of a mafia alliance. Now they’re so deeply in love it can be kind of nauseating.

“Anyway,” my father says, “these two jokers of mine should learn some lessons from Luca.”

“Lessons in what?” I ask.

He jabs an accusing finger in my direction. “You could think about settling down. I’d like to be a grandpa before I die.”

If I’d still been eating, I would have spit out my food. Ideas about ‘settling down’ and producing little Monte Juniors don’t exist on my radar.

“I think you’ve been standing too close to the oven today,” I tell my father. “Your brain seems to be melting.”

My father reaches out to roughly mess up my hair. “Remember where you came from and have some freaking respect.”

Luckily, a pair of customers walk in so he doesn’t have time to harass me anymore. Nico is no help at all. He’s back to playing his game while Livy gazes at him with yearning doe eyes that imply she wouldn’t mind getting started on making those cute Castelli babies today.

“I’m on the final level,” Nico announces and hunches closer to the screen.

“Watch the waterfall,” Sabrina says. “You’re finished if you don’t dodge the vampire piranha.”

“Fuck it all.” Nico leans back in his chair with a sigh of disappointment. “I’m dead. Game over. When did you say this one will be released?”

“I’m still in testing mode and hoping to find a buyer by the end of the summer.”

Nico nods. “It’s a good game. Once I started playing I couldn’t stop.”

Sabrina is clearly thrilled with the praise. “That’s the idea.”

“That was one of your games?” I ask.

“Yup. Nico’s a beta tester for me. Didn’t he tell you?”

I look at my brother, who is getting consoled by Livy after his game loss. She kisses his neck and then whispers in his ear. Nico looks quite captivated by whatever she’s saying.

While Nico is busy being propositioned by Livy, Sabrina stands up and moves to the next table to start poking around in the shopping bags. Before she gets very far, I swoop all the bags into my arms.

She props her hands on her hips. “Can I have my stuff please?”

“Your stuff? I paid for it.”

“I said I’d pay you back.”

“Don’t want your money. I want something else.”

“My tampons are in there. I need them rather urgently.”

“Answer a question first.”

She tries to grab one of the bags but I hold it out of her reach.

“What kind of a sicko holds tampons for ransom?” she complains.

“I do. Did you really call me instead of Nico because of the alphabet?”

The question gives her pause. She fidgets as she grapples with honesty versus her desire to curb my ego. “No.”

“No?”

“No. I called you first because I chose to call you first.”

I give her a grin. “So in a way I won, right?”

She grits her teeth, her eyes flashing. Even if we aren’t actually playing a game, she still can’t stand the thought of losing.

“Yes. You won, Monte Carlo. Now give me my tampons before I tattle to your father.”

I hand over the bags without further delay.

Sabrina shoots me a dirty look before heading to the restroom in the back. I’m not honorable enough to stop staring at her ass as she limps away.

After she disappears into the bathroom, I discover that Nico is watching me again. His smirk is back.

“Shut the fuck up,” I grumble and seize two more pizza slices.

My brother laughs.